Announcing the Cast Iron Dessert Competition at Iris Festival

Calling all foodies! We are going to have a dessert competition at Iris Festival in the Barony Marche of the Debatable Lands on May 24, 2026. The competition format will be modeled after everyone’s favorite Japanese game cooking show, Iron Chef. We will announce a mystery ingredient. Chefs will have a time limit to create as many dessert dishes as they would like that showcase the mystery ingredient. The mystery ingredient may not be historically accurate for this time period in Japan.

We will be providing the work stations including mixers, a shared refrigerator/freezer which will be first come, first serve, and camp stoves for each participant. We will NOT have ovens available for this competition! We will provide dishes, kives, pots/pans and utensils from the larder. No open flames are allowed at the site.

Participants will have access to our pantry and spices for the competition. Phones may not be used to look up recipes. If you have a question, you can ask our game master; and they will decide if it is something they can answer. More details to come.

Bonus points will be awarded for each of the following categories.

  • Gluten Free
  • Nut Free
  • Soy Free
  • Dairy Free

Each team or individual’s dishes will be judged based on taste, plating and historic accuracy. This will include recreating a recipe or using historic methods to create your own dish. Plating can be judged two ways. Chefs can decide which plating method they would like to be judged. The options are individual plates for judges, or populace serving.

Please contact Lady Arthes via the book of Faces under Brandy Straub or at arthesofbmdl at gmail.com if you have any concerns or questions. If you would like to bring any of your own equipment, please contact me to verify if it will be allowed.

Register today to be part of it. Space can only be guaranteed for registered teams, so please register today. We are looking for chefs or teams of up to 3, judges and scribes. https://forms.gle/BDw8bPmvMg6poLrA9

Single chefs may be worked into a team based on space available.

Iris Festival and Icon Comet Event – Register by May 10th

The Japanese Iris Festival and Iron Comet Challenge will be held in 2 and a half weeks. It is scheduled for Sunday, May 24th. If you plan to attend and you would like to purchase a bento box for lunch, please preregister using the following form. You can also specify any food restrictions with this form. We ask that you preregister by May 10th so the cook makes enough. Note there will only be a few available for purchase at the door.
Preregistration Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGaF2F_AOzvcc2_nCD-vfEmHKlC6Cn6hFAeSQfUN5OdWANjA/viewform

There is a scrumptious boxed lunch planned to keep with the Iris Festival theme. The cook is Michi-san: mirakat60@gmail.com. Lunch is an additional $6.00 for youth or adult. Here is the delicious menu that Michi-san has put together. This year’s menu is Korean:
Chicken Mandu (GF available on request)Soy Pickled GarlicPickled radish and carrot Kimchi (spicy)Japchae (sweet potato noodles with vegetables) (no alliums, no gluten)

The whole menu aside from the Mandu is gluten free and meat free. I could definitely make tofu Mandu upon request.

For all the details about the event including schedule, location, and activities see the event page:
https://debatablelands.aethelmearc.org/events/2026-05-24%20Japanese%20Iris%20Festival.php

Reserve a bento box for Iris Festival by May 10th


See the wonderful menu below for the bento box lunch for Iris Festival on May 24th. You should fill out the preregistration form if you want to ensure you have a bento box. You can specify if you want a regular bento box, or gluten free, or vegan, or both gluten free and vegan, or if you have any food allergies or restriction on the form.

Please note that the bento box is not included in the site fee, it is an additional $6. There will be a limited number of unreserved available for sale on the day of the event. The site fee and bento box payment should be paid at the door with cash or check. We cannot accept electronic payments. Also make sure you have a current blue card or proof of current membership available on your phone.

The deadline to reserve a bento box is May 10th. That allows the cook time to prepare. Here is the form to preregister and reserve a bento box:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGaF2F_AOzvcc2_nCD-vfEmHKlC6Cn6hFAeSQfUN5OdWANjA/viewform

For full detail on the event see the barony web page: https://debatablelands.aethelmearc.org/events/2026-05-24%20Japanese%20Iris%20Festival.php

-*-

From Michi-san the Iris Festival Bento Box-tocrat:
Despite my outward Japanese persona, my true food love is Korean, and I’ve decided to make y’all enjoy it!

At Iris Festival this year, the Bento Box theme is “Korean Banchan”. Banchan refers to Korean communal side dishes often served alongside rice and the main dish. They are flavor forward and often pickled, fermented, spiced, and seasoned.

This Bento Box features five components:

  • Japchae – Sauteed Glass Noodles

Ingredients: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles (GF), Zucchini, Spinach, Bell Peppers, Shiitake Mushrooms, Soy Sauce Substitute (Shiitake Mushrooms and Konbu [Kelp])

  • Maneul Jangajji – Soy Pickled Garlic Cloves

Ingredients: Garlic, White Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Sugar

  • Mat Kimchi – Cabbage Kimchi

Ingredients: Napa Cabbage, Garlic, Onions, Gochugaru (Dried Hot Peppers), Pears, Rice Flour

  • Chicken Mandu – Chicken Dumplings

Ingredients: Dumpling Wrappers, Chicken, Scallions, Napa Cabbage, Carrots, White Pepper, Soy Sauce Substitute (Shiitake Mushrooms and Konbu [Kelp]), Rice Vinegar

*Can be made Gluten Free and/or Vegan upon request*

  • Chicken Mu – Pickled Radish and Carrots

Ingredients: Korean Radish, Carrots, White Vinegar, Sugar (Vegetarian)

For Comments Questions and Concerns:

Email: mirakat60@gmail.com
Discord: @mitth
Facebook: Mira Kaplan

Budget Meeting tonight, April 22, 8pm

The annual budget meeting will be tonight, April 22, at 8pm. All are welcome to attend. If you want to attend in person, the address is 1105 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15232. If you want to attend online, here is the google meet link: https://meet.google.com/xqv-oxge-ssc. Here is the budget information: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yvyXpy_Mp_5-xhoXLQGqSnHVQbrgWmWyp_GKk7wUw_I/edit?usp=sharing. The top is this past year’s budget and actual spent. The bottom is the proposal for next year. If you have a proposal for the budget for things for the barony to purchase send them to the the exchequer, forveleth@gmail.com.

Debatable Brewer’s Guild Playdays

Hello Brewers and Friends,

At our last meeting; we came up with a few days to do group projects so I wanted to send out reminders.

All Grains Day at Broom’s – April 26, 2026 starting at Noon.

Cider Day at Broom’s – May 26, 2026 starting at Noon.

Brewer’s Guild City Wander – May 30, 2026 starting at Noon at Jackworth Ginger Beer; then we will see where we go from there; so many places to choose nearby!
https://www.jackworth.co/barandbrewery


Reminders:
Kingdom Brewing Championship at Blackstone Raids.
https://brewers.aethelmearc.org/brewing-championship-at-blackstone-raids/

War Practice :
Hara’s Pelican Reception; if you are so inclined to send donations

Brewers Roundtable at War Practice
Graciously hosted by Master Emrys (known as Broom), this will be a more formal taste, test, and teach event. Bring your beverages for evaluation, your questions for solutions, and your wisdom to share!

Pennsic: Sekanjabin for donation to hospitality


Future events from the Kingdom Guild:
https://brewers.aethelmearc.org/april-2026-update/

Looking forward to the busy season!
Muirgheal