SC - Earthquake Weather OP/OT

[Chris Stanifer]

Recently while researching a 'Platina' feast I noticed that recipe 8.44 White 
Pie calls for ' half a pound of pike eggs'. And again in 8.45 Red chick-pea 
pie 'Some add starch or pike eggs so that this pie becomes firmer.'  These 
references struck a note in my memory.


<FontFamily><param>Courier New</param>Harleian MS. 279 - Leche Vyaundez<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger> 

<FontFamily><param>Courier New</param><smaller>xxiiij. Waffres. Take [th]e Wombe of A luce, & se[th]e 
here wyl, & do it<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger> <FontFamily><param>Courier New</param><smaller>on a morter, & tender chese [th]er-
to, grynde hem y-fere; <color><param>0100,0100,0100</param>; [th]an take flowre an whyte 
of Eyroun & bete to-gedere, [th]en take Sugre an 
pouder of<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger> <FontFamily><param>Courier New</param><smaller>Gyngere, & do al to-gederys, & loke [th]at 
[th]in Eyroun ben hote, & ley<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger> <FontFamily><param>Courier New</param><smaller>[th]er-on of [th]in 
paste, & [th]an make [th]in waffrys, & serue yn.<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger> 

</color><FontFamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Thomas Austin in Two Fiftennth-Century Cookery-Books glosses luce as a 
full-grown pike.  Therefore 'e Wombe of A luce' would be pike eggs.

Now you have to admit that pike eggs are an unusual ingredient for wafers.  
What occured to me is that pike eggs might be like isinglas (a transparent 
form of gelatin derived from the air bladders of certain fish.)  If so, then they 
would thicken the pies and in the wafer recipe add a delicate body to the 
batter and perhaps keep the cheese from sticking to the wafer iron.


Just a thought, I could be wrong.



<nofill>
Aeddan ap Trahaearn
Shire of Mooneschadowe
Kingdom of Ansteorra