SC - Aramco World

[Stefan li Rous]

Allison writes:
>>>>Commercial turkey farms seem to specialize in a w
hite-feathered bird, which is, I suppose, the SA.  The 
traditional Pilgrim-type darkly variegated feathered bird 
would be the game bird, then?

Looking thru some illustrated books, I find Bernardo 
Strozzi's (1581-1644) _The Cook_, in the Palazzo 
Rosso in Genoa, includes turkeys (white) waiting to 
be picked.  This painting is probably OOP, but gives a
look at turkeys more period than the super-breasted 
modern hybrids.  It's in G. Riley's _Renaissance Recipes_.<<<<

Allison, I'm looking at the same painting you cite in G. Riley
I don't see any white (like the modern supermarket type) 
feathered turkey.  The two hanging are dark birds like the NA.
If you are referring to the birds the lady is plucking, they are 
either geese or swans I think.  Actually there are other 
paintings in G. Riley  that I have mentioned previously that I
think are more important than Strozzi's.  On page 42, the 
obviously NA turkey is quite prominent.  More interesting to
me in any argument about early turkey breeding by peasants
is the countrywoman on page 57 with the NA turkey in her basket.
I would say again this lends credability to widespread turkey
consumption in Italy (judging from the garb- Paduan) in the mid-
sixteenth century.  I wish someone could get a firm date on the
source manuscript for THAT depiction.  Lack of written recipes
does not preclude such an early use in the sixteenth century of
NA turkey.

Akim Yaroslavich
"No glory comes without pain"