[Sca-cooks] Re: A Cinnamon Tart

[Terri Spencer]

Olwen wrote:
>> Nice to meet you Serena.  Just one thing.  I was at your web page
and no,
>> repeat _NO_ pictures.  Sorry.  I am the nag on the list that always
wants to
>> SEE what people are talking about.

And Serena answered:
> Meaning that you want pictures of the completed dish? That never
occured to
> me! Or do you want pictures of each stage of the dish? Or of the
ingredients?

> Hmmm? there are lots of possibilities there, my hubbie has a digital
camera.


Arrrrrrrrgh!.  Olwen, what have you done?  Roget not only has a digital
camera, he knows how to use it.  And we want to avoid kitchen pictures
of hot, tired cooks.  OK, OK, as long as he concentrates on the food…

BTW Serena, I fully expected period tidbits from you when I asked you
to feed the judges - ratls, pottels & all.  Why do you think I keep
dangling primary sources in your vicinity?  I didn't expect the judges
to enter your food in the competition without telling you - but I
learned a good lesson.  Never put food too close to unsupervised music
judges - peers, Baroness' - it doesn't matter, they're still musicians.
  (For those outside the South Downs area, we have a number of folks
talented in both cooking and music.  The music judges got the afternoon
munchies while discussing entries, raided Serena's luncheon spread,
then judged it too.  We kept wondering why the performing arts judging
was taking so long!)

On the almond question, I agree with others that we cannot assume
ground almonds are always blanched without cause.  I would question the
purpose of blanching  - perhaps for a "white" sauce or a light-flavored
thickener blanch, for a deeper color or stronger flavor don't.  Also
from a humoral approach, sickroom or summertime food might have
blanched almonds, winter dishes or those with strong spices not.  And
since it was Midwinter, and your tart a winter dish with a lovely
cinnamon flavor (hot & dry 3rd degree, I think), unblanched almonds
seem appropriate from that perspective.  However, as mentioned, a
survey of recipes is in order to support any opinion.

Tara
Done running the silly artificial competition and trying to catch up
with the list.  Only 1 week and 43 digests to go!

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