SC - Re: Cheese Making

[ChannonM at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/29/00 2:38:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Lord Ras writes:

> While any single individual might have knowledge of cheese making, that 
>  individual sold his product to the other houses. That is why it would have 
>  been rare to see such activity occur in any given household.

Hello everyone. Been off camping with my 3 boys so, I'm sorry for not 
responding to this aspect of the thread earlier.

My main concerns when recreating food that I consider a representation of the 
MA's is that to THE BEST OF MY ABILITY they APPROXIMATE what I can 
reconstruct as what THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE IN THE MA'S. 

Since I can't go back and taste cheese from the 14th C, I can reconstruct 
what it most likely tasted like, to the best of my ability. If I can get 
fresh milk, I will, if not, then the cheese will still be made to the best of 
my ability but may not taste as close as I would have preferred.

As far as single individuals having knowledge and selling their product, this 
is true. However, it may also be that there was consumption of their own 
product and so one would have eaten their own cheese. To use a comparable 
subject, I am currently reading a book entitled "Ale, Brewsters and Brewing 
in England" (or pretty close to that). In the book it is demonstrated that 
the brewsters (a specifically female title, as opposed to brewers) not only 
brewed and sold their ale, but appear to have been rotating the brewing and 
bought as well as sold at various times of the year. This included large 
manor houses as well as single brewers. The point I'm trying to make, is that 
cheese making was not foreign to the average household and if they had a cow 
of their own they most certainly would have made cheese with any extra milk 
that was not drank (waste not want not). Since my upcoming feast is that of a 
tavern, I am attempting to create a setting where as much as possible is done 
true to form. 

Cheese just tastes better if made from whole, fresh milk (according to 
several people who make cheese and companies who make it in quantity). 
However, if I can't get the fresh milk (and the hunt is still on, there is a 
County Fair this weekend, I'll be telling the "dog food" (thanks Ras) story 
if necessary), I'll make the cheese to THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.

I do agree that there are decisions that have to be made about what is 
reasonable, fair and what goals do we wish to accomplish, especially when an 
event is centred around the food served. 

Hauviette