SC - Documentation? Liberties?

[david friedman]

>For example, Duke Cariadoc asked about the saffron rice I was planning
>on using. Although I think there may have been a recipe for it I never
>bothered to look. Figuring how the Medieval cook loved saffron and how
>nicely it colors rice, I thought it would be fairly common on a table
>where rice was served.  This is one of those instances where as a
>neophyte historical cook I could be making an error by having no
>documentation for such a dish, I would probably still make it because it
>seems to make sense.
>
>If His Grace is unaware of a saffron rice recipe then it is either not
>period or is one of those things where it was never written down. But
>as the cook and having a little saffron left over, I will throw it in
>anyway.

1. The fact I have not heard of it does not prove it was not done in
period. To begin with, I don't know the nouvelle cuisine (roughly, for
England, 16th c.) sources at all well. And I don't have a photographic
memory, so might easily have seen such a recipe and forgotten
it--especially since I don't particularly like saffron.

2. You can serve saffron rice, but if you do you should not tell your
diners that all of the dishes are period ones unless you have better
evidence than you have so far offered.

A further point. If you decide to limit yourself to recipes you know are
period, you then have a stronger incentive to go looking. At the feast we
just did, my lady wife cooked a rice dish which was good, was period, and
was less like something a modern person would invent than saffron rice is.
- ---
Ryse of Fische Daye 1/2 per table
Curye on Inglysch p. 127 (Forme of Cury no. 129)

Blaunche almaundes & grynde hem, & drawe hem vp wyt watur. Weshce Ýi ryse
clene, & do Ýerto sugur roche and salt: let hyt be stondyng. Frye almaundes
browne, & floriche hyt Ýerwyt, or wyt sugur.

4 c almond milk from:	2 c rice	3 oz slivered almonds for frying
	7 oz almonds	2 T sugar	1 T sugar sprinkled on top
	enough water to make 4 c milk	1 t salt	1 t oil

Make almond milk. Add rice to almond milk, also sugar and salt, bring to a
boil and simmer covered 20 minutes; let stand 25 minutes. Lightly grease
frying pan with oil and put in almonds, cook while stirring for 5 minutes
at low to moderate heat. Sprinkle almonds and extra sugar on rice and serve.

David/Cariadoc
http://www.best.com/~ddfr/


============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================