[Sca-cooks] An idea, was Scary Period Food

[AEllin Olafs dotter]

An idea...

I have some books from the turn of the last century that belonged to my 
grandmother - so I've encountered butter the size of an egg, and Quick 
vs. Moderate ovens, etc. And,in some of the later ones, charts so that 
you know how to set your Modern Gas Oven to bake something you've made 
for years by feel, or how to use your Modern Measuring Cups to make Aunt 
Hattie's recipes.

The Late Period (and/or just OOP) English books - Digby, Markham, and 
Platt - would all have been perfectly comprehensible to Granny.  They 
give (sometimes rough) measurements for most ingredients, suggestions 
for heat level, estimates of time... And most of the food isn't too 
unfamiliar. And the English hasn't changed as much...  most people have 
at least encountered Shakespeare and the King James Bible, so it 
shouldn't be terrifyingly unfamiliar. (None of those ayren. I admit it 
took me a while to turn them into eggs...)

Some of the other later books might help, too. I haven't done much with 
Welserin, but it seemed pretty clear - and most of us use it in 
translation, so language isn't an issue there. Other 16th (or 17th) 
Century suggestions?

Maybe it would help if we got together a file, site, leaflet, something 
of some of the more straightforward later recipes. Perhaps include a 
chart with temperatures and measurement equivalencies. A few basic 
techniques (almond milk,anyone??) that they might not be used to. A 
glossary. (Or at least, pointers to all the above - places to find 
things.) It would still be a jump for someone used to Betty Crocker, but 
not a blind leap over a chasm. A place to point people to.

And I think a key part is to *not* include our redactions. Some of these 
recipes are the ones that were done early in the Society, and now people 
tend to teach the redaction that is widely accepted, rather than the 
original. Which,I think, ends up teaching "See, someone who knows more 
than you do did this already, you don't have to worry about it" instead 
of "See, this really isn't hard... what can you do with it?" (I love to 
see things like the Cheese Goo competition - how did that turn out, 
anyway?) I know that there are sites with recipes and suggestions - but 
something like this, geared to the absolute beginner? Who might not 
already be an accomplished cook, but still someone capable of getting 
three meals a day on the table?

Some people really do need precision, until they are more used to 
cooking in a style. I remember making my husband follow recipes 
precisely - he'd try to cook without them, because I did, but, since he 
hadn't a clue, he was producing some pretty inedible glop... (You don't 
want to know what happens when you put equal amounts of stuffing mix and 
water in a saucepan, and then simmer for 10 minutes... and then pour 
gravy over it. OK, most of you can probably figure it out, even though 
he didn't...  that was the day I rebelled.) After a bit of experience, 
he got pretty decent,and was eventually able to improvise a little. But 
it took practice *and guidance*. Mind you - he'd fed himself for years...

Geertruyt? You're our obvious Courageous Transitional Cook - would 
something like that help you? Anyone else in the same or similar 
position? (I know you're out there...*G*) Anything we should add or 
leave out?

Does it help to at least list the likeliest sources?

Now - how we would accomplish this is another whole issue - but it helps 
if we have a direction...

AEllin

Joanne Clyde wrote:

> <Snip>

> 
> 2. Recipes itself.
> As a novice cook, I clung desperately to my recipe cards... It wasn't 
> until I gained an appreciative audience in my husband, that I started to 
> expirement more and let go of the cards.  I'm still very intimidated by 
> midieval recipes...and I can see why others would be _afraid_ to cook 
> them.  They aren't written in a "recognizable recipe form,"  There are 
> no "measurement amounts," and ingredients are called by different names 
> throughout the recipes (sometimes).  Plus there is the whole archaic 
> language barrier there too.  So there is a lot of "chance" involved with 
> these recipes.  I don't like leaving a lot up to chance...especially 
> with food.
> 

> 
> Thanks!
>
> Geertruyt
> 
> 
>