SC - Stefan's recent wafer experiment

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/30/99 7:03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time, troy at asan.com 
writes:

<< Le Menagier doesn't explain the difference, if any (but I bet there is
 one) between sixths of wine, >>

Me too. :-) And I promise to find the passage wherever I saw it as soon as I 
finish planning and redacting the recipes for the Feast at the Weekend of 
Wisdom (Oct.22-24). However, I did find in a quick glance through La Menagier 
this passage in 'Beverages for Invalids' translated by Janet Hinson as:

'SWEET TISANE. Take water and boil it, then add for each sixth of a gallon of 
water one.............'

The ball park figure here is 2 2/3 cps for a sixth. I realize that the 
definition of a sixth would be different if it were being used as a 
measurement for weight or quantity. However, I am not convinced that there 
was any more confusion then as now regarding cups, oz., etc., and the things 
they relate in recipes. I am also not convinced that weight measurement was 
necessarily the 'universal' way of measuring things. 

For instance, I think a sixth when used by itself with no other descriptive 
words always meant either a weight or a volume but not interchangeably. Much 
as we use the word cup. When a modern recipe says 1 cp., it means volume not 
weight. The uses of the term sixth in the few places I have seen it seem to 
indicate a volume measurement also, not a weight.

I may be wrong here but I think this is an important piece of information to 
hash out and come to some sort of standard definition if it can be found. If 
not, the most plausible definition would be better than none at all for a 
starting point when redacting recipes, IMO. The problem, of course, is 
centered on what a plausible standard definition would be. :-)

Ras

============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================