[Sca-cooks] Re: beaten egg whites (Was: "Food and drink in Medieval Poland")

[Ruth Frey]

	<Johnna wrote:>
> It wasn't altogether easy, but they whipped egg whites for dishfuls of
> snow well before the end of the 17th century. Plat also discusses
> breaking and beating egg whites. See Wilson for a well thought out
> discussion.

	Yeah, one does see the occasional mention of "snow" (the earliest
I've personally seen is in the Welserin cokbook from about 1550), but
that was sort of a really early dessert topping (egg whites + the
occasional cream, served over sweetened bread/toast); the concept of
adding heavily beaten egg whites to baked goods to add lightness wasn't
really there yet.
	Also, the title of the book in question is "Food and Drink
of MEDIEVAL Poland," with general definitions of "medieval" usually
stopping before the 17th century.  And I still question whether beaten egg
whites added to baked goods/pastries/whatever category wafers fall into
would have been routine enough in the Medieval era to use confidently in a
reconstructed recipe.
	So, beaten egg white are a good move in modern cooking, certainly,
but I still find them doubtful in a reconstruction.  My 2 cents' worth,
anyway . . .

		-- Ruth