[Sca-cooks] Back from Pennsic

[Elaine Koogler]

I agree that the potluck dinner was wonderful!  One of the things that I
really loved was the plum mousse...I'd really love to have that recipe.  Also
a new person who may not be on the Cooks' List did a lamb and pasta dish with
yoghurt and mint that was to die for.  I hope he does join the list and
provide the recipe!!

I finally got to meet Ras and Elysant...one of my major goals of this war.
And....guess what?????  He doesn't bite!  He's a lovely, urbane gentleman and
Elysant is just wonderful.  Thanks, Ras, for spending so much time talking
with me.

My class on Researching and Cooking an Oriental Feast went very well.  I
taught it twice, and had over 25 people each time (big surprise...I only
brought 15 handouts for each class!)

The dish I did for the Cooks' Potluck was the honeyed dates.  It came from the
Medieval Arab Cookery book, and it follows:

Rutab Mu’Assal [honeyed ripe dates].  Take fresh ripe dates freshly harvested
for immersion and spread the out in the shade and air for two days.  Then
remove their pits from the bottom, using a packing needle or sharpened stick,
and put excellent peeled sweet almonds in place of all the pits.  For every
ten pounds, take two pounds of honey and thin it with two ounces of
rosewater.  Put it up on the fire, and when it boils, remove its scum.  Then
colour it with half a dirham of saffron and throw the dates in it.  And when
it boils, stir them nicely, lightly, so that they absorb the honey.  Then take
them down from the fire and spread them out in a tray of briar wood.  When
they have cooled off, sprinkle them with spiced finely pounded sugar.  If you
want them to be heating, it is with musk, spikenard and a bit of [hot] spices
[afawih].  If you want them to be cooling, spice them with camphor and a
little poppy seed.  Put them up in glass vessels and only use them during the
chilly season and when fresh date season is over. -- Kitab Wasf al-At’ima
al-Mu’tada (The Description of Familiar Foods) trans. Charles Perry.


50 Dates
50 Almonds
1 lb. Honey
3 Tbsp. Rosewater
1/4 tsp. Saffron
1/2 cup Castor sugar
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Poppy seed

Insert peeled almonds into the center of pitted dates.
Mix honey and rosewater and bring to a boil, skimming off any scum.
Add saffron followed by the dates.
When boiling, stir gently so that they absorb the honey.
Remove dates from the honey and spread out to cool.
Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon, castor sugar and poppy seed.

I made these the day they were to be served, and found that the mixture I made
of the cinnamon, sugar and poppy seed worked very well when I put it into a
shaker to sprinkle over the dates.

I agree with Gunther....I hope others will post their recipes!

Kiri




Michael Gunter wrote:

> Hello everyone, I'm baaaaack!
>
> It's nice to see that everybody played
> nice and even kept on topic. (gasp!)
>
> Pennsic went very well and I trust
> everyone got home safely. I met some wonderful
> people from this list. That's one of the best
> things about Pennsic, I get to see the real
> people who are often just words on a page.
>
> The cook's potluck was fantastic. I
> arrived an hour late and still left
> stuffed. I'm surprised there hasn't been
> any discussion on the dishes brought.
>
> Let's see...there was the fantastic accidental
> lamb dish. (I'll let others describe the incident.)
> Braised cucumbers, honeyed dates, white sals (that
> I had mistaken for chocolate mousse), blanche porrey,
> oh...lots o stuff. Please post what you brought and
> recipes.
>
> I didn't do the "Iron Chef" competition because I
> didn't know what campsite was running it.
>
> I did do a knighting vigil buffet. Imagine having
> no idea what to make and running to a rural supermarket
> to make a fancy buffet for approx. 100 people with only
> one campstove to use.
>
> I drove my poor assistant crazy by running all through
> the store several times muttering to myself.
>
> The final result was well appreciated by both the
> candidate and attendees.
>
> Caviar with sour cream on fancy crackers (the store didn't
> have smoked salmon.)
>
> Chocolate dipped cheesecake bites.
>
> Cherry tomatoes hollowed out and filled with ham salad
> or chicken salad.
>
> Roasted Pepper Hummous with pita.
>
> Crackers with goat cheese and a roasted pepper slice.
>
> Pumpernickle slices with horseradish mayo, deli roast beef,
> and a sprinkle of curry spice.
>
> Veggie Quesadillas.
>
> "Angel Wings" (lightly fried dough cookies with powered
> sugar)
>
> At least everything was eaten. The next morning I made
> breakfast burritos from some of the leftover ingredients.
>
> Glad to be back.
>
> Gunthar
>
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