[Sca-cooks] Re: Brief ricotta return. :)

[Ruth Frey]

>> OK, question time, here. Why were you using >>frozen spinach? I wasn't aware it was a common >>comodity in the MA. Furthermore, in both flavor >>and texture, fresh spinach is considerably >>different from that stuff that comes out of the >>packages. From the original translation, I would >>expect something rather light and tender:

> I can answer that one -- the recipe says to blanch >and chop the herbs. Assuming that "herbs" means > spinach, frozen chopped spinach, thawed, is
> really close in flavor and texture to fresh >spinach, blanched and chopped.  Cheaper and much, >much easier if you're doing any quantity.

 Cynara

     Bingo!  This was "feed 70 people acceptably Medieval-Renaissance-ish food on a budget with 3 helpers" time.  Generally, chopped, blanched spinach stands in pretty well for chopped blanced anything else, and the cost and ease of prep were the deciding factors.  Yes, I know they didn't have frozen spinach in the Middle Ages.  They also didn't have the pre-made frozen pie crusts I used, either (as people in the background start screaming in pain from the thought of even thinking of using such pastry substitute, I know -- but there simply wasn't time for either Period or modern home-made pastry).  When in a situation like that, I try to keep the flavors as close as possible to the original, but am willing to take shortcuts if it's the difference between serving folks something interesting, and the usual beef roast and potatoes (ack!) I've seen too often at re-creation events . . .

     FWIW, if you're on the West Coast of the US, go for the Western Family brand pre-made pie crusts every time.  Cheaper than the Pilsbury, but *vastly* better in flavor and texture.  At the event where I served these tarts, I even had people come up to me afterwards and compliment me on my pastry.  They were pretty shocked to find out it was store-bought.  :)
             -- Ruth