SC - Was: Period cooking? - Now: Foodie Movies

[Browning, Susan W.]

I know we covered this before, but what are the lists favorite food movies?

Eleanor

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
[mailto:owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org]On Behalf Of Philip & Susan Troy
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2000 6:29 PM
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Cc: guineth at juno.com
Subject: Re: SC - Re: Period cooking?


Korrin S DaArdain wrote:
> 
> Could someone who knows something about this please answer.
> 
> Thanks,
> Korrin S. DaArdain
> Korrin.DaArdain at Juno.com
> 
> --------- Begin forwarded message ----------
> 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
> --------- End forwarded message ----------

This sounds like a pretty close description of a Chinese dish called
Beggar's Chicken, made pretty much as described, suitably seasoned, of
course. There is a legend connected with the dish, concerning,
naturally, a beggar who stole a chicken and wished to hide the evidence
and chow down as soon as possible, as well, so he wrapped the chicken in
clay to make it look like a rock and put it among the embers of his
campfire and baked it. When the coast was clear (whatever that means) he
cracked open the clay and discovered a perfectly cooked bird inside,
with the added virtue of all the feathers sticking to the clay, so the
bird needed no plucking prior to eating. Modern versions do call for the
bird to be plucked, though, and are fairly similar to salt-baked chicken.

The fact that there is a legend associated with this dish is in no way a
comment on its age or the veracity of the story of its origins. 

There's a marvelous visual account of the making of Beggar's Chicken in
the Taiwanese film "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman", one of the great foodie
movies of our age. (But "Big Night" is still the champ!)
 
HTH,

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com


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