SC - niccolo's Food Show (warning - long) - Bounced, header too long

[Michael F. Gunter]

I am giving a brief description of what I did and recipes.  The peopleat
=
the Festival talked about the food segments all over the grounds and for
=
hours after.  I overheard several people, and it did my heart good to
know =
I made that positive an impact on people with actual redacted recipes
from =
primary sources!!

***************************************************************************=

*********************
 The St. Bartholemew's Olde English Festival invited me to some do some
=
food demonstration segments on the heels of the highlight article about
me =
last Spring in the Atlanta Journal.  I was given/asked to fill four =
30-minute segments with information about Olde English/medieval
cookery.  =
I had a stage (plywood board on a parking lot) with a folding table and
=
one electric outlet if needed.  I did some demonstration, some
description =
and some light lecture type stuff.  Schedule was 12pm & 4pm on Saturday,
=
and 1pm & 4pm Sunday.

I went through my basic food recipes for some things that would keep
well, =
be well-received (read not too odd) as samples, and be fairly exemplary
of =
types of food available.  I settled on three types of foods to present
and =
describe for the audience.  Sweets, Meat/Stew and Sauces.  These are by
no =
means all-inclusive, but had appeal in all the categories above,
including =
ability to be served in sanitary fashion!  I ended up setting up a =
workstation with a two burner propane cooker, a large bread-board =
workstation (3.5' by 4.5') (forget the name of the thing) and a few
small =
electric appliances. =20

 Each segment started with a brief description of the reference books
used =
and what is available today in terms of primary sources, my
understanding =
of the genre of food, the foodstuffs commonly used in different parts of
=
Medieval Europe at different times, importance of spices and cooks, and
=
differences between what we know about nobility versus suppose about
lower =
classes.  We dispelled common myths and emphasized the difference in =
technology, techniques and foodstuffs.

 One of the favorite parts for me and the audience was when we made the
=
rissoles on stage.  I used manual technology (hand grater, mortar & =
pestle, and wooden spoon), and my friend/assistant did the same recipe =

with a Cuisinart small chopper, spice/coffee grinder and mixer.  I was =

right with him up to grinding the spices.  It was a lot of fun, and
folks =
saw a small snippet that cooks often had to spend more time/effort to =
prepare foods.  The rissoles were acclaimed glorious, Flathonys was a =
mixed review, including a 12-year-old seen ditching his piece in the =
bushes :o)  We fried the rissoles right on the stage so it was fresh,
and =
the flathonys was done a couple hours before.

 Same basic process was done for meats and sauces.  The sauces were
served =
with bread cubes and hunks of roasted pork.  The egurdouce was
phenomenal!!=
  (took leftovers to work to accolades . . . it improved over night . .
. =
one lady immediately took recipe home and made for dinner that night to
=
great success).  The samples were given with toothpicks, and they were =

gobbled entirely up.  The audiences loved the redactions presented and
had =
lots of intelligent questions and some playful jokes to throw in.  They
=
seemed interested and asked for more information like books and places
to =
look; three ladies asked where to get my cookbook or see my TV show =
<proud, yet humble grin>.  We had a blast, even with the hard work =
required (made worse by procrastination), and learned some things to =
improve next time.

a. The demonstration of at least some aspect is essential for interest
and =
reference.  I did one segment just as 'show and tell', and it was far
less =
smooth and interesting for me as well as the viewers.
b. One recipe per segment can be a gracious plenty since there is so
much =
info about the ingredients, source book, time frame, cook, etc.  If more
=
than one recipe is planned, then definitely limit the parts discussed.
c. GOTTA have samples.  The plan of having individual pieces for
skewering/=
picking up was fabulous.  No cutting or scooping needed.  For egurdouce,
I =
suggest small bathroom sized paper cups to serve samples.  Fresh is a =
key!!
d. I had access to a huge refrigerated truck for storage of ingredients
=
for the stage.  Without that, you need adequate ice/cold storage to keep
=
samples and ingredients below 40F for safety over the afternoon.
e. The church had a good Hobart dish washer within convenient distance
for =
cleanup.  I minimized my dishes and pots for cleaning consideration.
Was =
told would have to share with a large food vendor.  I simply snuck in
and =
was done in 10 minutes.  I expected a sink and hand washing . . . what a
=
pleasant surprise!  I would have been a little more comfortable taking =

more stuff.
f. I offered to put my references and recipes on the church website
after =
the demo.  I forgot my handouts at the copying location, so was not =
prepared for that.  It was a definite weakness in what I presented.  The
=
church ended up not able to facilitate the recipe link for various =
reasons.  I've put the recipes on my personal site, though.
g. We took tones of still pictures and digital video of all of the =
segments.  I'll be reviewing and improving for future gigs.  The pics
will =
make for good memories as well as portfolio for suggestion this concept
to =
other potential hosts.

Sweets
 Fruit Rissoles
 Flathonys
Meats/stews
Ergoduce
Lombard Pasties
 Pies of Parys
Sauces
Black Pepper Sauce
 Red Mustard Sauce
 Pomegranate Sauce



Recipes

Fruit Rissoles
Redaction by: Caitlin of Enniskillen (Catherine Hartley)
Serving Size: 12=20

Ingredients:
1 apple   1 pear
1/4 cup raisin  1/4 cup figs -- dried
1/2 cup walnuts  1 tablespoon powder douce
1 teaspoon rice flour -- as needed
Pastry dough (see notes)

Roast apples and pears until cooked.  Core the apple. Mix the fruit =
together and add spices. Thicken with rice four if needed. Drop balls of
=
filling into pastry dough and seal. Fry in oil at about 350 degrees
until =
brown. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Yield: 12 pasties

Source: Forme of Cury/Le Menagier de Paris
 =20
Primary Source:=20
Rysshews of fruyt. Take fyges and raisouns; pyke hem and waisshe hem in
=
wyne. Grynde hem wi=FE apples and peeres ypared and ypiked clene. Do =
=FEerto gode powdours and hole spices; make balles =FEerof, frye in
oile, =
and serue hem forth. (Forme of Cury recipe 190)=20

Translation: Take figs and raisins and pike them over and wash them in =

wine. Grind them up with peeled apples and pears that have been picked =

over. Add good powders and whole spices. Make into balls and fry in oil
=
and serve them.

Rissoles au common: L'en es faits de figues, riosins, pommes hastees et
=
noix peleees pour contrefaire le pignolat, et pouldre d'espices: et soit
=
la paste tres bien ensaffraneee, puis soient frites enhuille. S'il y =
conveint lieure, amidon lie et ris aussi.

Translation: These are made of figs, raisins, roasted apples, and peeled
=
walnuts to resemble pignolat, and spice powder; and the dough should be
=
well flavored with saffron, then fried in oil. If they need thickening,
=
starch will bind them so will rice.

Notes: I have used pre-made wonton wrappers to make assembly quicker. I
=
have also used phyllo pastry to wrap the filling in. They both work
well. =
Also can use pie crust pastry rolled 1/8" thickness.  (These were a big
=
hit!)

Per serving: 57 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (42% calories from fat);
1g =
Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; trace Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit;
1/2 =
Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates


Flathonys
Redaction by: niccolo difrancesco (Nick Sasso)
Serving Size: 8=20

Ingredients:
1 cup milk  5 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar  1/2 cup ale
1 teaspoon salt  4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar -- sprinkled on top (garnish)
1 pie crust  (9 inch)

Prebake pie shell, weighted, for 15 minutes at 425F.  Remove crust and =

reduce oven to 350 degrees F. =20

In saucepan, combine milk, sugar, ale and egg yolks.  Heat gently over =

medium heat, stirring constantly until steam begins to rise off the =
surface. Stir in salt and melted butter with whisk.  Pour into pie
shell. =
=20
Bake 10 to 15 until top just sets. =20

Sprinkle sugar across top of tart and continue cooking until just set
(it =
will continue to cook slightly after removing from the oven).

Serve warm (or at room temperature if necessary).

Yield: 1 pie

Source: Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books

Primary Sources:=20


Per serving: 240 Calories (kcal); 16g Total Fat; (59% calories from
fat); =
4g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 153mg Cholesterol; 433mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3
=
Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates=20

Lombard Pasties=20
Redaction by niccolo difrancesco (Nick Sasso)
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2# boneless chicken breast  bacon or dried, cured ham
2 eggs, beaten   lard
Verjuice or cider vinegar  flour
fine spice powder*  ice cold water

As we do not enjoy eating whole chicks, I use boneless chicken breast.
=
Since the crust is so rich, a smaller pasty is sufficient.  Cut each =
breast in half and dip chicken pieces in egg wash made with eggs, a dash
=
of verjuice/vinegar and a little spice powder.  Place these pieces in =
pastry made of lard, flour and water.  Place on each piece of chicken, a
=
piece of lean bacon or dried ham Smithfield would be good as it seems it
=
would approximate European bacon better).  Seal pastry together andBake
=
until golden and chicken is cooked.

* FINE [SPICE] POWDER.  Take of white ginger and ounce and a dram, of =
selected cinnamon a quarter, of cloves and grains [of paradise] eash
half =
a quarter of an ounce, and of lump sugar a quarter and reduce them to =
powder. (p. 298)

Yield: approximately 8 Pasties

Source:
(The Goodman of Paris c.1393; trans. Eileen Power)

Primary Source
ITEM in the Lombard manner when the chickens be plucked and prepared,
take =
beaten eggs (to wit yolks and whites) with verjuice and spice powder and
=
dip your chickens therein; then set them in the pasty with strip of
bacon =
as above [large slices of bacon on the breast]


Pies of Parys
Redaction by: Caitlin of Enniskillen (Catherine Hartley)
Serving Size: 20=20

Ingredients:=20
1 1/3 pounds ground beef 2/3 pound venison
1 1/3 cups wine   1 1/3 cups broth
1 egg    1 Egg Yolk
2/3 teaspoon ginger  2/3 teaspoon salt
2/3 teaspoon sugar  1/3 cup minced currants
Pinch black pepper  Pinch clove -- ground

Place wine, stock and Meat in pot. Bring to boil. Simmer for ten
minutes.  =
Drain liquid and let cool.  Beat egg and add some cool liquid. Add to =
stock.  Mix spices, stock and meat together and heat until thickened.
Add =
more egg if necessary.

Fill pasties and bake at 350 - 400 for half an hour or until crust is =
done.

Yield: 20 pasties

Source:
  Epilaurio, or an Italian Banquet*

Primary Source:=20
To Make pies of Veale, Capon, or any other flesh: To make Pies of Veale,
=
Capon, Birds or any other fleshe. Take as much of the leanest part
thereof =
as you think good, and mince it small, and take the suet, or fat of a =
calkf , mixed with the meat and spice it according to the common
manner,tha=
t done, make your paste as you did fot teh pasties and bake then in an =

oven. And when they are baked, take the yols of two eggs, verjuice, a =
little saffron, and mix them with butter and water which pour into the =

pies. And if you cannot make the crust, then boil the meat so dress as =

aforesaid in a pan like a white pot, in such pies you may put one or two
=
hens, capons, pigeons or any other fowles, either whole or minced.

Notes: I used other meat pie references from Two Fifteenth Century
cookery =
books for some variation of flavors. (See Pies of Parys, among
others...)

Per serving: 132 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (67% calories from fat);
=
9g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 65mg Cholesterol; 114mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit;
1 =
1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates


Pomegranate Sauce
Redaction by: niccolo difrancesco (Nick Sasso)
Serving Size  : 1 tbsp=20

Ingredients:=20

1/4 cup water   2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar  1/4 teaspoon ginger -- ground
1 1/2 tablespoons almond -- ground
1/4 cup Pomegranate syrup (If you can't find the syrup at Middle Eastern
=
Grocers: use juice, but boil a lot longer and omit the water)

Simmer these together in a small saucepan to blend and dissolve the
sugar, =
about 15 to 20 minutes.

Source:
  Libre del coch/The Original Mediterranean Cuisine by Barbara Santich

Primary Source:=20
Sal=E7ero Para Perdius O Gallines En Ast: Ametles belles e blanques e =
pcar-les has b=E9 en un moter. E quant sien ben picades, destempra-les
ab =
suc de magranes agres.  E apr=E9s met in lo morter sucre polvorizat, =
canyella e gingembre, perqu=E9 la sua color e sabor vol tirar casi =
canyella. E no la cal passar per nengun ced=E1=E7.  E vet as=ED tot fet.

Translation: Take fine white almonds and grind them well in a mortar.
And =
when they are well pounded, blend with the juice of sour pomegranates.
=
Then ass to the mortar powdered sugar, cinnamon, and ginger, because in
=
the colour and flavour cinnamon should predominate.  And this sauce does
=
not need to be strained.

Per serving: 164 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat; (36% calories from fat);
=
3g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit;
1 =
Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Red Mustard Sauce
Sinapeum Rubeum
Redaction by: niccolo difrancesco (Nick Sasso)
Serving Size: 1 tsp

Ingredients:=20
1/2 cup mustard flour, yellow   3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup grape juice - white   2 tablespoons zante currants -- (raisins)
4 large dates - pitted    1 toast slice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon    salt -- to taste

Combine the two liquids and stir; set aside.=20

In mortar or food processor grind mustard flour, bread, raisins, dates
and =
cinnamon until fine.  You may need to add a little of the liquid to
loosen =
it. When ground, turn out into the mustard in large mixing bowl and add
=
salt and add 3/4 of the liquid. Stir with a spoon or whisk until
smooth.  =
Pass this mixture entirely through a fine mesh sieve. This will make a =

very smooth paste and remove fibrous material left from raisins and
dates.

Let stand covered overnight.  Stir in more vinegar/juice liquid to
desired =
consistency.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Source: =20
  On Good Health and Right Pleasure, Platina translated by Milham

Primary Source:=20
Liber ovtavus, <14> :  Sinapeum Rubeum: Sinapum, passalas, sandalos, =
buccellas, pinas tostas, cinnami parum, seorsum autsimul conterito, vel
=
molito.  Trita cum acresta aut aceto cum-que modico sapae dissolvito, in
=
patinasque per setaceum transagito. Hoc minus praedicto concalefacit, ac
=
sitim movet, nec incommode nutrit.

Translation: Book Eight, <14> Red Mustard sauce: Grind in mortar or
mill, =
either separately or all together, mustard, raisins, dates, toasted
bread, =
and a little cinnamon.  When it is ground, soak with verjuice or vinegar
=
and a bit of must, and pass through a sieve into serving dishes.  This =

heats less than the one above and stimulates the thirst but does not =
nourish badly.

NOTES: This recipe is very strong after first made. It mellows with
time.

Per serving: 275 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (3% calories from fat);
4g =
Protein; 71g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 142mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 3 Fruit; 0
Fat; =
1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Black Pepper Sauce
Redaction by niccolo difrancesco (Nick Sasso)
Serving size 2 tablespoons

3 slices white bread, crusts removed  2 Tbl red wine vinegar
2 cups broth (or pan drippings + water)  1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 Tbl lard or olive oil    1 Tbl pepper

When your roast is done and resting, pour off the drippings (deglaze pan
=
with vinegar or broth) and add broth or water to top up to 2 =BD cups.
If =
on drippings, you can use canned or fresh broth.
Heat the lard or oil in a pan and fry the pieces of bread lightly until
=
golden brown.  (You can use dried breadcrumbs instead - =BD cup) When =
done, transfer to stockpot and moisten with about 1/3 of the
broth/liquid =
allow to soak for a few minutes.  Add remainder of broth and other =
ingredients.  Boil this sauce for 20 minutes or so.  The bread will =
dissolve gradually in the process.  Stir a break up pieces of bread with
=
spoon.  You may want to blend this sauce, but it should be unneeded.

Yield: 3 cups

Source:
Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books

Primary source:
 Take brede and frye it in grece, draw it up wi=FE bro=FEe and vinegre;
=
caste =FEereto poudre piper, and salt, sette on =FEe fire, boile it and
=
melle it for=FEe

Translation:=20
 Take bread and frye it in grease, moisten it with broth and vinegar;
cast =
in powdered black pepper, and salt, set it on the fire, boil it, and
serve =
it forth.


Egurdouce  (sweet and sour Pork/Lamb)
Redaction by niccolo difrancesco (Nick Sasso)
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:
4 lbs lamb or pork in 1" cubes 1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl Lard or oil   =BD tsp ground ginger
1/4 to =BD cup currants or raisins =BD tsp ground cinnamon
2 medium sweet onions, sliced =BD tsp black pepper
1 2/3 cup red wine =20
=BD cup red wine vinegar =20

Heat lard or oil in pan and brown the meat.   When almost brown enough,
=
add the currants.  Meanwhile, in pan, cover onions with water and bring
=
just to the boil.  Drain and chop onions; add to meat (or just chop the
=
onions fine and add raw).  Fry this all briefly.  In small saucepot, =
combine the wine, vinegar, sugar and spices.  Bring to a boil and allow
to =
reduce slightly, simmering 15 minutes.  Add sauce to meat and simmer, =
covered, for 30 minutes.

Source:
Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books (London, 1445)