SC - cuskynoles, continued...

[david friedman]

At 10:02 AM -0400 10/28/97, Philip & Susan Troy wrote:
>david friedman wrote:


>> Why shouldn't the dots represent the high points of the folded pieces? If
>> you look at the picture, the dots are way too small to represent your
>> little round portions of filling.
>
>The dots do represent the high points, I'm sure. Do you feel that while
>it is reasonable to use a dot to represent a 1/2 or 3/4 inch blob of
>filling, it is unreasonable to use a dot to represent a 2 inch blob of
>filling? A dot, has, in theory, no area at all, so it is equally
>unreasonable to use it to represent either dimension.

My point is that it is more reasonable to use the dot to represent the high
point of a hill--in this case the hill in the top layer of pasta due to the
blob of filling underneath--then to represent a blob whose size is
significant in the scale of the figure. If it follows, not that the blob is
small rather than large, but that the picture represents the object after
folding. That interpretation is also consistent with the language of the
recipe--but not with your interpretation as I understand it, since after
folding in your version what you have no longer resembles the figure. In my
interpretation it does.

>When we first began discussing this recipe, we were in some disagreement
>on whether the recipe is clear enough to follow as written. I felt that
>it isn't. You appear to have felt that it is, but proceeded to supply
>information that the recipe doesn't clearly specify. That's fine, but if
>you have to interpret the meaning of certain instructions, and sometimes
>add them yourself, then that makes it pretty clear that the recipe
>cannot be followed as written. From a logical standpoint, one cannot
>always have one's cuskynole and eat it, too.

Sure one can--that's why you make at least two.

Returning to your point, my argument is that the only lacuna in the text
instructions is filled in by the figure--which is why it is there. Consider
how hard it would be to explain my version in words without a picture.

>What I would really, really, like to do at some point is to meet you at
>a Pennsic or some similar event, lay aside any preconceived
>interpretations of the recipe, and just cook the dish, using only the
>primary source recipe and a basic kitchen battery of tools and
>ingredients. Even then, we might not get to the bottom of it, but I bet
>we'd both have fun.

Yes. Where are you physically located? I live in the Bay area of
California, but will be in Atlanta for some econ meetings late next month,
and giving a talk in N.Y. city early in January. Do any of those fit?

David Friedman
Professor of Law
Santa Clara University
ddfr at best.com
http://www.best.com/~ddfr/


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