[Sca-cooks] Re: Trifle, dated 1596

[johnna holloway]

Here are some further thoughts on the 1596 TRIFLE
in response to a query from Mark Harris.

(Actually if this recipe is in the first edition of
Dawson that would make it as early as a lost 1585
edition and in the 1587 which survives.)

Johnnae llyn Lewis

Johnna Holloway



"Mark.S Harris" wrote:
>
> Johnnae llyn Lewis gave us a period trifle recipe
> and said:
> >
> > TO MAKE A TRIFLE
> >
> > Take a pint of thick cream,
> > and season it with sugar and ginger,
> > and rose water. So stir it as you
> > would then have it and make it luke warm
> > in a dish on a chafing dish and coals.
> > And after put it into a silver piece
> > or a bowl, and so serve it to the board.
> >
> > Thomas Dawson
> > The Good Huswifes Jewell, 1596.
> > f.23
>
> Does this mean that "trifle" was not a particular dessert/
> banquet item but rather a general term for a small, dainty,
> luxurious item?

OED gives a quotation for the food "trifle" as:

1598 Florio, Mantiglia, a kinde of clouted creame called
 a foole or a trifle in English.

The quotations associated with the meanings of a trivial thing
date back quite a bit farther.
>
> >From modern puddings I would have called this a "pudding" but
> puddings then were items boiled in a bag of some sort and not
> necessarily sweet, correct?

Modern puddings in England can simply be the desserts or sweets or
afters course. It can be simply what you are offered after the main
course. Puddings have a long and complicated history that 20 years
ago I could recite off the top of my head...There were a lot of
changes in the 17th century as to what were or were not puddings;
although most sources will cite the 18th century, that's only because
they have ignored the 17th century sources.

Actually, what I would call this is a sweetened whipped cream...
if you stir as you would have it as in a whipped cream. Depends on
how much you warm it (Whip it too much and use a real high butterfat
cream and you might have whipped butter for that matter.)

To make it start with a pint of rich cream, add what 2 Tablespoons
sugar, 1/2 or 1 teaspoon rosewater, and say 1/2 teaspoon fresh
grated ginger.  Then make it up and taste. Or taste as you go along
and adjust to taste.  I'd start with less and work my way up to more
rather than starting with equal amounts of cream and rosewater. Quit
when it tastes good and be sure to record what you did as you went
along.

Have fun!

Johnnae llyn Lewis
Johnna Holloway

>
> This recipe sounds pretty straight forward but I'm a bit
> unsure about the quantities. Any guesses on the appropriate
> proportions of the cream, sugar, ginger and rose water?
>
> Stefan
> Guess I better make that trip over to some Middle Eastern
> markets so I can rebuild my rosewater supply. I used up
> the last of it on my wafers and snow dish for an event pot luck.
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