[Sca-cooks] Corn Bread

[XvLoverCrimvX at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/5/01 2:00:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
lilinah at earthlink.net writes:

> Someone on our Kingdom list is arguing that old line: if they had
>  ingredient X in period, they must have had cooked dish Y. In this
>  case, the discussion is centering around...
>
>  Cornbread
>
>  My experiences in Europe indicate that even today, corn, i.e., maize,
>  is not a commonly eaten food. This person is arguing that since
>  Renaissance Europeans made bread, they must have made cornbread once
>  they discovered corn.
>
>  I think that this is not a logical argument. Can anyone point out the
>  pros or cons of this discussion? If i'm wrong, i'm willing to admit
>  it.
>
>  Another person says that since they have a late period Spanish
>  persona, they can freely eat tomatoes, potatoes, and corn.
>
>  IIRC, there is some evidence in the 16th c. for tomatoes cooked as a
>  vegetable in Italy (and maybe Spain), and sweet potatoes (but not
>  *white* potatoes) eaten in Spain in period. However, i don't recall
>  maize coming up on this list as a food eaten in Spain or other parts
>  of Europe in the 16th c.
>
>  I welcome all information - particularly about corn, i.e., maize.
>
>  Anahita
>

Corn was not found until people started to settle in America. Corn is totally
America and I doubt cornbread was ever made in Europe in any period dishes. I
would think Cornbread is more American than European which would make it
un-period. I could be wrong though.

Misha