SC - Re: SC dried squid

[Olwen the Odd]

Korrin.DaArdain at Juno.com forwarded the following:
>Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 17:13:44 -0700
>From: Emily SD Thompson <guineth at juno.com>
>Subject: Re: [STEPS] Period cooking?
>
>Just out of curiousity, gentle and noble cousins --
>
>I've read (in sources that are less than entirely trustworthy, alas) that
>one way to bake a chicken was to wrap it in leaves, slather the wrapped
>bird with clay or plaster, and bake the whole thing. Since this would, if
>done right, wind up sealing the bird in an airtight covering with all the
>germs dead, it sounded to me as though it would be a good thing to make
>for a traveller's dinner, and convenient -- just crack open the baking
>shell and brush off the particles and dust, unwrap the bird, and eat.
>
>Does anyone know if this is period? And if it is, has anyone succeeded in
>doing it right?
>
>Inquiring minds would like to know.
>
>	Sister Guineth, curious

Irrespective of the historical authenticity of the method of 
preparation, I wouldn't trust cooking this ahead of time and taking 
it somewhere without keeping it cool. Unglazed clay can be porous, 
and if there are even micro-cracks bacteria can enter it. I wouldn't 
count on it being safe to eat for dinner after a warm day.


Anahita al-shazhiyya