[Sca-cooks] Re: Period Ices/Sorbets/Cold Treats?

[Elise Fleming]

I wrote:
>Fruit encased in ice as part of a dessert display _was_ done.  But
>this isn't fruit juice poured over ice, or frozen in cream...

And Olwen asked:
>Can you give some examples of this fruit encased in ice and some
>documetation please.

Short of re-reading the whole book (I may just take it to Pennsic
with me!), I think now even the fruit encased in ice was OOP for the
purists.  She says re a 1625 meal, "it is difficult to tell if
Frugoli meant fruit sent in ice, or preserved and sugar-frosted
fruit in pyramids, or simply fresh fruit with snow or crushed ice.
Here indeed is a fair example of the linguistic trap which has been
responsible for many improbable legentds concerning the early
history of ices..."

She mentions (p. 61) that Leonardo (da Vinci, I suppose) had
designed an ice mountain.  Frugoli who ived in period, wrote about
meals covering the years 1618-1631.  (Gee!  Someone can do library
research!)  The book is _Practica e Scalcaria_ with detailed lists
of the dishes served at 80 different meals.  By the 1700s you can
find dessert tables with pictures of iced fruit.  Massialot (1734)
has a number of them.

So, my earlier statement may well have been in error; that the
ice-encased fruit may well have started just past 1620.  I still
recommend reading Elizabeth David's book.  I tend to read fast, and
I will sometimes miss things that others will pick up.

Alys Katharine