SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #405

[L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt]

>Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 16:28:24 -0400
>From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
>Subject: Re: SC - Redaction class on-line
>
>david friedman wrote:
>
>> Perre? I want to know if you mash the peas, or throw them away and use the
>> liquid they were boiled in.
>> 
>> David/Cariadoc
>
>Funny you should mention that! I just acquired a copy of Chiquart's "De
>Fait Du Cuisine" a couple of weeks ago, which uses more pea puree as a
>neutral base than any other source I've ever seen. I  get the feeling
>that peas might be boiled to the right degree of softness, and any
>excess liquid is drained off before making the cretonnee, or whatever.
>The drained liquid is then used in place of stock or almond milk on fish
>days, of course.
>
>What I want to know is, are the larded mushrooms glazed with a gilding
>of egg yolks, by roasting, or are they sauteed to produce a dry, crumbly
>dish like mushroom kasha, OR are they cooked like mushroom scrambled
>eggs...?
>
>Adamantius  

Look, Fellas, First: some of these questions can only be answered by
communicating directly with the dead. While that may be a fit adventure for
tomorrow  night, none the less it is well nigh impossible.

Second: I am of the opinion that simply because we can discover the "best
interpretation" for a recipes given our own bias, that does not mean that
historically the dish was cooked in the most efficient/appealing method for
OUR time. Tastes do change, as well as ingredient availability and quality.
We do not posess all the minute details of food preservation and storage,
nor do we have complete diet analysis over lifetimes of living in the Middle
Ages and Rennaisance. That does not mean that a Strohman's White Pound Loaf
and Cheeze Whiz is a good substitute for Raclette, but it does mean that we
can only make a good informed guess at what IS a good substitute for period
toasted cheese and period bread in a given situation, by way of example.
There is no Definative answer. We buy our sources and make our choices.
Every decision we make is flawed. It is our job to choose the least flawed
choice.

Third: Some of the newer and not-so-new folks on the list might like to have
a peek at these recipes, if they don't posess them. Invaluable as your
interpretations might be, none the less I much prefer to look at a recipe
and make my own interpretation first. If it gives me trouble, then I have no
problem trawling for advice or other points of view. But I see this as a
learning process. For me, the most satisfying learning takes place at the
point of personal discovery. That makes the moment I open the kitchen door
and see folks enjoying my "recreations" a personal moment of triumph,
unattributable to another cook's opinion of "how things were done". That's a
risk. I could be wrong (and sometimes am, publicly), but I want MY spin on
it. Then I'll read yours. So please, do the footwork and actually post the
original recipes. Don't (so to speak) rest on your laurels, and assume
superior knowledge! We don't just want to pick your brains. We want your
sources. And, we want to help YOU learn too. That's reasonable, right?

Aoife

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