[Sca-cooks] Dissolving Saunders

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Sue Clemenger <mooncat at in-tch.com> wrote:
>Perhaps it's just that I've never seen the saunders version of
>sandalwood before now, just the stuff that's used in incense and
>whatnot.  Of the latter, I've seen two different shades, one a distinct
>yellow, and one almost pinkish-red.  Next to them, my saunders looks
>distinctly orange.  Guess I was expecting something more ruddy, from the
>descriptions.

Yeah, written descriptions often conjure up different ideas in our
heads that don't necessarily match the author's. I can assure you
that the Rivendell i saw when i read Tolkien, sure didn't look like
the one in the movie...

>It's definitely got a different smell, though, which I found
>fascinating. Not at all like the other kinds of sandalwood.

Red and white sandalwood are not related, and red sandalwood, well,
it isn't really sandalwood...

>It'll be fun experimenting with it....Anyone got some favored recipes
>that have saunders as an ingredient?

Rose de la Mans made wonderful "Peach Pits" - of marzipan colored
with saunders - that have been discussed on this list. I've had them
a couple times and they are fabulous!


Anahita's Apple Moys/Moyle for 80
Based on a survey of five recipes
in "Two Fifteenth Century English Cookbooks"

24 apples - peel, core, cut up
4 cups ground blanched almonds
1 gallon plus 1 quart warm water
1-1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1 tsp. saffron
1 tsp. powdered red sanders
1/2 salt

"Good Powder"
1-1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1-1/2 tsp. powdered cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. powdered cloves
1-1/2 tsp. powdered mace
3/4 tsp. powdered pepper
3/4 tsp. powdered grains of paradise

1. Make almond milk with ground almonds and warm water.
2. Simmer prepared apples in almond milk until tender on a medium fire.
3. Puree cooked apples and almond milk in food processor
(we actually used a potato masher right in the cooking pot at the Boar Hunt).
4. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thick on a low fire,
stirring often to prevent burning on the bottom.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings.

NOTES:
OK, so i cheated and used both saunders =and= good powder.
In order to serve this to vegetarians, i made it with almond milk, not broth.
There were just a couple servings left over. I took 'em home and ate 'em.

ORIGINAL RECIPES

Harleian Ms. 279 (c. 1430) (3 recipes)

Lxxix. Apple Muse.
Take Appelys an sethe hem, and Serge hem thorwe a Sefe in-to a potte;
thanne take Almaunde Mylke & Hony, an caste ther-to, an gratid Brede,
Safroun, Saunderys, & Salt a lytil, & caste all in the potte & lete
hem sethe; & loke that thou stere it wyl, & serue it forth.
[this is the only one of the five that uses saunders]

Cxxxiiij. Apple Moyle.
Nym Rys, an bray hem wyl, & temper hem with Almaunde mylke, & boyle
it' & take Applys, & pare hem, an small screde hem in mossellys;
throw on sugre y-now, & coloure it with safroun, & caste ther-to gode
pouder, & serue f[orth].

Cxxxv. Applade Ryalle.
Take Applys, & sethe hem tylle they ben tendyr, & than let hem kele;
then draw hem throw a straynour; & on flesshe day caste ther-to gode
fatte brothe of freysshe beef, an whyte grece, & Sugre, & Safroun, &
gode pouder; & in a Fysshe day, take Almaunde mylke, & oyle of Olyff,
& draw ther-vppe with-al a gode pouder, & serue forth. An for nede,
draw it vppe with Wyne, & a lytil hony put ther-to for to make it
than dowcet; and serue it forth.


Laud Ms. 553 (Bodleian Library) (2 recipes)

Pommesmoille.
Nym rys & bray hem in a morter, tempre hem vp with almande milke,
boille hem: nym appelis & kerue hem as small as douste, cast hem yn
after ye boillyng, & sugur: colour hit with safron, cast therto goud
poudre, & 3if hit forth.

Apply moys.
Nym appeles, seth hem, let hem kele, frete hem throwe an her syue;
cast it on a pot / & on a fless day cast thereto goud fat broth of
bef, & white grese sugur & safron, & on fissh days almand mylke, &
oille de oliue, & sugur, & safron: boille hit, messe hit, cast aboue
good poudre, & 3if it forth.