[Sca-cooks] Memos from a Mastic Marathon....

[david friedman]

>  >From A Baghdad Cookery Book-
>
>Mishmishiya 1 (Sour Dishes) :
>
>Cut fat meat small, put into the saucepan, with a
>little salt, and cover with water. Boil, and remove
>the scum. Cut up onions, wash, and throw in on top of
>the meat. Add seasonings, coriander, cummin, mastic,
>cinnamon, pepper, and ginger, well ground. Take dry
>apricots, soak in hot water, then wash and put in a
>searate pan, and boil lightly: take out, wipe in the
>hands, and strain through a seive. Take the juice and
>add it to the saucepan to form a broth. Take sweet
>almonds, grind fine, moisten with a little apricot
>juice, and throw in. Some colour with a trifle of
>saffron. Spray the saucepan with a little rosewater,
>wipe its sides with a clean rag, and leave to settle
>over the fire: then remove.
>
>Mishmishiya 2 (Fried and Dry Dishes):
>
>Dissolve the tail and throw out the sediment. Cut fat
>meat small, then leave in the dissolved tail, stirring
>until browned. Cover with water and add a little salt
>and cinnamon bark. Then take red meat, chop fine, and
>make into cabobs the shape of apricots, placing in the
>middle of each a peeled sweet almond. When the meat
>has boiled in the water, and the scum has been skimmed
>off, drop in these cabobs, adding dry coriander,
>cummin, mastic, cinnamon, and ginger, all ground fine.
>When the liquid has all evaporated and only the oils
>remain, sprinkle with a little vinegar to form a
>little broth. Then grind sweet almonds fine, mix with
>water, co;our with saffron, and add to the saucepan to
>taste as required. Sprinkle some rosewater over the
>saucepan : wipe the sides with a clean rag. Leave over
>the fire for an hour to settle : then remove.
>
>My question-
>
>Why are both these dishes called the same thing? They
>seem to be rather different. Any insight, anyone?

The name means, more or less, "apricot dish." One has apricots in it.
The other has cabobs shaped like apricots.
--
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/