SC - Manual de mujeres #119,120,137,141,142,

[rcmann4 at earthlink.net]

And it came to pass on 12 Feb 01, , that Dana Huffman wrote:

> Nearly done; here's the penultimate bunch from my portion.
> 
> Dana/Ximena

[much snippage]
> And depending on the quantity of powder, add grated
> amber and ground musk; and all together, in a mortar,
> disturb (?) them with a little scented water.

Ah, yes... my old friend "destemplar".  It has a variety of meanings, 
including "distemper" and "melt".  The overall meaning is to alter 
the consistency or texture of a substance.  In recipes, it usually 
seems to refer to adding liquid to a mixture.  I have usually 
translated it as "blend" or "thin", as appropriate.

>  And bring them with your hand from the mortar as soon as (?) they
> soak up the water.  

"Traer"="to stir"
"Mano" is used in a specialized sense here.  In addition to 
meaning "hand", it also refers to a pestle.

I would translate that phrase as, "And stir them with the pestle of 
the mortar just until they soak up the water."

> And put in a glass flask, put
> with it borax, and cosmetic water, and camphor, equal parts
> of each thing; and very little copper soot (?);

"Cardenillo" = verdegris


> And when they are dry, clarify sugar
> again to a high point (2), and put in it a little musk. 
> And when the sugar is clarified, pass [the peaches] one by
> one through it with a fork; and return them to the plates. 
> And dry them in the sun and, when they are dry, store them.

> 2: I think this is saying that the sugar should be highly
> clarified, but it may be that they want the sugar clarified
> at a high temperature?

Seems like the sugar is being cooked until it becomes a syrup.  I 
don't know what stage "punto alto" would be.


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
now at a new address: rcmann4 at earthlink.net