[Sca-cooks] Traveling Dysshes

[Stefan li Rous]

Catriona commented and asked:
> I'm Catriona Stewart, Western Seas, Caid (Hawaii).  I recently
> resubscribed to this list (I once lurked here), but knowing little 
> about
> cooking, I didn't do anything but lurk. I love the discussions and I am
> learning.
Welcome back! Please feel free to continue to lurk, ask questions or 
comment. We have folks of all abilities here and probably a number such 
as yourself who sit in the background and listen. Particularly feel 
welcome to ask a period food question when the noisier ones among us 
wander.
> A friend asked me if I was familiar with the cookbook "Traveling
> Dysshes".  I've heard of it, but that is all that I can remember.  She
> is
> very interested in authentic period cooking and was thinking of adding
> it to her collection.
I would recommend it for that. For the person already familiar with 
cooking or wanting to get past the introductory areas of period 
cooking, I would recommend getting some other books. I am not so down 
on this book as some others on this list seem to be. I think it is 
particularly good for those whose interests are in fighting or other 
arts than cooking but who would still like to have more period food to 
take to events.
> She told me that Amazon says that the book contains
> original period recipes and redactions.  She was wondering if it is any
> good,
Yes, it has both. Which puts it ahead of many cookbooks on period 
foods. I do have some quibbles on the redactions but I often have 
quibbles even with the redactions done by others on this list. This is 
why having the original recipe alongside the redaction is good.
> and what period cookbooks it draws from (she doesn't want to
> duplicate if she already has the recipes in her collection).
Since it is drawn from multiple sources, as are often other books, some 
duplication is probably unavoidable. And it is often useful to compare 
two different redactions of the same recipe.

I know there are reviews of this cookbook in the Florilegium, but I 
couldn't find them in the file I was expecting to find them in, 
cookbooks-SCA-msg. I would go to the top of the Florilegium and enter 
the title into the search engine there. This book did come up in 
discussion here within the last few weeks. Rather than repeat them on 
this list, I will forward them to you. Even if I don't necessarily 
agree with them. :-)

I would also look at this file in the FOOD-BOOKS section for 
recommendations on other cookbooks on period food:
cookbooks-bib     (40K)  6/ 9/01    Cookbook bib. by Mistress Jaelle of 
Armida.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-BOOKS/cookbooks-bib.html

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****