SC - Frumenty - ANOTHER question!

[Gerekr at aol.com]

We got 4 versions of (wheat) frumenty thru cooking night successfully, 
and a decision made for the 12N course ... except for the philosophical 
debate that arose over whether wheat berries, cracked wheat or bulgur 
would have been a closer texture match to what period diners would have 
gotten/expected.  

That is, chewey whole grain kernels in sauce, or flavored mush.

The issue came up partly because of all the hulling and breaking 
instructions in almost all the recipes.  I was assuming that those are 
there because whole-grains got stored in a less-refined state than the 
wheat berries you can get at the grocery store... that there actually 
- -were- hulls to break up and remove (comments in some recipes about 
"doing away the chaff" (sic)).  Personally I (Chimene) prefer the chewier 
texture of even completely cooked wheat berries (and kept derisively 
referring to the cracked wheat result as "peasant pap", 8-0!), but I'm 
the beneficiary of 20thC dentistry.  Others (Gerek) preferred the mush 
form.  

We prepared 4 versions, 3 with wheat berries, and one with cracked wheat, 
which may have turned out mushier than if we'd used "bulgur" -- cracked 
wheat and bulgur -are- two different things, yes?  We're assuming bulgur 
is to cracked wheat sort of like steel-cut oats oatmeal is to rolled oats 
oatmeal, and are going to check by doing a set for next meeting.

And someone raised the side issue that the common commercial wheat 
berries that we used were probably a hard wheat, where most of the period 
European stuff was a soft variety.  Whether this is a distinction we can 
expect to impose on hotel cooks (Double Tree) may make this a moot point, 
but it was raised.  Although in -this- town, we probably have a 
reasonably good chance of their finding it if they look for it, at least.

So, there's another couple of questions!  Who woulda thunk it!

Thanks, & looking forward to erudition, enlightenment, etc., 8-),
Chimene & Gerek
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