SC - Pennsic Cookery Class Suggestions: Long

[Tollhase1 at aol.com]

What do I mean by translations of non English recipes?  First let me say that 
while I read Shakespeare a lot, I still occasionally need to look at the 
notes to find meaning.  The same with Chaucer.  Often while I don't know the 
specific meaning of a word, I get the gets my association with other words 
and scene setting.  How does one connect this with cooking, one might ask?  
Well, in old English recipes, I can usually translate in the same way with 
the help of glossaries for things I do not understand.  And I also use my 
cooking background to help understand what the recipe is trying to make.

Now when I approach a period German recipe, French, Spinach or any other 
period I do not have the same background as in Modern, old and middle English 
to rely on.  An example, I was translating a romantic period French technical 
treatise on special effects.  The literal translations was milky luminous 
globe.   ?????  Then it hit me, special effect, theater, Moon effect.  If I 
did not know theater of special effects I might have not made the connection. 
 What I am saying is that I can make literal translations from modern 
dictionaries, provided the meaning has not changed drastically.  Another 
example is my society name of Tollhase.  Literally it means Chocolate chip 
cookies, hehehe.  In German, It means Mad house, Toll=Mad, Hase=house.  In 
period, it meant mad as a March hare, or rabbit.

So, Is there a book, books that help make the connection between say 13th 
century High German or even low which will help SCA cooks translate recipes.  
I realize that prior to 1600 in Germany, one is asking a lot for a common 
language uniformly written.  

One finds notes such as "stir for length of prime prayer" Beats me how long 
that is. 

I guess it would be nice if we, the cooks lists put together some common word 
useages.  I have Caridoc information and it is helpful.  I was following the 
Marzipan trail for a while and got somewhat lost.  Tried using my computers, 
translator with humorous results.

Hope this helps explain what I mean

In the service to the dream.

Lord Frederich Holstein der Tollhase
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