SC - Mushrooms!

[david friedman]

This is Elizabeth posting on Cariadoc's account.

Adamantius gives one version of the Menagier de Paris mushrooms in pastry;
our version, based on Janet Hinson's translation,  is:

Mushroom Pastries (Menagier p. M-25):  Mushrooms of one night are the best,
and are small and red inside, closed above; and they should be peeled, then
wash in hot water and parboil; if you wish to put them in pastry add oil,
cheese, and powdered spices.

=46ine Powder of Spices (Menagier p. M-40):  Take an ounce and a drachm of
white ginger, a quarter-ounce of hand-picked cinnamon, half a quarter-ounce
each of grains and cloves, and a quarter-ounce of rock sugar, and grind to
powder.

1 lb mushrooms
9 oz cheese (parmesan)
1 T olive oil
spice powder:  1/4 t cinnamon, 1/8 t cloves, 1 t ginger, 1/8 t grains of
paradise, 1/4 t sugar
9" pie crust

Slice mushrooms and parboil (put into boiling water and cook two minutes);
drain. Grate or chop cheese. Grind grains of paradise and mix up spices.
Mix mushrooms, 2/3 of cheese, spices and oil. Put mixture into crust, put
remaining cheese over. Makes scant 9" pie. Bake about 20-25 minutes at 350=
=B0.

Note that the word Eileen Powers translates "pasty" Janet Hinson gives as
pastry; I gather the French is ambiguous.  "Powdered spices" is pretty
vague, but since the Menagier gives his own spice powder mix later on in
the book, we used that.  I agree with Adamantius that the mushrooms are not
ours (red inside, closed above?) but find it hard to believe that the
problem is toxicity:  maybe the skins just weren't good.

Elizabeth of Dendermonde/Betty Cook