SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #346

[Bronwynmgn at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-10-22 01:27:57 EDT, you write:

<< There are numerous documentations for potatoes in late period (last 25 or
 so years).
 
                  jon
  >>

Yes, but as we've pointed out before, few of those documents give any
indication what they were being used for.  We know Queen Elizabeth's cook
thought of them as something to eat, but he obviously didn't understand the
concept because he cooked the greens.
Just because we have documentation of someone growing them in their garden,
or ordering them in with the stores doesn't tell us what they were doing with
them.  Were they growing them as a food crop, as an ornamental, or as a rare
plant to show off?  Were they ordering them in with stores to feed to people
or to feed animals?

Until someone actually finds a late period recipe using potatoes, or a diary
that says "I ate this new food, potatoes, at so-and-so's house", I personally
will not consider them to have been a period food.  Note that I am speaking
of white potatoes, not sweet potatoes or yams, but if you can show me the
information for any of them, I will consider serving them at events.

Brangwayna Morgan
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