SC - Mongol Cooking

[L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt]

>Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 17:40:57 -0500
>From: "Karen Lyons-McGann" <dvkld.dev at mhs.unc.edu>
>Subject: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #484
>
>Conchobar says:
>	Ok, I foolishly agreed to make a soup/stew for our event in March.
>
>Me too!   It's the first time I've volunteered for such a thing.  The 
>title of the event is "Cossaks, Mongols & Huns" and I don't have to stick 
>to the theme, but it would be nice.  Anyone have an idea what Cossaks, 
>Mongols or Huns ate?  Or know of what book I should hunt down to start 
>finding out?   I was surprised at the number of Russian cookbooks at the 
>library, but most of the soups and stews listed had either potatoes or 
>tomatoes in them.  I know I can't document any of the other recipes, but 
>at least those I know couldn't be right and up until a week ago that 
>seemed like a pretty good start.  
>
>Anne

Anne, If you e-mail me privately I can get you my recipes for Mongolian
Dumplings, culled from various sources. I serve them in a vegetarian broth,
and most of them are vegetarian...scallion, spinach and cheese, and the
gratuitous venison, now that bambi bit the dust again this year. I loaned my
recipes out, but we are making them again in 2 weeks for an upcoming event
(by popular demand). 

In response, though, to a request for sources, I'd have to say there really
aren't any. Try the Domostroi, as His Grace Cariadoc suggested. Try Elena
Molokhovet's Gift to young Housewives (OOP). Try Bread and Salt, also not a
cook book but worth it's weight in anthropology. Try a search of the Library
of Congress for Western Europe and Russian Cuisine (very similar), and then
edit out what you can. It takes a fair amount of detective work and back
tracking to get to a menu remotely medieval AND Mongol (and keep in mind
that Cossaks and Mongols are two different critters, from different eras). I
was given some advice by a cook in the Middle Kingdom (lost his name, tho),
who told me to look for spices, particularly hot ones, and leeks, and
"oriental" type treatments for foods in Slavic cuisine. These were the
primary interjection of the Mongol Culture into the Slavic one. 

He also suggested that "stir-fry" type oriental dishes would work well if
cooked in shifts with lots of prep work, and for a very small crowd, but I
am not convinced that this is truly mongol cuisine, either. I suspect there
is no Truly Mongol Cuisine. It's an amalgamation.

I will post my sour cherry soup recipe, if I can lay my hands on it. It
looks awful but tastes divine. Very Russian, very filling for a cold day.

Below is the menu for the "Mongol/Russian" feast I did a few years ago. Some
actual Russian attendees thought I was of Russian descent, so I guess it
went over well (must be that 10 percent Moravian blood in me)!

Melee Madness IV     Final Menu    

On Tables:

1st course: ZAKUSKI---Thinly Sliced Bread, (dark, sourdough, rye, etc) on
which Herb Butters have been spread, presented in a colorful arrangement on
a platter, and various nibbles as available. I also included mushroom caviar
in the spreads.

Throughout the Feast, Served:
2nd Course: Beverage:  Honey water(s) flavored with fruit juices (this is
basically unfermented light mead).

To be Served:
3rd course: PEL 'MENI  (mongolian dumplings---vegetarian version) in veg.
broth (oriental style?).
and
4th course:  PRIGOTOVLENIE PIKULEG---Pickled vegetables (mixed, fancy
shapes, etc...).

5th course: Chicken with Apricots
and
6th course: LAPSHA MINDAL'NAJA-----Almond Noodles

7th course: SALAT---Mixed Greens and Herbs Salad with a Vinaigrette dressing.

8th course: Marinated Roasted Pork (served with a black-currant
sauce--you'll have to bug Ragnar Ketilsson's lady wife for the sauce recipe)
and
9th course: PLOV  (fruit and rice "relish")


Available after the feast:
10th course:  Assorted Russian Pastries, in a traditional Pyramid
arrangement,  served with Coffee and Tea, on a side table, buffet style.
Includes Blini, Mazurkas, Russian Tortes, Jam  Pies etc.... 


Estimated costs:   for 82 (including 4 at high table, making it  78
available seats for on board), $375.00
NOTE: In the final analysis, the above cost was under by about $20.00---the
first time I ever went over my feast budget. But it was worth the overage.
it was a top flight feast. I would omit the Zakuski If I were doing it now,
I think, and add a pottage, which appears to be an ancient and traditional
Russian Food from every strata of life, even showing up as church offereing
on "Pagan" holidays according to Bread and Salt!

Aoife 



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