[Sca-cooks] Need Spanish suggestions

[Elaine Koogler]

Cat . wrote:

>To all who sent Spanish suggestions, Thank you so
>much.
>
>Kiri-hime, 
>Would you share your almond sweetmeat or is it too
>Arabic, not Spanish enough?  The link is wonderful,
>and Im really interested in playing with the rice
>casserole (rice, cheese, meat, bake it, top with eggs
>and cheese and bake some more….)  The Moorish stew is
>interesting too, but goat or mutton would be
>prohibitive on my budget.  Would beef bee too much of
>a stretch?  What is the Spanish take on pork?
>(anybody? Anybody? Buehler?)
>  
>
Sure, no problem...I'm not absolutely sure which you want so I'm 
including both:
*/Manual de mugeres/* translated by Meisterine Karen Larsdatter (a 16^th 
C. Spanish manuscript)

*Recipe for making a conserve of /alajú/ (a delicacy of Arabic origin, 
basically a paste made of almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts, toasted 
breadcrumbs, spices, and honey).*

Knead together well-sifted flour with oil and water. And leave the dough 
somewhat hard and knead it well. And make thin cakes and cook them well, 
so they can be ground; and grind them and sift them. And then take a 
/celemín/ of ground cleaned walnuts, and two pounds of ground toasted 
almonds. And while you crush the walnuts and almonds, mix them. Put a 
well-measured /azumbre/ of honey to the fire, and the best that you can 
find, skim it and return it to the fire. And when the honey rises, add 
the walnuts and almonds in it. And cook it until the honey is cooked. 
And when it is, remove it from the fire and put with it a half a 
/celemín/ of the grated flour cakes, and mix it well. And then add a 
half-ounce of cloves and another half (ounce) of cinnamon, and two 
nutmegs, all ground-up. And then repeat the stirring a lot. And then 
make it into cakes or put it in boxes, whichever you desire more.

My redaction (with the assistance of Mistress Rose of Black Diamond):

1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup Walnuts, ground
1 cup almonds, toasted and ground
1cup honey
1/8 tsp. cloves, ground
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Toast almonds. Grind almonds and walnuts together.
Heat honey until it boils up. Add the almond/walnut mixture and continue 
cooking until 250º on a candy thermometer.
Add the breadcrumbs, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together well.
Press into molds or a pan, and turn out to finish drying.

Made 3 doz. Small heart cakes.

*Recipe for making almond sweetmeats*

**For each pound of honey a well-beaten egg white and mixed with the 
honey. And beat it well, letting it rest for a day. And at the other 
day, cook the honey well, stirring it always without stopping until it 
is well cooked. See if it is cooked in this way: add a drop of honey in 
an/ //escudilla 
<http://www.geocities.com/karen_larsdatter/manual.htm#wm>/ of cold 
water, and if afterwards from being cold it crumbles, it is cooked, and 
if not, (it's) not (cooked enough). And when it is cooked, add pine 
nuts, or almonds, or hazelnuts, toasted and ground up. And put it to the 
fire for a little while. And then remove it, and make clusters or 
slices, whichever you desire more, from it.

My redaction with Mistress Rose of Black Diamond:

1 1/2 Tbsp. Egg white
1 C. Honey
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Grind almonds and pine nuts together. Mix the egg white with the honey 
and heat the mixture to hard crack stage (300º), then mix in nut 
mixture. Pour onto a greased sheet and allow to harden.

Hope these are of use...

Kiri