SC - Re: seeking recipes (Outdoor Feast)

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Balano1 at aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 98-06-19 12:13:16 EDT, you write:
> 
> > Again, I'd love to be proven wrong,
> >  but all the pots I've seen are the cauldron shape, with nicely domed lids
> >  (tricky to stack coals on) and a round bottom (tricky to control the heat
> >  on underneath).
> >
> But it can be done!!!
> 
> Turn the lid upside down for the coals and prop the pot on a base of 3 large
> rocks!

I believe Anne-Marie's point wasn't about whether it can be done, but
about the challenge of cooking outdoors as it would have been done in
period Europe. Since Dutch ovens or equivalent methods, no matter how
effective, appear not to have been used in period Europe, then there is
some question as to how using one is better, or more educational about
period cookery, than using a gas oven. 

Now, if people wanted to make flatbreads on a griddle or bakestone,
there are several period sources to describe how this was done, and we
also have some documentation for various brick, stone, and other earthen
ovens which work just fine for raised breads.

I dunno. Maybe the problem I'm seeing with all this is a tendency to
play a game where we see how many of what would have been regarded as
luxuries by travellers or soldiers in the field, losing sight of the
fact that many of the methods we can employ to achieve these ends are
either modern or of questionable value as tools for learning and
teaching about medieval or renaissance life. I recall that we had a
seemingly endless thread on the cooks' list about the best way to bake
puff pastry at Pennsic. Beyond the fact that it's fun to be able to say
we have the capability if we really wanted to do it, what's the point?

Adamantius
- -- 
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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