sca-cooks Re: Re(2): New to List

[Greg Lindahl]

> I vaguely remember (from a couple of years before I joined the SCA,
> actually!) hearing about an Eastern thing called hais that was made
> from ground almonds and dates -- does this sound familiar to anyone?
> Can I get a recipe for it?

There's a recipe for it in Cariadoc's Miscellany. My lady made a bunch
of it for Pennsic last year, and it was yummy.

Greogry Blount

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al-Baghdadi p. 214/14 (GOOD)

Take fine dry bread, or biscuit, and grind up well. Take a ratl of
this, and three quarters of a ratl of fresh or preserved dates with the
stones removed, together with three uqiya of ground almonds and
pistachios. Knead all together very well with the hands. Refine two uqiya
of sesame-oil, and pour over, working with the hand until it is mixed in.
Make into cabobs, and dust with fine-ground sugar. If desired, instead of
sesame-oil use butter. This is excellent for travellers.

2 2/3 c bread crumbs
2 c (about one lb) pitted dates
1/3 c ground almonds
1/3 c ground pistachios
7 T melted butter or sesame oil
enough sugar

We usually mix dates, bread crumbs, and nuts in a food processor or blender.
For "cabobs," roll into one inch balls. Good as caravan food (or for taking to
wars). They last forever if you do not eat them, but you do so they don't.