[Sca-cooks] Pumpkins?

[Terry Decker]

What you have with pumpkin is the word being transferred from one plant to 
another.  The Old World gourds are members of genus Langenaria which include 
calabashes, dipper, bottle and basket gourds.  When Europeans encountered 
the New World squashes, they used the names of the similar familiar plants. 
The Old World gourds are available, although they may be hard to find at the 
market.

Bear

> Hello all, I am new to this list so I'm sure this has been discussed 
> before but I can't find a good answer for my question.  In reading a 
> number of 14th century recipes I have found references to using pumpkins. 
> I have always thought of pumpkins as a new world gourd so I assume that 
> they are using the word to describe some other gourd.  What might be the 
> closest modern approximation to this old world gourd?
>    Also, I am doing a feast in April and have been hunting for a recipe 
> that I know I once saw but now can find no sign of.(don't you just hate 
> that) The recipe was for carrot pudding.  It was a slightly sweet dish. 
> If anyone has any period recipes for such a pudding I would be most 
> grateful for the sharing.  My feast is being done on a theme of 14th 
> century France.
>    Thanks in advance for all the help.
>
> Haukr Myrkjarten