SC - Re: cooks badge

[Marisa Herzog]

ND Wederstrandt wrote:
> 
> According to the Columbus book, it states that polenta was eaten enough to
> have a few recipes written about it.... Also the book restates that poor
> people probably picked up eating it first. (the inference being that when
> you're poor, you'll eat any thing.)  I don't have that particular book on
> hand at work today (I snuck in)  but I'll double check on Monday.
> 
> Clare St. John

Research/documentation danger, Will Robinson!!!

Polenta is a fairly generic term in Italian, and had been made from
various types of farina, notably durum semolina grits, and such
esoterics as chestnuts, before the introduction of maize to that part of
Europe. It's generally accepted to mean maize porridge today, of course.

As for the concept of the poor eating anything, I suspect it's more
along the lines of "If you're poor, you have less access to ovens." That
is the generally accepted reason why the poor in the Roman Empire seem
to have eaten more pulses than breads.

Adamantius
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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