SC - Cippits

[Philip & Susan Troy]

ALexandria Doyle wrote:
> 
> I'm getting ready to try my hand at a period recipe for an upcoming
> competition and have located a couple I'd like to try in the "Mrs. Sarah
> Longe Her Receipt Booke C1610", in the back of _foolles and fricassess:
> Food in Shakespeare's England_  One is "A white ffrigasy"- basically a
> chicken dish.  The recipe itself doesn't seem difficult, until you get
> to the "serve y wth Cippits" part.  I also found another reference, same
> book in a Rump of Beefe recipe, to "then send it in with browne Cippits"
> 
> What are Cippits?

Sippets are toasts. Unlike trenchers, sippets are used to line a platter
or bowl, aren't designed for structural integrity, and seem usually to
be eaten as a sort of sauce-soaked pudding, kinda like the
custard-soaked cake slices in a modern trifle. I believe there are
pretty detailed instructions in both Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book
and Digby's Closet Opened, for alternately saucing and heating the toast
slices so that they swell up for maximum lightness without turning into sludge.
 
> Also, one of the recipes calls for "3 leaves of mace"  I've never seen a
> leave of mace- any guess how much this is?

Mace is a sort of bran layer that comes wrapped around the nutmeg
kernel. The standard modern term (and one which appears in some
late-period recipes) is a blade of mace. 3 of them would appear to grind
up to about a level teaspoon of ground mace. Now I just have to figure
out what to do with it ;  ) .

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com