SC - Groundhog-Cordial

[Alderton, Philippa]

>My co-chef who has only just got 'into' cooking , is really
>enthusiastic and she;'s already planning the next one...unfortunately I >have not yet won her round to medieval cookery, but I will . The next >one is themed "Groundhog day" (lisa's choice) - so we are planning to >concentrate on American Pioneer cookery.... something I have never >really studied before (also  i'm dragging lisa back through time >slowly.....) , so any hints and tips are very welcome. BTW are there >any specific foods associated with Groundhog day?
>karin

Just one piece of advice: stew that grounghog, don't spit roast it. We
did that once at Shoenbrun Village; not to be repeated.

If I may ask the group, how early is the word Vodka? I'm putting up here
the comment I made responding on the Middlebridge and the apprentices
list about that, but the issue seems unresolved somehow. Did I overstate
the case? I know the group here tends to feel strongly about 'following
the recipe' as closely as possible.
 
In a public offering to a few sites, (Middlebridge, etc)
Lord Mikal Isernfocar called Ironhawk wrote: 
"...First, the basic ingredient of most home made cordials today is
commercially available distillates, usually brandy, vodka or gin
(according to your personal tastes) or possibly pure grain alcohol.  Any
of these is acceptable as a period substitute since most of our period
recipes refer to using double or triple distilled brandy."... Then he
goes on to say, "The recipes offered here are based on 80 proof vodka." 

G'day Mike, et al, 
If I may make a comment to this 'I documented Brandy - used Vodka'
syndrome which is very common in the SCA, in A&S and in general: 
it DOES taste somewhat similar; but it's generally only close, no cigar.
If you have made the 'recreation of a Period cordial' your intent, it
falls short of the mark, in that it is wrong, and/or undocumented. As an
A&S judge, I have had to point that out, from time to time, especially
when they use that old TI article as documentation. Not that Vodka isn't
in the general definition of distilled spirits, but Brandy is the spirit
specified in period documents. Perhaps there is some cultural bias that
keeps suggesting that substituting relatively modern, undocumented
distillates in recipes calling for Brandy is desirable, but the
research and making/testing of Cordials by Mistress Arwenna and the
Gwyntarian Tunners Guild suggests otherwise. The main point is that
philosophically, you're pulling a 'bait and switch' of sorts, every time
you substitute a modern equivalent (and Vodka IS, if only in name) for
that called for in the Period recipes, when the Period ingredient is
easily obtained. Also, in the opinion of the Guild, Brandy does a better
job. (and tastes as 'neutral', especially if you use the Christian Bros
crystal) Those who have spent their lives drinking Vodka will of course
swear that it tastes the more neutral, at worst the same, maybe better.
For me, though, it's the equivalent of making a Rum cake, and throwing
in Scotch instead, on the above theory. It may very well make a lovely
cake, (I like Scotch), but it is no longer a Rum cake. (aside from the
fact that Scotch is documentably Period, and Rum isn't). 
A little off topic, perhaps, but I just hate to see the SCA populace
think it's All-The-Same. It's not.
- -- 
Ian Gourdon of Glen Awe 
- - Companion of the order of the Greenwood Company
http://web.raex.com/~agincort
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