SC - RECIPE CHALLENGE II

[Mark Schuldenfrei]

  33	To make a syrosye. Tak cheryes & do out the* stones & grynde hem wel
  & draw hem thorw* a streynoure & do it in a pot. & do therto* whit gres
  or swete botere & myed wastel bred, & cast therto* good wyn & sugre, &
  salte it & stere it wel togedere, & dresse it in disches; & set theryn*
  clowe gilofre, & strew sugre aboue.

Point one: we all would presume the grind part is the cherries, not the
stones.  I agree.  For white grease, what would we use?  I'd punt, and use
butter, or perhaps lard. (Pork fat was a very common ingredient.)

"Myed wastel bred".  I'm not sure how we got to grated white bread... what
is the meaning of Myed?  Wastrel bread might well mean stale, and frequently
grated stale bread was specified.  But if I recall those combined recipe
books, they often say "greted" bread when they mean it.  On the other hand,
the "Stere it wel" part later probably helps confirm the idea.

I have NEVER understood the historical relationships between cloves,
gillyflower, and so forth.  In this case, I suspect that since the source
frequently uses the term "clove" unadorned, I'd use the flower.  But what
flower? 
  
  Somebody raised the point that it was unclear as to whether "clowes
  gilofre" meant cloves, the spice, or the clove pink gillyflower.
  Actually, the point was rammed down my throat that I was an idiot for
  even considering that the spice might have been intended, but that is
  neither here nor there...

Not an idiot, but I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts.

	Tibor