Dana wrote: "Canon is not very forthcoming on the subject of food (although we know that actual fruit and coffee beans do exist, but as rare luxuries, that nutrient packs exist, and that Vila knows what Avon means when he refers to a sandwich)."

It is very hard to get a clear idea on a lot of the social history stuff that I like so much. But when did a lack of actual facts ever stop some of us? <g> I don't see conspicuous consumption in any form as widespread within the Federation - the major examples of it being outsiders (Freedom City, the Space Princess). Servalan is really the only one within the Federation, and I get the feeling that the elite (Bercol, Rontane, even Joban, from his manner) think of her as vulgar anyway.

Obviously there are some luxury goods: the tropical fruits from Palmero (Star One), real coffee (Moloch). And Bercol's snide comment about bringing his own chef and Space Command's appalling cooking in Trial also indicates that in the upper classes there are culinary standards that don't quite go with the food concentrates-and-protein images elsewhere (The Way Back, Horizon, Killer, Hostage).

OTOH, food processing seems to be quite advanced, if the meal Tarrant dials up in Sand is anything to go by; sure, it may not be *quite* the real thing, but the ex-President (one of the chief examples of conspicuous consumption on other levels) doesn't turn up her nose at it. Presumably most food is processed - this being an excellent time to dope it - then reconstituted to *very* near original quality. I also tend to the view (though this is uncanonical) that there is a level of rationing going on in the Domes (that reference to protein culture (?) being available at the food processing units), and that higher grades and/or people within the power structure get more of the luxury goods available.

I don't actually recall any *canonical* reference to Zen's food processing units, but given that the ship holds vast quantities of concentrate, I'd assume that they are there and, like the rest of the ship, very advanced; if they were inclined to only supply formulated pap (which makes sense, considering the Altas) Avon could probably reprogram them to produce something more like real food. It does make sense for a spaceship to rely on concentrate/processors rather than waste space carting real food around. I tend to assume Our Heroes eat a *lot* of fake food, and a lot of it tastes pretty good.

"The assumption I use in writing fanfic is that on the Liberator, there are regular sit-down meals for the crew, and that everyone has to take turns cooking and washing up."

IMO, the ship's processors 'do' the cooking, *and* the washing up (either there's a dishwashing unit installed, or the implements are totally disposable :-)). If the original designers had no need for what we would call cooking (again, from the huge supplies of concentrates) why put in anything to do cooking in? But as said above, I doubt there's a *lot* of difference between properly reconstituted higher-grade food and the real thing. Just enough to make fussy people like Avon (and probably Jenna) want the real thing whenever they could lay their hands on it.

"I've seen plenty of stories involving "pleasure planets" but somehow no one except me seems worried about where you can find a really good restaurant on shore leave..."

Maybe there simply weren't any :-) Or not in the Federation (comes back to that lack of conspicuous consumption again). Our Heroes rarely go to the type of planet that has 5-star leisure facilities anyway - or if they do, they're there to see rebels in the less civilised parts of the planet.

OTOH, those primitive worlds they *do* land on with disarming regularity are probably excellent places to get supplies of utterly real food untouched by mechanical hands ...

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