[Sca-cooks] Pastry cases - baking blind?

[ekoogler1 at comcast.net]

You know, Conrad lived in Atlantia at one point many years back...and my memories of him jive exactly with your tale...thanks for sharing!

Kiri
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >
> > >IIRC, Master Martino uses a covered pie shell
> > filled with flour as the
> > >first step in preparing live blackbirds in a
> > pie.  The bottom is cut
> > >out, the flour removed, the blackbirds
> > inserted and then the pie shell
> > >is placed over a second pie.  You get the
> > effect of the birds flying out
> > >of the pie and still are able to serve from
> > the shell.
> > >
> > >Bear
> > 
> Here is a true story about blackbird pie:
> 
> Long ago, back in the days when Conrad von
> Regensburg was Baron of Lyondemere, there used to
> be a canton in the heart of the Barony of the
> Angels called Greywinds, in an area mythically
> called Hollywood.  The people of this canton were
> very nice, creative people and everyone who knew
> them enjoyed their company.
> 
> When it came time to celebrate the anniversary of
> the forming of their canton, the Seneschal, Lady
> Luxandra of Altumbria, called her people into
> council and asked them, "We must needs celebrate
> our anniversary with a splendid tournament. But
> where can such an event be held? Most of our 
> local parks are either the size of a miser's 
> heart or else in dangerous territory where even
> Angels fear to tread. Oh, what can we do?"
> 
> And so did the people of the canton go out and
> search their land for a park large enough to hold
> a tournament and safe enough to attract people
> from other areas to attend their celebration.
> After much searching and seeking, they did find a
> perfect park to hold their anniversary, called
> Roxbury Park in the hills of Beverly. However, it
> lay outside their land, on the border between the
> Barony of the Angels and the Barony of
> Lyondemere.
> 
> Before they announced their plans to the Known
> World, they sought the counsel of their baron,
> Damon of the Lake that Flames, who assured them
> that the park was within his territory and that
> all their plans were acceptable to him.
> Unfortunately, one month before their anniversary
> was to be held, Lyondemere did invade Angels
> territory and did claim that park as their
> territory, holding a tournament there as proof of
> their claim.
> 
> The autocrat of the anniversary cried upon 
> hearing this news, "Oh what shall we do now? Our
> announcement has already been printed in the 
> Crown Prints and there will not be another
> published until after our event. Oh what shall we
> do?" "Fear not", said their seneschal, "we are
> just a small canton with no fighters to speak of.
> They will not notice if we hold our tournament
> there."
> 
> And so they went forward with their plans.  The
> day of the event dawned beautifully. The sun
> reigned warmly in the azure Caidan skies. As the
> people of Greywinds went about their business,
> setting up their event, several messages were 
> sent to the autocrat. The first being that the
> King and Queen were ill and were unable to 
> attend. The second being that the Baron's wain 
> had broken and that they would be late, but to
> start the event without them.  So, at the
> appointed time, did Greywinds begin their
> tournament, with the Seneschal, Lady Luxandra
> standing in proxy of the Baron.
> 
> After the Herald called the populace to attend 
> the words of the Seneschal, suddenly there came a
> 
> clamor from behind the crowd. The crowd parted as
> a procession of Lyondemarines came forward, with
> Baron Conrad in the lead. Looking sternly at the
> good people of Greywinds, Baron Conrad was heard
> to say, "You people are trespassing on my
> territory. For this, you will pay! I give you
> until Coronation Day next to send me your
> tribute!" Upon saying that, did he stalk off with
> his entourage in tow.
> 
> When Baron Damon arrived on site later that day,
> Lady Luxandra did seek him out and informed him 
> of all that had occurred previously. "Do not
> worry. I will take this before the King and he
> will clear this matter up for us." Then a thought
> came to Baron Damon. "Did Baron Conrad state what
> kind of tribute that he wanted?" "No."  "Well,
> then," said Damon, "you are free to pay whatever
> you want to pay."
> 
> By the time Coronation Day had arrived, Baron
> Damon had arranged with the Crescent Herald to do
> business before the King. Approaching His 
> Majesty, Baron Damon brought out a map of Caid 
> and placed it before the King. "Your Majesty,"
> asked Damon, "is not this a map of Your Kingdom
> with all the Baronial borders drawn as You have
> previously decreed?"
> 
> His Majesty looked at the map and agreed that it
> was. "Would Your Majesty please have the Baron of
> Lyondemere called forward?" His Majesty signalled
> his Herald to do so.  After Conrad came forward
> and did his courtesy to his King, did Damon ask,
> "Was it not agreed previously that all lands west
> of this road, numbered 405, were to belong to
> Lyondemere and all lands east of this road were 
> to belong to Angels?" "Yes it was," said his
> Majesty.
> 
> "Then on what side of this road would You say
> Roxbury Park was?" "Why to the East," said his
> Majesty, looking at Conrad. "What say you,
> Conrad?"  Conrad took the map in hand and turned
> it this way and that. "Why your Majesty!" he
> declared. "I have been reading this map
> upside-down! My apologies to both of you!" His
> Majesty looked at Conrad pointedly, "Do not do so
> again."
> 
> Then, with His Majesty's permission, did Lady
> Luxandra and the good people of Greywinds come
> forward and address Conrad. "Your Excellency, you
> asked for tribute and we are prepared to give it
> to you in three parts. The first will be now. The
> second before the banquet begins. The third 
> before the revel begins. The explanation will 
> come after that." With that she handed him six
> shiny, new pennies.
> 
> Before the banquet began, she handed him a 
> bottle, sometimes called a hip-flask, filled 
> with a brown liquid that burned the throat.
> 
> Before the revel began, she gave him a pie that
> made some very odd sounds, like
> "Chiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrppp, chirp, chirp, chirp,
> chirp! Chiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrppp, chirp, chirp,
> chirp, chirp!"
> 
> Then did she and her people begin to sing: "Sing 
> a song of six pense. A pocket full of rye.
> Four-and-twenty black birds baked in a pie." 
> Baron Conrad began to laugh and laugh. After he
> regained his composure, he brought out his eating
> dagger and said, "I just have to see these black
> birds!" Chiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrppp, chirp, chirp,
> chirp, chirp!"  Conrad thrust his dagger into the
> pie. "Chiiiiiirr ...." and the pie went silent.
> 
> Conrad looked dismayed and cried, "I think I
> killed it!" Hastily, he tore open the pie and
> discovered 23 black velvet, stuffed blackbirds 
> and one mechanically operated blackbird that had
> been stabbed directly through the battery.
> 
> It was quite a while before he regained his
> composure again.
> 
> This is as I saw it and proves that if you want
> to ask for tribute, you should specify what you
> want, or be prepared to take what is given.
> 
> Huette
> 
> 
> 
> 
> =====
> Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they 
> shall never cease to be amused.
> 
> 
> 	
> 		
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