OT - Re: SC - Re: saffron

[LrdRas@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/4/00 2:33:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
CBlackwill at aol.com writes:

<<  I, on the other hand, will not blindly follow ANY written 
 recipe if I know that the end result is going to taste like swill.  That's 
 what separates us, I guess. >>

Examples, please? IMO, what separates us is lack of experience in this 
particular field.

I have never produced a period recipe that has tasted like 'swill' when the 
recipe was followed faithfully other than the recent olive recipe in which 
the definition of the main ingredient was clearly at fault. I rarely deviate 
from the written recipe and, when I do, I clearly indicate that the dish is 
period-like and not to be construed as an accurate example of the recipe. My 
feasts are traditionally sold out well in advance of the event. I am not 
bragging about my abilities as a cook in regard to period food although they 
are in no way insignificant. My experience certainly does not suggest that 
following any period recipe accurately will produce 'swill.' A bad cook is a 
bad cook and he or she will produce bad food whether they deviate from a 
given recipe (IMO, the leading reason for the bad food) or not.

Many of us on this list spend a considerable amount of time and money at our 
craft and, frankly, I find your attitude a not little offensive. It seems to 
denigrate years of research and hard work on the part of all the fine 
historical cooks both on and off this list. The collective results of this 
hard work gives lie to any suggestion that period food and the recipes that 
have come down to us produce bad food when accurately produced. If you are 
truly interested in the subject there are many fine redactions on Stefan's 
Flori-thingy, Master Huen's website (The Boke of Gode Cokery), Cindy 
Renfrow's website, and Dr. Gloning's site (which, BTW, is a source for 
another period cookbook outside Vehling's dramatically flawed translation of 
Apicius).

Yours in Service to the Dream,
al-Sayyid A'aql ibn Rashid al-Zib, AOL, OSyc, OKey
His Majesty's Tailor
Guildmaster of the Guild of St. Martha
Apprenticed to Master Huen
Grumpy Old Fart and arrogant schmuck