SC - Manual de mujeres #109,111,132,134,135

[david friedman]

At 2:47 PM -0700 9/5/00, Dana Huffman wrote:

>132 Receta para empanadas de membrillos
>
>      Los membrillos mondados y hechos cuartos ponerlos en
>una sartÈn, cubrirlos de agua y miel. Y puesta la sartÈn al
>fuego, volver los membrillos muchas vezes. Y desque estÈn
>blancos, quitadlos y hacer las empanadas. Y puestas las
>tajadas de los membrillos en la empanada, poner por encima
>az™car y canela; y de la miel en que han cocido, una poca.
>Y tapada la empanada, cueza en el horno. HarÈis encima de
>la empanada un agujero y, a medio cozer, le echarÈis otro
>poco de miel; y acabar·n de cozer. Y para ver si son
>cocidas o no harÈis asÌ: meter por el agujero un palo, y si
>la miel hace hilo est·n cocidas y si no, no.
>
>Recipe for quice turnovers
>      Put the peeled and quartered quinces in a frying pan,
>cover them with water and honey.  And [with the] frying pan
>put on the fire, turn the quinces many times.  And when
>they are white, remove them and make the turnovers. And
>[with the] slices of quince put in the turnover, put sugar
>and cinnamon on top; and of the honey in which they were
>cooked, a little.  And [with the] turnover covered, cook
>[it] in the oven.  Make on top of the turnover a hole and,
>when it is half cooked (or: in the middle of cooking), put
>in another little bit of honey;  and they will finish
>cooking.  And to see if they are cooked or not do thus: put
>a stick through the hole, and if the honey forms threads
>they are cooked and if not, [they are] not.

This one looks interesting. Questions (I unfortunately do not know Spanish):

Do you have anything about what empanadas/turnovers were--what kind 
of dough and what kind of physical construction?

"And when they are white/blancos"... I find it hard to believe that 
quinces cooked in honey-water will turn white--I would expect a 
slowly darkening tan to brown, like applesauce/apple butter. Is there 
a similar word in Spanish that means soft?

>134 Receta para cazuela de arroz
>...
>Recipe for rice casserole
>      Put in a casserole/saucepan rice and grated cheese,
>that is very good, and salt; and stir it very well.  And
>then put with it the broth that seems to you sufficient,
>the broth being of fat[ty] beef.  And put on top the beef
>that you want, and cook it in the oven.  And when it is
>almost cooked, remove it and put on top of all slices of
>fresh cheese, and egg yolks and spices.  And then return it
>to the oven and finish cooking.  And when it is cooked,
>make plates or bowls of them, which[ever] you prefer.

I'm wondering about the spices to be put on top. Any guesses from 
other recipes in this book or from related recipes in other Spanish 
sources what they are likely to be?

Elizabeth/Betty Cook