[Sca-cooks] A couple tart recipes.

[Ruth Frey]

	I'm working on 12th Night recipe redactions, and I thought I'd
pass along 2 that I've gotten to the "quite good" stage.  Both are from
the Sabina Welserin cookbook (which is webbed somewhere, but I'm
too lazy to look up the URL at the moment), and may have been done to
death, since they're nice simple recipes with lots of handy proportions
given -- apologies if everyone's seen them before.  :) I've tinkered
with some of the proportions a little, but they're still pretty close
to the originals.

	FWIW, when cooking mass quantities, the cinnamon tart can be
made with powdered egg whites instead of fresh, with no difference in
flavor.

		-- Ruth

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GENOVESE TART (CHEESE AND SPINACH "PIE")  (16th c. German)

2 pie crusts for 9" covered pie

2 - 10 oz. packages frozen spinach, thawed
3 oz. grated parmesan cheese (approx. 3/4 c.)
1/3 c. olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
6 oz. ricotta cheese (approx. 3/4  c.)

      Preheat oven to 400 F.  Lightly grease a pie pan, and put in
the bottom pie crust.  Drain off any excess water from spinach by
putting it into a strainer or colander and pressing down on it with
the bottom of a large bowl.  Combine spinach, oil, and cheeses in a
large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Spoon filling into pie crust, smooth
down, and cover with top crust, sealing edges well.  Put into oven,
turn heat down to 375 F, and bake for approx. 1 hour.  Makes as many
servings as you cut pieces -  figure about 8.


    CINNAMON TART  (ditto)

1 pie crust for 9" pie

1/2 lb ground blanched almonds (about 2 c. blanched slivered almonds
     before grinding)
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. salted butter, melted
7 egg whites

1 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
3 - 4 tbsp. rosewater

      Preheat oven to 400 F.  Grind almonds to a fine meal in a
coffee grinder, blender, or food processor.  For a finer result, sift
out any un-ground bits of almond.  Stir together almonds, sugar, and 1/2
tbsp. cinnamon, then add butter and egg whites and mix thoroughly.
      Lightly grease a pie pan, and line with the pie crust.  Pour in
the filling, smooth down, and then sprinkle surface evenly with 1 1/2
tbsp. cinnamon, followed by the rosewater.  Put tart in oven, turn
heat to 375 F, and bake for 1 hour.  About 8 servings.

Both from Sabina Welserin's cookbook (mid-1500s).