SC - Palladius, tamarind, buckwheat, soap

[Ian van Tets]

Hi, Cairistiona here.

1.  Deidre, tamarind is the fruit of a tree.  It looks rather like a 
large runner bean, and is distinctly sour to taste.  It is usually 
marketed dried, sometimes with the seeds removed.  You soak it in 
boiling water and then strain, using the liquid to give sharpness to 
the food.  I've usually used it in Indonesian cookery, although I 
have also seen it in Thai, Indian and Filipino stuff (hot and sour 
soup - yum! - if OOP).  My lord saw the trees growing on Zanzibar a 
couple of years ago.  I don't know if they are period.  I assume 
they would not figure in European known-world food, at any rate.  Ras? 
Elizabeth?  Someone??

2.  Ras, how can you imagine I would think that 1420 is OOP?  Howl.  
No, it was pre-period I was thinking of.  Martial is a little earlier 
than we can usually get away with.  It was merely that as a humanist 
I could probably explain away trying to re-create these things, as 
some of the humanists of my persona's day had their own version of 
the SCA, trying to re-create classical Rome.  

This copy of Palladius was printed around the turn of the century, by 
the Early English Text Society.  Will get the details to you.  Since 
there have been a few requests, I will post some stuff when I bring 
the book in here.  Do people want the alcoholic recipes or the 
preserves?

3.  Is buckwheat (and presumably its relation, rhubarb) period?  
Found myself wondering the other day as I failed dismally to remember 
my favourite recipe for buckwheat/buttermilk pancakes.  Does anyone 
have access to the Sunday Times' Book of Real Bread?  Or else another 
good suitable recipe?  My preference is for yeast-risen, not carb 
soda.

4.  Did anyone have success with the lye-soap recipe?  I have 
intended to try it for years now, but keep forgetting what I was 
saving the ashes for and put them on the garden anyway.  My monthly 
soapmaking session is always, as a result, with caustic soda.  

5.  Have fun, all you who are going to Pennsic.  When is it, by the 
way?  (can you tell I've never been?  I have been to Rowany, though - 
all you who are going to that in a couple of weeks, enjoy it too)

Cairistiona
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