SC - Re: Cheese Making
ChannonM at aol.com
ChannonM at aol.com
Fri Sep 1 10:00:27 PDT 2000
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
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