[Sca-cooks] Middle-Eastern 'Nibbles'?

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Johnnae wrote:
>So the "bellaria" mentioned by Platina don't count as
>spiced nuts? Even with sugar?
>
>"There is an order to be observed in taking food, since everything that
>moves the bowels and whatever is of light and slight nourishment, like
>apples and pears is more safely and pleasantly eaten in the first
>course. I even add lettuce and whatever is served with vinegar and oil,
>raw or cooked. Then there are eggs, especially the soft-cooked kind, and
>certain sweets which we call bellaria, seasoned with spices and pine
>nuts, or honey, or sugar. These are served very appropriately to
>guests." Platina I.16
>
>On Sugar
>
>"By melting it, we make almonds (softened and cleaned in water), pine
>nuts, hazelnuts, coriander, anise, cinnamon, and many other things into
>sweets. Platina II.15
>
>Milham, M. trans. Platina. On Right Pleasure and Good Health. MRTS, 1998

Indeed, "bellaria" are spiced nuts, but hardly "Middle Eastern". And 
the request was for "Middle Eastern" nibbles. And i don't recall 
seeing a recipe for spiced nuts in an SCA-period Arabic language 
cookbook translated into English.

Now that Fall Collegium is over, i'll look again. It's amazing what 
one sees when one changes one's point of view (or search parameters 
:-)
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita