Singers perform during the dress rehearsal for the Renaissance Pageant and Feast on Monday, Nov. 29, 2010, in Middletown, Calif. The event is being held at the Middletown Community United Methodist Church. Tickets are $35 and include a three-course feast; $20 of the ticket is a charitable donation. Purchase tickets by calling 707-987-2653. Performances continue next weekend. Photo by Esther Oertel.

The pageant, now in its 17th season, is festive Christmas entertainment, resplendent with madrigal singing, colorful period costumes and an original script that changes each year.

In addition, a medieval-style feast is served to the guests that function as members of the court of Greystone Castle (into which the Middletown Community United Methodist Church transforms for the yearly performances).

I enjoyed every aspect of the event nine years ago (as I have in the years since then), but the food especially piqued my interest.

Chicken flavored with cinnamon provided a savory entrée with a hint of sweetness. It was served on a round of flat bread that functioned as our dish, and eating it made our role as guests of Lord and Lady Greystone all the more plausible.

On Monday evening I was again a guest at the castle, this time for a dress rehearsal. The temporary trip back in time rekindled my interest in the cookery of that time, hence the subject of today’s column.

Candles are lit during

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