SC - The Color Blue

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Deborah Schumacher quotes and writes:

<<Heya to all!

Stefan said:

>Folks, Ras taught a real good class on redacting. I would encourage those
>who would like to increase the amount of recipe redactions in their areas
>to consider teaching such a class along similar lines. After the class
>I'm much more convinced that I may be able to so some redactions myself.

Ras what is the technique that you taught? is it something that has to be
learned in person, or can you explain it well enough in email? I'm curious
on this.>>

This sounds interesting.  I know how I approach redacting a source, but I 
would be interested in hearing how others go about it.  Ras, could you 
arrange some sort of on-line redacting seminar?

<<What sources would i use if i were to  plan a period feast today? Well I
must say i would reach for the miscellany, Take a thousand Eggs or more, and
the new Complete Anachnronist I just got.
I probably wouldn't use something off of the list, because like some one
else said, i would feel like i should ask each person their individual
permission.>>

Speaking personally, whenever I have sent recipes to this list it was with 
the assumption that they were being sent out into the world, and in the hope 
that someone would use them.

 <<As far as using my own reconstructions/ redactions, well i
really haven't done any. So published recipes seem a little more proven,
then starting from scratch.Does that make sense?

Ras you said  you had only used on recipe from a published source in your
feasts. Do you just use your own redactions or do you use recipes from the
list?
Just a Curious one...
Zoe>>

And David Friedman responds:

<<At 7:37 PM -0700 9/6/99, Deborah Schumacher wrote:

>So published recipes seem a little more proven,
>then starting from scratch.Does that make sense?

If your objective is to cook a period meal with the minimum input of time
and effort, it makes sense. If your objective is to have fun doing period
cooking, I think it makes more sense to start with the period original and
work from that. A large part of the fun is the process of figuring out,
from the available information, a plausible interpretation.>>

I have a copy of the Miscellany (a wonderful collection!), and I have cooked 
from it, shared the meal with guests, who were delighted, and shared a recipe 
from it with a friend, who was glad of receiving it.  I have myself redacted 
many recipes from primary sources, and use them first when I am planning 
medieval dinners, but I also like to draw on the expertise of other (and 
perhaps more experienced and knowledgeable) researchers into early cuisine.  
Just because I personally have redacted a period receipt doesn't make it more 
authentic (or tastier) than if a past master in the field has already done so 
and published the results. 

Sometimes the fun is in the cooking and dining, regardless of the source of 
the recipe; I turn to Joy of Cooking as often as Forme of Cury. I, for one, 
am glad that there seems to be an increase in the number of cookbooks of 
modern adaptations of medieval cuisine being published.  I have also filled a 
large folder (nearing the point of needing binding) of redactions printed 
from this list. All of these give me a measure to gauge my own work by, 
sometimes they have insights or angles I didn't see, and sometimes are the 
work of people who are better cooks than I am!  

Why post redactions to this list, or publish them in collections, if one 
don't want anyone to use them?

Rudd Rayfield
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