[Sca-cooks] More from Paul....

[Philippa Alderton]

--- Stefan li Rous <stefan at texas.net> wrote:

> So, should I stop asking these questions? This is
> the second time in
> the last few days you made that comment.

No, not in the least- I enjoy your questions. As far
as I'm concerned, they help me clarify my thoughts.
There's a guy on one of my Lists, whose sig line
reads, "If you can't answer a question in a sentence,
chances are you don't really understand the amswer."
As far as I'm concerned, your questions help
discipline my thinking- I may know the answer, have
since I was a kid, but explaining it to you and others
like you is good for me ;-)

In this case, I was trying to drag in a few on topic
posts, and was hoping someone out there would be
interested in some insights into period food.
Obviously, other topics were of more import- you and
Drake were the only ones interested.

 I also got
> an email today
> from a list member asking whether I ever looked
> anything up before
> asking?
>
> The answer is usually not. I don't have access to
> any real referance
> material at work, other than the web.

Stefan, I understand, and I don't mind you asking- for
one thing, it gives some of our newer folk a chance to
show what they know ;-)

  In other
> cases, I sometimes think that some folks are
> hesitant to look silly
> by asking the question they want to, so they don't.
> So, I figure I'll
> go ahead and ask the question, and take the chance
> of looking silly.
> But the question gets asked. Sometimes even if I
> already think I
> know the answer I will ask. Again, it gets asked and
> sometimes the
> answer is not as simple as I thought it was.

Stefan, you're my friend ;-) There's no such thing as
a question too silly to ask. Besides, no matter what,
there's always a silly thought or two I'll have about
you, HPS ;-)


> > Mastic.
>
> I still don't think that this is "a fairly common
> ingredient in
> Medieval Cooking". What kind of dishes does it tend
> to get used
> in?

Don't have time now to research a few for you, but
will when I get back. Only answered now because you
sounded like your feelings were hurt, and I didn't
want to let that happen, for any longer than I can
help.

> I think I'd class a fairly common ingredient in
> Medieval Cooking
> as something like pepper or cinnamon or saffron.

Well, yes, those are common in Med cooking, but
they're also very common in modern cookery- saffron
rice is something almost every serious cook in America
has or will try, at one point or another.

Things like mastic, saunders, long pepper, and cubebs,
though, are fairly common in Medieval cookery- enough
so, that if someone does a fair number of redactions,
you'd expect to see them in their cupboard, just as
you might expect to see different yeasts and flours in
a serious baker's cupboard....

Phlip


=====
Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....

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