SC - Coffee, Tea, and OOP

[Decker, Terry D.]

In a message dated 2/27/00 5:49:29 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
lilinah at earthlink.net writes:

<< Are there any authentic (obviously late) "period"recipes for pumpkin?  >>

This depends on what you mean by 'pumpkin.' The word was used for old world 
varieties of several gourd species some of which looked little liked the New 
World food which also received the old world name of 'pumpkin.' Many period 
recipes exist for squash or pumpkin. If you have Scully's The Medieval 
Kitchen, there is a nice one for a broth-squash based pottage that you might 
find useful for your purposes. I have tried it using several species of old 
world 'pumpkin' including immature bushel basket, birdhouse, Italian Edible 
and loofa gourds with excellent results. The translated and original recipes 
from Libro de arte coquinaria by Maestro Martinoas as they appear in Scully 
follows:

Mondale como vogliono essene, et poi cocile con brodo di carne, overo con 
acqua et mettevi un pocha de cipolla secundo la quantita che tu vorrai fare. 
Et quando pareca cotta cacciala fore, et passa ogni cosa per la cocchiara 
straforata, overo pistale molto bene, et metteli accocere in una pignatta con 
brodo grasso, et con un pocho d'gresto. Et siano un pocho gialle di zafrano; 
et quando sono cotte toglile dal focho et lasciale un pocho refredare. Dapoi 
togli di rossi d'ova secundo la quantita et sbattili con un pocho di caso 
vecchio et gitaggli in le ditte zucche menando continuamente col cocchiaro 
accio che non si prendano: et fa le menestre et mectevi sopra spetie dolci.

To cook squashes, peel them as they should be, and then cook them with meat 
broth or water; add a little onion according to the quantity you want to 
make. And when they seem cooked, take them out and put them through a 
strainer or pound them very well; and cook them in a pot with rich broth and 
a little verjuice. And they should be slightly yellow with saffron, and when 
they are cooked, remove them from the fire and leave them a while to cool. 
Then take egg yolks according to the quantity and beat them with a little 
aged cheese, and add them to the squash, stirring constantly with the spoon 
so that they do not stick; dress your bowls, and top with sweet spices. 

Ras