SC - Passage East III - Part 8

[Ann & Les Shelton]

Final course ...

VII	PIRUM IN TORTA
	{Pear Torte}

P VIII 30 

Mix and cook under ashes and coals almost all those things we described
for gourds with rape and pears or quinces, well cooked and ground up...

P VIII 29 {Gourd Pie}

Grind well-washed gourds as you are accustomed to do for cheese, then
boil a little either in rich juice or in milk.  When they have been
half-cooked and passed through a sieve into a bowl, mix, adding as much
cheese as I described before, half a pound of sowbelly, or very fat
udder, boiled and pounded with a knife, or in place of these, if it
pleases you, add the same amount of butter or fat, half a pound of
sugar, a little ginger, some cinnamon, six eggs, a cup of milk, and a
little saffron.  Cook this in an oiled earthenware pot with an
undercrust, under or over a slow fire.  Some add pieces of pastry leaves
which they call crepes in place of an upper crust.  When it is cooked
and transferred into a dish, sprinkle with sugar and rosewater.

Per Table			17 Tables

1 can {15.5 oz} pears		17 cans
3/4 cup ricotta cheese		12-1/2 cups
1/2 stick butter		8-1/2 sticks
4 eggs				68 eggs
1/2 cup sugar			8-1/2 cups
3/4 tsp ginger			1/4 cup
3/4 tsp cinnamon		1/4 cup
9' pie shell			17 pie shells

This works best in a Cuisinart or heavy duty mixer.  Chop up pears,
slowly add each additional ingredient in order, mixing to incorporate. 
Once final product has been blended smooth, pour into pie shell and bake
@ 325 degrees approximately 40 minutes or until set.  Can be served
chilled.

COMMENTS:  This wound up being a peri-oid interpretation.  After several
attempts, I never found adding milk to help the taste; it just made the
mixture moister.  Rosewater is not a popular flavor around here and I
felt that it detracted from the taste of the tart.  I also omitted the
upper crust.  So, it tasted good and was incredibly popular, but Platina
wouldn't have recognized it.

	NUCATO
	{Honey-Almond Candy}

This recipe came from "The Medieval Kitchen" by Redon et al. {Note: this
is my interpretation, not the recipe the authors of the book created}.
The original source was	Francesco Zambrini, editor, Libro della cucina
del secolo XIV.

ZA 77

Of honey boiled with walnuts, known as nucato.  Take honey, boiled and
skimmed, with slightly crushed walnuts and spices, boiled together; wet
the palm of your hand with water and spread it out; let it cool, and
serve.  And you can use almonds or filberts in place of walnuts.

1 Recipe makes enough for 5-6 tables; I made 3 batches for this event.  

1 Recipe			3 Recipes

1-1/2 cups honey		4-1/2 cups
3 cups almonds			9 cups
1 tsp ginger			1 tbs
1/2 tsp cinnamon		1-1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp nutmeg			3/4 tsp 
pinch cardamom			1/4 tsp 

Coursely chop the almonds.  Bring honey to boil on stovetop.  Add nuts
and spices.  Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring
continuously.  Pour onto cookie sheet, spread out evenly, allow to cool
before slicing.

	PISTACIIS
	{Pistachios}

A bowl of pistachio nuts for each table; approx. 1 cup each.


John