SC - Re: Period Norse

[Bethany Public Library]

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On early period studies:

I'd guess that the best sources for ulta-early period Norse are =
allegorical. So go to the stories and descriptions that survive, and =
read them, scanning for mentions of food, drink, service, etc.  You =
might want to do that anyway, with any culture's recipe collection. Take =
anything you can find there, and then research what the food crops were =
in that part of the world in that culture, at that time. Look at =
slightly later documents if you can find recipes there, looking for =
things that seem to come, not from a current "style" of cooking =
(imported cooks often rename local dishes, imported spices often =
makeover traditional dishes), but more from local tradition. That may be =
impossible, but it's worth looking, worth making guesses that might =
later be supported by documentation. Think of the kudos if you're right! =
If you're wrong, no one needs to read you notes..... I do this for =
whatever particular era I'm interested in at the time. Whenever I find =
something fascinating, I go in search of supporting evidence..

If you're not rabid or manic or exhausted by now, it's time to begin =
assembling everything you know about the early culture from =
archaelogical sources. If you get anything that comes up repeatedly, =
that's a certain bet for a dish. Run with it! Say perhaps bakestones, =
flat bread and oats come up a lot in your research, mentioned in =
conjunction to each other. Looks a lot like Bannocks to me! Look at some =
period artwork to see if anything looks like flat bread. That's all in =
support of your argument. Now it's time to mess around in the kitchen, =
consulting other recipes for proportions.=20

I guess what I'm saying is that it's relatively easy to cook from a =
recipe (well, sometimes), once you've mastered the lingo and proccess. =
It takes real creativity and brainwork to cook from archaelogical and =
agricultural evidence, as applied to allegorical research. It also take =
heaps more time.

So, go read some old stories. If it mentions apples, you know that you =
can connect apples to that period's food. If it mentions pickled beef, =
you know you can serve pickled beef, you just have to do a bit of =
research to decide what spices were available, and figure out the best =
pickling method. If it mentions ligonberries, you'll know you can do =
SOMETHING with them. You'll have to do some work to find out exactly =
what to do with them, if there are no surviving recipes..

Be forewarned: early studies are sometimes overlooked because their =
results are not as flashy as later studies. There is a lot more work =
involved, however. You have the satisfaction of "discovery", which is =
much more addictive than mere recreation! Also, a bit more risky. So, as =
you probably would in any case, Document till you're blue in the face! =
At most larger A and S contests, the documentation is at least as =
important as the dish, and may be vital in educating the judge about =
exactly what you've done.=20

Yes, I did say that some judges need to be educated about what they are =
judging. You might leave extra copies of really great documentation. If =
they dissapear, you've got converts. Hallelujah!

Good Luck!

Aoife

Francesca and Aldyth wrote:

Hi again,
I would even like things that date AFTER 1000.  TRH Thjo and Yrsa, from
what I hear, are planning an early period reign, but I would like to =
find
documentation, ANY documentation. =20
I haven't entered an A&S competition before so I want to at least have
SOME reference that I can offer, if there is any.  Are there any other
desserts that anyone knows of, such as rosettes or 'cookie' type things,
that are documentable - even in late period?  I could try to make
lingonberry sauce, if I can document it, even a little.  That is =
assuming
I can find frozen lingonberries somewhere that I can cook down.  And if =
I
do try that, would it be acceptable to sweeten it with turbinado sugar?=20
Lingonberries seem to me a bit milder than cranberries, but are still
pretty tart. =20

Thanks for the help,
Francesca

On Mon, 6 Mar 2000 16:30:38 EST Aldyth at aol.com writes:
> So, do we have any Norse cooking things that date prior to 1000 ?
>=20
> Aldyth
>

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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2><FONT size=3D2>On early period=20
studies:</FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2></FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>I'd guess that the best =
sources for=20
ulta-early period Norse are allegorical. So go to the stories and =
descriptions=20
that survive, and read them, scanning for mentions of food, drink, =
service,=20
etc.  You might want to do that anyway, with any culture's recipe=20
collection. Take anything you can find there, and then research what the =
food=20
crops were in that part of the world in that culture, at that time. Look =
at=20
slightly later documents if you can find recipes there, looking for =
things that=20
seem to come, not from a current "style" of cooking (imported =
cooks=20
often rename local dishes, imported spices often makeover traditional =
dishes),=20
but more from local tradition. That may be impossible, but it's worth =
looking,=20
worth making guesses that might later be supported by documentation. =
Think of=20
the kudos if you're right! If you're wrong, no one needs to read you =
notes.....=20
I do this for whatever particular era I'm interested in at the time. =
Whenever I=20
find something fascinating, I go in search of supporting=20
evidence..</FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2></FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>If you're not rabid or manic =
or exhausted=20
by now, it's time to begin assembling everything you know about the =
early=20
culture from archaelogical sources. If you get anything that comes up=20
repeatedly, that's a certain bet for a dish. Run with it! Say perhaps=20
bakestones, flat bread and oats come up a lot in your research, =
mentioned in=20
conjunction to each other. Looks a lot like Bannocks to me! Look at some =
period=20
artwork to see if anything looks like flat bread. That's all in support =
of your=20
argument. Now it's time to mess around in the kitchen, consulting other =
recipes=20
for proportions. </FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>I guess what I'm saying is =
that it's=20
relatively easy to cook from a recipe (well, sometimes), once you've =
mastered=20
the lingo and proccess. It takes real creativity and brainwork to cook =
from=20
archaelogical and agricultural evidence, as applied to allegorical =
research. It=20
also take heaps more time.</FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2></FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>So, go read some old stories. =
If it=20
mentions apples, you know that you can connect apples to that period's =
food. If=20
it mentions pickled beef, you know you can serve pickled beef, you just =
have to=20
do a bit of research to decide what spices were available, and figure =
out the=20
best pickling method. If it mentions ligonberries, you'll know you can =
do=20
SOMETHING with them. You'll have to do some work to find out exactly =
what to do=20
with them, if there are no surviving recipes..</FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2></FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>Be forewarned: early studies =
are sometimes=20
overlooked because their results are not as flashy as later studies. =
There is a=20
lot more work involved, however. You have the satisfaction of=20
"discovery", which is much more addictive than mere =
recreation! Also,=20
a bit more risky. So, as you probably would in any case, Document till =
you're=20
blue in the face! At most larger A and S contests, the documentation is =
at least=20
as important as the dish, and may be vital in educating the judge about =
exactly=20
what you've done. </FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2></FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>Yes, I did say that some =
judges need to be=20
educated about what they are judging. You might leave extra copies of =
really=20
great documentation. If they dissapear, you've got converts.=20
Hallelujah!</FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000><FONT size=3D2>Good Luck!</FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Aoife</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><BR>Francesca and Aldyth wrote:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><BR>Hi again,<BR>I would even like things that date =
AFTER=20
1000.  TRH Thjo and Yrsa, from<BR>what I hear, are planning an =
early period=20
reign, but I would like to find<BR>documentation, ANY =
documentation.  <BR>I=20
haven't entered an A&S competition before so I want to at least =
have<BR>SOME=20
reference that I can offer, if there is any.  Are there any=20
other<BR>desserts that anyone knows of, such as rosettes or 'cookie' =
type=20
things,<BR>that are documentable - even in late period?  I could =
try to=20
make<BR>lingonberry sauce, if I can document it, even a little.  =
That is=20
assuming<BR>I can find frozen lingonberries somewhere that I can cook=20
down.  And if I<BR>do try that, would it be acceptable to sweeten =
it with=20
turbinado sugar? <BR>Lingonberries seem to me a bit milder than =
cranberries, but=20
are still<BR>pretty tart.  <BR><BR>Thanks for the=20
help,<BR>Francesca<BR><BR>On Mon, 6 Mar 2000 16:30:38 EST <A=20
href=3D"mailto:Aldyth at aol.com">Aldyth at aol.com</A> writes:<BR>> So, do =
we have=20
any Norse cooking things that date prior to 1000 ?<BR>> <BR>>=20
Aldyth<BR>></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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