SC - Oculis Exciditis Porcus Dimidius Facti

[Kallyr]

Nice article; I hope TI prints it.

A few comments:

1.  Despite SCA usage, the period word for course is, oddly enough,
"course".  "Remove" turns out to be an 18th-19th century term for a dish
removed or brought out to replace another during a course.

2. Turmeric really isn't a substitute for saffron; saffron has quite a
strong taste even in small amounts, which turmeric doesn't.  If you end up
in this position again and can't find saffron at a reasonable price, talk
to us--we're not that far from you.  I don't know of any recipes using
turmeric in Europe pre-1600.

3. I've never cooked with eels.  Do they have lots of small bones?  You
give number of fish on both salmon and eels; it might be worth giving
weight as well, to give a better idea of how much food you are talking
about.

4. I would use more onions and garlic with the beans.

5. Allspice is New World.

6. As far as I know, gingerbread houses aren't period, as you say, but
something similar is.  There is a recipe for "chastletes" (little castles)
in Forme of Cury, where you make four towers "of the greatness of the small
of thine arm of 6 inch deep" and one bigger out of "good paste",  set them
up with the biggest in the middle, embattle them at the top, dry in an oven
or the sun, put in various different fillings and bake.

7. Unfortunately neither the castlettes recipe or any other pie recipe I
know of pre-16th c. tells you how to make your pie crust/coffins; we
usually use a standard modern recipe, as you did, but I have wondered if
flour/water dough or bread dough would be appropriate.  The only recipe I
can think of that does tell you what goes into your paste is for a 15th-c
ryschewes where the filling is wrapped in dough before you fry it; the
dough is flour, water, sugar, saffron, and salt.

8. Is it worth putting each original recipe next to your version of it,
rather than all the originals together?  I found myself having to page back
and forth a good deal reading through the article.

Elizabeth of Dendermonde/Betty Cook



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