SC - Reason for Hedgehogs IMO

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/13/98 12:09:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,
IVANTETS at botzoo.uct.ac.za writes:

<< I am concerned about the high level of interest in hedgehog 
 recipes, given that most of the interest appears to come from gentles 
 residing in lands that lack hedgehogs. >>

IMHO, the reason for this interest is that if they were used as a food source
then  a fuller knowledge of Medieval cookery would necessitate a knowledge of
preparing hedgehogs for the table. Secondly, there is a recipe for an illusion
food which is called "Yrchouns" and a knowledge of the appearance of hedgehogs
is primary to making this dish look as real as possible.

 <<Do you have exceptionally co-
 operative zoo keepers in your baronies? or do you fit 
 out longboats, sail to the old world and plunder their hedgehogeries?  >>

None are needed. They still live in the wild in Europe so our European members
would have access to the creature. And, in the states they are sold in many
pet shops which means that should you desire to go to all the expense they can
be had for cookery if one really desired to go that route.

All in all, acquirung knowledge about any particular item used as food in the
MA's is the basic end oall and be all of many , if not the majority of cooks
on this list. This may, IMO, entail discussion of recipes for foods that may
be considered inedible or not socially exceptable to people living in the
Current Middle Ages. 

I should point out that the discussion of hedgehogs is tame compared to some
past discussions which covered horseflesh, dog, cat and dormouse to name a
few. My only disappointment is that I have not seen an actual recipe for
hedgehog the animal so that IF I ever get the opportunity to cook one as they
did in the MA's I will not be able to because of a lack of an actual receipt.
Thanks to the posts on this subject I can at least produce a period-like
rendition of this beast should the opportunity arise.

Many cooking lists are specifically geared toward the Family Circle/Betty
Crocker type of recipes even those that pretend to be legitimate lists of
cooking lore (Eat-L comes immediately to mind). Thankfully Papa G, the
priests, priestesses, altar boys, canons and choir of this Cathedral are not
of that particular mind set. :-)

Yours in Service to the Dream and Phil,
al-Sayyid Ras al-Zib, AZoA, OSyc
Mountain Confederation
Clan Ravenstar
Shire of Abhain Ciach Ghlas
Kingdom of Aethelmearc
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