SC - happy dance

[Olwen the Odd]

In a message dated 9/22/00 12:45:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
Chris.Adler at westgroup.com writes:


<< Hmm. Ras, you say that your murri comes out quite thick and isn't at all
liquidy?>> >>

I said it was thick. I did NOT say it was not liquidy at all. Think a medium 
thin sauce or thick syrup texture.

<<Is this the true murri or the Byzantine murri?>>

Byzantine

<< 
I made Byzantine murri (from His Grace's Miscellany) for a Middle Eastern 
feast two years ago and was incredibly unhappy with the result. >> >>


And I was pleased with results. I think this is a matter of personal taste.

<< 
<<It was the *only* time in six years that I've redacted/made a period recipe
and found the resulting dish completely unpalatable...>> >>

It is really not meant to be eaten on it's own. It is a very concentrated 
flavor and is used in recipes in amounts that more closely resemble our use 
of Worcestershire sauce. I have never seen a period recipe that uses it in 
quantities that would justify calling murri a dish as opposed to a mere 
condiment. It most certainly is 'unpalatable' if you eat a spoonful of it by 
itself but that same spoonful mixed in an entire recipe gives a nice subtle 
of flavor that I, and many others who have eaten my period middle eastern 
feasts, find extremely good.

<< not just bland, over << or under spiced, or wrong in texture, but 
absolutely unpleasant and nasty! >> >>

On it's own, I would agree. As a seasoning agent, I disagree.

<<<< Just to underscore this, I grew up eating lots of Middle Eastern, Indian,
and Asian cuisine, as well as a lot of fairly authentic non-Americanized
European dishes,>> >>

I am assuming that you realize that period middle eastern food is as 
different from modern middle eastern food as is modern European food from 
medieval European food? The evolution of middle eastern food has undergone as 
much of a revolution as nay other cuisine in the hundreds of years since the 
13th century.

<< 
<<I should note that my murri was *very* liquid - not at all thick or 
pastelike.>> >>


I didn't say it was pastelike. That was an erroneous assumption. See above 
explanation and definition of the word 'thick' as I used it.

<< 
<<Since I want to do more medieval Middle Eastern redacting, I'd very
much like some advice on how to make this recipe correctly.>> >>

It would be hard to give you advice since I have not had the pleasure of 
seeing you make the recipe nor have I had the pleasure of tasting the results 
of labor in this area.

<< 
<<The only derivation I made from Duke Sir Cariadoc's printed recipe was the
use of quince >> >>

My only deviation from His Grace's redaction was that I multiplied it by 4 to 
make a larger amount.

<< 
<<Any comments on how to do this better -- or a source for quinces -- would 
be greatly appreciated!>> >>


Quinces are currently available at Giant markets since they are in season. I 
just bought 2 large ones on Friday.  I wish we lived closer to each other so 
we could work on this recipe together. :-( I was very pleased with the 
results of my attempt at making Byzantine murri although it admittedly has a 
unique flavor not encountered in any other product that I am aware of.


Ras
(Hiding under the bridge is often your only recourse when the sky is falling.)