[Sca-cooks] period sandwich?

[Stefan li Rous]

Margaret replied to me with:
> How about this was never served as a formal meal but just as a snack as
> one ran out the door. Hardly worth the attention of one's high priced 
> chef,
> let alone being commented on by the local scribe?
But we do have other simple dishes which do show up in recipe 
collections. And if common it should show up in literary references or 
other works.

We have recipes of toasting cheese on top of bread. Why nothing similar 
which then puts another piece of bread on top? Do we have any evidence 
of dry/moist meat served on top of trenchers? Or is it always covered 
in sauce? No, the trencher wouldn't be considered edible by the high 
class folks. But putting the sliced meat on top of a slice of bread is 
halfway to a sandwich. It would seem to be an obvious step to add 
another slice of bread. Particularly when all you had to eat with was a 
knife and a spoon. Making a sandwich makes it easier to eat and your 
fingers stay cleaner. We know that that the latter was often considered 
important.

Stefan
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stefan li Rous" <StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>
> > Oh well. I'm still wondering why the sandwich didn't become popular
> > during period. Yes, it may simply not have been thought of, but I 
> think
> > there is something else involved here. Medieval breads just didn't 
> make
> > good sandwiches for some reason? Medieval bread was too chewy? They
> > liked meat juice with their meat and this made a sandwich too soggy? 
> In
> > the latter case you got a sop, and not a sandwich? Humorial theory
> > frowned upon the dry meat needed for a sandwich?  Oh well.
> >
> > 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 ****