SC - chocolate

[Marisa Herzog]

Mark Harris wrote:

> My question about how the recipe redactors get from "draw them through
> a strainer" to "beat the egg" is still unanswered. Is this a reasonable
> redaction? Why?

As I said earlier, it depends on which particular effect of "drawing the
eggs through a strainer" you are referring to. Straining them will A)
remove any bits of shell, fertilized embryos, and white stringy stuff
whose Greek-sounding name eludes me at the moment, B) aerate them to
some extent, and C) mix them to some extent. SO, effects B) and C) are
also accomplished by beating. A) generally is not. If effects B) and C)
appear to be what the original recipe's author is looking for -- if, for
instance, he says that the eggs should be drawn through a strainer til
they be chergeaunt, or stondyng, or whatever -- then it is pretty clear
that that can be accomplished with beating. Since several period recipes
specify drawing the eggs through a strainer to remove the "films" or
white threads, then I would just strain them. 

Agreat deal of the medieval cookery game seems to require discretion.
That's why I like it 
	;  ).

Adamantius
Lotsa discretion, no tact...