COOKING, SUBTLETIES, ENTREMETS AND ILLUSION FOODS
(Revised 1/98)

NOTE: More documentation is required for Cooking entries than other categories because the written information is used for judging both in the Documentation and the Discussion sections of the criteria. Recipes must be included and those not in modern English should be translated to modern English. An entry is comprised of one dish, but that dish may have several parts, if needed for the effect desired. Judgment of subtleties, entremets and illusion foods should be VERY heavily based on their visual appeal.

DOCUMENTATION (0-4 points) Give one point for each of the following items that is present:

• Identification/Description of dish.
• Approximate time period and location/origins of dish.
• Lists recipe of dish.
• Cites at least one reference (primary or secondary) to the dish, relating to either the period use of such (i.e. "...they served meat pies...") OR period method of making them.

• 1:Design/concept/recipe is an exact copy of one developed by someone else.
• 2:Design/concept/recipe developed by someone else, but the entrant has made minor changes.
• 3:Design/concept/recipe developed by someone else, but the entrant has made major changes.
• 4:Design/concept/recipe was developed by the entrant, but there are major flaws.
• 5:Design/concept/recipe was developed by the entrant with only minor, or no, flaws. (All ingredients should be period or a reason given for a non-period substitution.)
• 6:Design/concept/recipe was developed by the entrant (with only minor, or no, flaws with an attempt at authenticity by using period equipment, OR using all period ingredients, etc. OR the entrant combined elements from several recipes or several period cooking procedures to develop a new dish. (Minor flaws acceptable.)

AUTHENTICITY (0-4 points)Determine how period the entry is based on the information supplied in documentation and discussion and/or on your own knowledge.

• 0:Entry blatantly modern
• 1:Modern dish with ingredients all known in period
• 2:#1 plus dish "feels period"
• 3:Dish is period, with reasons for ingredient substitution given
• 4:Dish is authentic, any ingredient substitutions are period, preparation procedures approximate period procedures (but use of modern equipment should not be counted off)

COMPLEXITY (1-5 points)Consider here only the difficulty of preparation of the entry. Judge the attempt, not the actual workmanship. Appropriate criteria to be considered here are: number and difficulty of steps, time involved, and/or special ingredient preparations.

• 1:Required a very simple procedure (slicing, boiling).
• 2:A simple preparation such as molded candies or butter, pears molded from gingerbread.
• 3:An average preparation (Ex:, molded fish with garnishments, a Japanese vegetable garnish, an endored meatball shaped like an apple).
• 4:A moderately difficult preparation (Ex:, flowers made of buttercream or Royal icing, a castle of pastry filled with a variety of sweets).
• 5:A difficult preparation (Ex:, sculptures in marzipan, galantines of birds, intricate sugar sculptures), or a ridiculously difficult preparation (Ex:, sculptures of mythical beasts in combat done in marzipan, complex sugar sculptures such as a castle with towers and moat).

WORKMANSHIP (1-5 points)Workmanship is the quality of the job. It is judged on excellence alone. If the entry contains tastes/textures/aromas you don't care for, rate it against others of that type (Ex: if you hate vegetables, is this veggie subtlety substantially less horrible than most veggie dishes?) If the entry is an attempt to recreate a period taste that is documented by period sources, give credit for that attempt, even if it is not to your taste. Rate the dish on Appearance, Aroma, Flavor and Creativity as follows. Total the points from these categories, then divide by 3.
Appearance

• 0: Looks uninteresting and poorly made.
• 1:Looks okay, but not very well constructed.
• 2: Looks okay and well constructed.
• 3: Very lovely (better than okay).
• 4: It is beautiful or unbelievably deceptive (better than lovely).

• 0:Aroma offends the senses.
• 1:Aroma detracts (but does not offend).
• 2:Aroma is appropriate (passable).
• 3:Aroma is very nice/good.

• 0:Flavor offends the palate.
• 1:Tastes okay (passable).
• 2:Tastes good (better than okay).
• 3:Tastes delicious (better than pleasant).

• 0:An exact reproduction following someone else's design.
• 1:A reproduction of a subtlety from a picture.
• 2:A reproduction from a verbal description of an object.
• 3:A design based on several visual or verbal (or both) objects or ideas. (May have flaws.)
• 4:The design/concept has been developed by the entrant, although it may be based on history, mythology, social customs, etc. (May have flaws)
• 5:#4 with few flaws.

NOTE: This category is subjective; however, the judge should take into account prior category scores, aesthetic appeal, and other such items not previously addressed.

NOTE: Extra points should be given for a special effort to display or present the dishes.

NOTE: More documentation is required for Cooking entries than other categories because the written information is used for judging both in the Documentation and the Discussion sections of the criteria. Recipes must be included and those not in modern English should be translated to modern English. Each section has a heading which provides critical information for judging. The definition of a period source is material which was written in period or was written earlier than period, but can be documented as available in period. A source is period if it is accurately quoted (and the original reference is cited) in a secondary source. A source may be a recipe, journals describing foods eaten, letters, books on manners, etc. While sufficient information to support the points being made and provide the relevant historical and cultural background to the dish(es) is critical, concisely presented material indicates the entrant has understood the material well enough to avoid extraneous or tangential information. An entry is comprised of one dish, but that dish may have several parts, if needed for the effect desired. Judgment of subtleties, entremets and illusion foods should be VERY heavily based on their visual appeal.

DOCUMENTATION (0-4 points) This section addresses the scholarly aspect of the documentation. Look for information on the historical origins of the dish and how the modern recipe may differ from the period recipe. This may include any information which helps demonstrate an understanding of period cooking philosophy, choice of herbs, selection of ingredients, garnishing techniques, manner of service, etc. You should be able to see what research the cook has done into how the dish would have been prepared and presented in period.

• 0:No documentation beyond a title
• 1:Lists only modern recipes or modern recipes, but with some historical information provided.
• 2:Only post-period or undated sources used. Includes ethnic foods with undated sources (Ex:, "... this is an ancient recipe from Moravia.") OR lists documentation only from secondary sources.
• 3:Documentation from period sources quoted in secondary sources, OR uses a single primary source only, OR uses single primary and other secondary sources.
• 4:Documentation is largely/primarily from period sources. Secondary sources may be used for supplementary information beyond the recipe or its ingredients (Ex:, symbolism of dish, effects on bodily humors, eating customs of the country, methods of service), OR it is superlative documentation primarily from period sources (little additional useful information could have been added).

• 1:Mention of modern preparation techniques (Ex:, combine ingredients and bake until brown)
• 2:Good discussion of techniques that were all modern (should provide a description of all cooking procedures used) OR a brief discussion of adaptation of period recipe to redacted form (requires period source or basis).
• 3:Discussion of adaptation of period recipe, reasons for ingredient and cooking technique selection.
• 4:Discussion of methods of adaptation, ingredient selection and techniques are clear enough that you feel you watched the dish being prepared and understood every step of the logic in its preparation.

AUTHENTICITY (0-4 points)Determine how period the entry is based on the information supplied in documentation and discussion and/or on your own knowledge. For instance, scores of up to 2 may be given when there has been no documentation OR discussion to support authenticity, but the judge recognizes the product as most probably authentic. There must be an original source(s) and redacted recipes to score a 4 in this section. The effects of special efforts to achieve authenticity of presentation (including the form of presentation, additional decoration, etc.) should be judged here. Special efforts in producing the dish (such as raising the meat, growing the herbs, etc.) are not judged here, but should be judged in complexity.

• 0:Entry blatantly modern
• 1:Modern dish with ingredients all known in period
• 2:#1 plus dish "feels period"
• 3:Dish is period, with reasons for ingredient substitution given
• 4:Dish is authentic, any ingredient substitutions are period, preparation procedures approximate period procedures (but use of modern equipment should not be counted off)

COMPLEXITY (1-5 points)Consider here only the difficulty of preparation of the entry. Judge the attempt, not the actual workmanship. Appropriate criteria to be considered here are: number and difficulty of steps, time involved, special ingredient preparations, etc.

• 1:Required a very simple procedure (slicing, boiling).
• 2:A simple preparation such as molded candies or butter, pears molded from gingerbread.
• 3:An average preparation (Ex:, molded fish with garnishments, a Japanese vegetable garnish, an endored meatball shaped like an apple).
• 4:A moderately difficult preparation (Ex:, flowers made of buttercream or Royal icing, a castle of pastry filled with a variety of sweets).
• 5:A difficult preparation (Ex:, sculptures in marzipan, galantines of birds, intricate sugar sculptures), or a ridiculously difficult (Ex:, sculptures of mythical beasts in combat done in marzipan, complex sugar sculptures such as a castle with towers and moat).

WORKMANSHIP (1-5 points) Workmanship is the quality of the job. It is judged on excellence alone. If the entry contains tastes/textures/aromas you don't care for, rate it against others of that type (Ex: if you hate vegetables, is this veggie subtlety substantially less horrible than most veggie dishes?) If the entry is an attempt to recreate a period taste that is documented by period sources, give credit for that attempt, even if it is not to your taste. Rate the dish on Appearance, Aroma, Flavor and Creativity as follows. Total the points from these categories, then divide by 3.
Appearance

• 0:Looks uninteresting and poorly made.
• 1 Looks okay, but not very well constructed.
• 2:Looks okay and well constructed.
• 3:Very lovely (better than okay).
• 4:It is beautiful or unbelievably deceptive (better than lovely).

• 0:Aroma offends the senses.
• 1:Aroma detracts (but does not offend).
• 2:Aroma is appropriate (passable).
• 3:Aroma is very nice/good.

• 0:Flavor offends the palate.
• 1:Tastes okay (passable).
• 2:Tastes good (better than okay).
• 3:Tastes delicious (better than pleasant).

• 0:An exact reproduction following someone else's design.
• 1:A reproduction of a subtlety from a picture.
• 2:A reproduction from a verbal description of an object.
• 3:A design based on several visual or verbal (or both) objects or ideas. (May have flaws.)
• 4:The design/concept has been developed by the entrant, although it may be based on history, mythology, social customs, etc. (May have flaws)
• 5:#4 with few flaws.

NOTE: This category is subjective; however, the judge should take into account prior category scores, aesthetic appeal, and other such items not previously addressed.

NOTE: Extra points should be given for a special effort to display or present the dishes.

NOTE: More documentation is required for Cooking entries than other categories because the written information is used for judging both in the Documentation and the Discussion sections of the criteria. Recipes must be included and those not in modern English should be translated to modern English. Each section has a heading which provides critical information for judging. The definition of a period source is material which was written in period or was written earlier than period, but can be documented as available in period. A source is period if it is accurately quoted (and the original reference is cited) in a secondary source. A source may be a recipe, journals describing foods eaten, letters, books on manners, etc. While sufficient information to support the points being made and provide the relevant historical and cultural background to the dish(es) is critical, concisely presented material indicates the entrant has understood the material well enough to avoid extraneous or tangential information. An entry is comprised of one dish, but that dish may have several parts, if needed for the effect desired. Judgment of subtleties, entremets and illusion foods should be VERY heavily based on their visual appeal.

DOCUMENTATION (0-4 points) Look for information on the ORIGINS of the dish(es) and how the modern recipes may differ from the period recipes. This may include any information which helps demonstrate an understanding of period methods of construction, rationales for the design selected, ingredients used, manner of service, etc. You should be able to see what research the cook has done into how the dishes would have been prepared/presented in period.

• 0:No documentation beyond a title
• 1:Lists only modern recipe or modern recipe, but with some historical information provided.
• 2:Only post-period or undated sources used. Includes ethnic foods with undated sources (Ex:, "... this is an ancient recipe from Moravia.") OR lists documentation only from secondary sources.
• 3:Documentation from period sources quoted in secondary sources, OR uses a single primary source only, OR uses single primary and other secondary sources.
• 4:Documentation is largely/primarily from period sources. Secondary sources may be used for supplementary information beyond the recipe or its ingredients (Ex:, symbolism of dish, effects on bodily humors, eating customs of the country, methods of service), OR it is superlative documentation primarily from period sources (little additional useful information could have been added).

• 0:No statement of cooking procedures
• 1:Mention of modern preparation techniques (Ex:, combine ingredients and bake until brown)
• 2:Good discussion of techniques, that were all modern (should provide a description of all cooking procedures used) OR a brief discussion of adaptation of period recipe to redacted form (requires period source or basis).
• 3:Discussion of adaptation of period recipe, reasons for ingredient and cooking technique selection.
• 4:Discussion of methods of adaptation, ingredient selection and techniques are clear enough that you feel you watched the dish being prepared and understood every step of the logic in its preparation.

AUTHENTICITY (0-4 points)Determine how period the entry is, based on the information supplied in the documentation and discussion and/or on your own personal knowledge. Consider the techniques, ingredients, and tools used to produce the entry. New World and Far Eastern foods may be used providing the entry (as a subtlety, entremet or illusion food) is authentically New World or Far Eastern and in period or that the ingredients were in use in European cookery in period.

• 0:Ingredients not period, design not period.
• 1:Design has period components, ingredients are not period.
• 2:Design has period components, most ingredients are period
• 3:Design and ingredients are period, methods are not period
• 4:Design, ingredients and method are period.

COMPLEXITY (0-6 points)Consider here only the difficulty of preparation of the entry. Judge the attempt, not the actual workmanship. Appropriate criteria to be considered here are: number and difficulty of steps, time involved, and/or special ingredient preparations, etc.

• 0:No preparation required.
• 1:Required a very simple procedure (slicing, boiling).
• 2:A simple preparation such as molded candies or butter, pears molded from gingerbread.
• 3:An average preparation (Ex:, molded fish with garnishments, a Japanese vegetable garnish, an endored meatball shaped like an apple).
• 4:A moderately difficult preparation (Ex:, flowers made of buttercream or Royal icing, a castle of pastry filled with a variety of sweets).
• 5:A difficult preparation (Ex:, sculptures in marzipan, galantines of birds, intricate sugar sculptures).
• 6:Ridiculously difficult (Ex:, sculptures of mythical beasts in combat done in marzipan, complex sugar sculptures such as a castle with towers and moat).

WORKMANSHIP (0-6 points)Workmanship is the quality of the job. It is judged on excellence alone. If the entry contains tastes/textures/aromas you don't care for, rate it against others of that type (Ex: if you hate vegetables, is this veggie subtlety substantially less horrible than most veggie dishes?) If the entry is an attempt to recreate a period taste that is documented by period sources, give credit for that attempt, even if it is not to your taste. Rate the dish on Appearance, Aroma, Flavor and Creativity as follows. Total the points from these categories, then divide by 3.
Appearance

• 0:Looks uninteresting and poorly made.
• 1:Looks okay, but not very well constructed.
• 2:Looks okay and well constructed.
• 3:Very lovely (better than okay).
• 4:It is beautiful or unbelievably deceptive (better than lovely).

• 0:Aroma offends the senses.
• 1:Aroma detracts (but does not offend).
• 2:Aroma is appropriate (passable).
• 3:Aroma is very nice/good.

• 0:Flavor offends the palate.
• 1:Tastes okay (passable).
• 2:Tastes good (better than okay).
• 4:Tastes delicious (better than pleasant).

• 0:An exact reproduction following someone else's design.
• 1:A reproduction of a subtlety from a picture.
• 2:A reproduction from a verbal description of an object.
• 3:A design based on several visual or verbal (or both) objects or ideas. (May have flaws.)
• The design/concept has been developed by the entrant, although it may be based on history, mythology, social customs, etc. (May have flaws)
• 4:#4 with few flaws.
• 5:Phenomenal job, unique in concept and execution. It appears appropriate to a medieval table

NOTE: This category is subjective; however, the judge should take into account prior category scores, aesthetic appeal, and other such items not previously addressed.

NOTE: Extra points should be given for a special effort to display or present the dishes.