[Sca-cooks] cordials

[Nick Sasso]

> -----Original Message-----
<< the fruit that spices were more likely to be used. Then I thought
> someone had come up with some evidence of fruit used in
> cordials. The several articles that I mentioned, were A&S entries, so I
thought
> they would have some evidence of the those particular fruits being
> used, but now I can't remember for sure.

Evidence and explanation are often strangers.  Remember the banana peel
'proving' they were eaten in England centuries before prviously thought.
sure a banana peel was found in the midden, but the search for explanation
stopped a little early by some people.

>>>>>>>>> Yes, I agree on the age of the stuff in the Florilegium on this
> subject. There are many subjects that I no longer see interesting
> info since the general lists like the Rialto (rec.org.sca)
> have died,  and I can't keep up with the mail lists I am on, much less
> read more.  <<<<<<<

No criticisms at all on your store of information, Stefan; just pointing to
my desire for newer info or research that took new steps into the darkness
or newer innovations.

You may be finding the same thing that I am, that the scholarly work is
lagging a little behind the enthusiasm to steep some sugar, fruits and herbs
in some alcohol.  Same thing happens with dropping some yeast into some
hopped malt water.  The satisfaction and payoff of the finished product
simply cannot match the payoff of reading some books and writing some
papers.  I had that problem with motivation when I was in beer and mead
mainstream in our area.  We did the study, but the motivation was easier for
making, bottling and passing around the goods for acclaim.

It seems to be a lot like the "rotten meats lots of spices" myths and the
"meat and potatoes thing" that new cooks work through in their early
education.  People who first get geeked up about making liquors in SCA world
have to get past the "fancy, sweet recreational drink" stage of development
to reach the point of curiosity about the more likely uses of their products
by the people in our periods and places of interest.  Most are quite
satisfied and fulfilled before the delve into medicinal theories of the
times, which is perfectly acceptable.

It is just a hope I have to meet people who have gone further down the that
curiosity of how it all fits road . . . to give me more pointers to look
upon.  I am more of a consumer of the research at this point than a producer
in this particular area.

niccolo difrancesco