Filo/phyllo-- was [Re: SC - duck and bread]

[Susan Fox-Davis]

I'm mulling this one over.  What kind of beans are we talking about
here?  Fava beans?  Garbanzo beans?  Adzuki or mung or soy beans?  Also,
WHITE powdered sugar, say, I am impressed.

Elaine Koogler wrote:

>  Elizabeth, and all,
> The following is the recipe that I have for the "proto-baklava" .  It
> comes from an article written by Paul Buell as part of a monograph on
> The Mongol Empire and its Legacy.  Paul's article is entitled "Mongol
> Empire and turkicization:  The Evidence of Food and Foodways"
>
> 8.  Güllach
> Mix evenly egg wite, bean paste and cream [to make a dough].  Spread
> out [dough] and fry into thin pancakes.  Use one layer of white
> powdered suger, [ground] pine nuts and [ground] walnuts for each layer
> of pancake.  Make three-four layers like this.  Pour honey disolved in
> ghee ["Muslim oil"] over the top.  Eat.
>
> This is listed as one of 12 "Muslim" recipes of the Chü-chia pi-yung
> shi lei, a late fourteenth century household encyclopedia for popular
> chinese consumption.  Paul, both in writings in this article and in A
> Soup for the Qan and in e-mail conversations, has indicated his belief
> that this is a proto baklava recipe, and I agree with him.
>
> We do plan to include this as one of the sweets we will be serving at
> our Festival of Kites next month.
>
> Kiri
>