SC - Substitution vs Accuracy- response, Long.

[Alderton, Philippa]

Karin, you're asking some very good questions ;-)

Basicly, the idea is to reproduce, as best we can, the recipes as written
and/or translated by the original authors, supposedly written before 1600.
Just this effort can lead to a lot of disagreement and discussion, as we
have observed in the blue sauce discussion, and as some of us are still
wincing from in the Dreaded Cuskynole debate between Masters Adamantius and
Cariadoc. (If you want to know what that's about, for heaven's sake, don't
ask the List, go into Stefan's Florilegium, and look for them).

Further, some people extend their dates to 1650, because they want to use
some excellent resources published between 1600 and 1650, feeling that the
techniques would have been known before our cut-off date.

We also have different opinions on the usage of foods from the New World,
such as potatoes, chocolate, tomatoes, capsicum/bell peppers, turkey, etc.
Some of these can be documented as showing up in certain parts of Europe
before 1600, but that does not necessarily mean that because they show up in
Europe at that time, it is appropriate to serve hash browned or mashed
potatoes at a 12th century Arabic feast- for one thing, no one's quite sure
if it were sweet potatoes or white potatoes which were around, and neither
were available in the 12th century, so far as we can document.

Basicly, period recipes are those we reproduce, following the documentable
instructions as closely as we can.

Peri-oid, period-like, periodish, etc. refer to recipes which are very like
similar recipes, using period ingredients, but for which we have no specific
documentation.

Non- period recipes are recipes using modern ingredients or techniques (such
as a roux for thickening).

Just relax, and listen to the people who know more, and I'm sure you'll
catch on. We have many knowledgeable people on the List, and all are willing
to give of their time and information to help us all learn more.

Phlip

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