[Sca-cooks] An interesting proposal...

[Volker Bach]

Am Donnerstag, 16. Februar 2006 17:15 schrieb marilyn traber 011221:
> A friend recently, after 9 years of litigation, has done the last court
> date, and will finally be paid. He wants to celebrate with his friends and
> family, and he has asked me to cook/supervise a Medieval feast. This will
> be in northern IL, in June.
>
> My food budget is $5000 for 200 people ($25 per person), and, in
> discussion, he thought he'd like me to do period German. We'll have plenty
> of meats- it's farm country, and we're discussing whole pigs, geese, and
> chickens, among other things.
>
> The kickers are this. My "field of operations" will be, essentially, a hay
> field, but I'll have a budget of roughly $15,000 to set it up as a kitchen
> and a feast hall. Also, we're not cooking for your usual mundanes ;-) Most
> of the guests will be Amish, and the rest will be blacksmiths ;-)

With that kind of budget, the actual equipment purchase/rental should be 
relatively easy, I guess (at least going by local prices here, I don't know 
about the US)

> I need ideas, for side dishes that can be conveniently done outside. 

Salads of any kind, or sauerkrauts

This one may just be called 'German', but I suspect the link is genuine. Very 
good, at any rate, if you like you food with bite. From the Liber de Coquina:

German Compote in mustard sauce
accipe carotas bene lotas et bullitas et fac eas infrigidari. In quarum aqua 
facias decoqui rapas, quibus decoctis simul infrigidentur. Deinde habeas 
petrossillum, radices rafani, acciorum et porrorum, albedine feniculi et 
pira, capari et cimulas caullium; et fac semotim omnia fortiter bulliri; et 
infrigiduntur ut supra. Secundum Lumbardos, possunt poni de sambucis. 
Postmiodum non habeas mustardam cum, forti aceto factam, semen feniculi etr 
singula; postea per solaria pone particulariter omnia; in quolibet solario 
predictarum herbarum pone mustardam sicut debet. Hiis ordinatis pone desuper 
in quolibet solario tabulam latam cum lapide ponderoso et dimite per 8 dies. 
Postea da comedere.

Take carrots, well cleaned and cooked, and let them cool. In their water, cook 
turnips and also ölet them cool when they are done. Then take parsley (root), 
radish, celery, leeks, white fennel, pears, capers and the tips of cabbages, 
cook each separately and cool it as above. In the manner of the Lombards, 
juniper berries can also be added. Then take no mostarda that is made with 
strong vinegar (a mild mostarda?) fennelseed and similar, and layer all 
separately. To each layer, add herbs and mostarda properly. When this is 
done, put on each layer (?) a board with a heavy stone and let it rest for 8 
days. Then serve it.

This version of pickled root vegetables may be our first documentation of the 
German love for such dishes, if the adscription is correct (it may well be, 
as many German nobles and soldiers settled in Sicily during the reign of the 
Hohenstaufen). The recipe leaves considerable room for interpretation when it 
comes to quantities and proportions. We reconstructed it as a dish of stewed 
vegetables, primarily (non-period orange) carrots, in a mustard pickle.


Another kind, this is from the Königsberg MS:

[[31]] Wilthu machenn eynngemacht Crautt:
so seudt weysse Heuptt und ein zweythell Sennffs und das dritthell
Hoengs und die selbing mach undereinander mitt Wein und thu darein
<<124>>
Koemel und einß des genug und leg dan des gesotten Kraut darein
und [[nnd_Ed.]] gibe es kalt. also magst auch priesen die Seudt mitt Würczenn
und gyb sy hin.

If you want to make pickled cabbage
Boil white cabbage heads, take two parts mustard and one part honey, mix them 
with wine and add caraway. /einß/ (?) it enough, put the boiled cabbage into 
it and serve it cold. You can also season the broth and serve it.



This egg dish from the Königsberg MS

[[15]] Wilthu machenn ein guettenn weyschen Kuchen:
so nim uf zehenn Eyr und zuschlag die woll und nim dorzu Pettersilgenn
und rure eß under ein ander und nyme einenn Morsser vnd
secz in vff ein glutt uundt thu dorein einenn Loffell voll Smalcz und
loß das heyß werden und geweß die Eir dorein und laß es kulle
backenn und richt es dann allso ganz annversalzytt.

If you want to make a good /weyschen/ cake
(paralleled in Meister Eberhard as /meyschen/ (May) cake)
take up to ten eggs, break them well, add parsley and stir it all together. 
Take a mortar, place it on the embers, and put a spoonful of lard in it to 
heat. Pour the eggs into it and bake it cooly (gently) and serve it, not 
oversalted.

Redaction:

10-12 eggs
1 small bunch fresh parseley (or 3 tsp dried)
1 tsp lard or butter
salt and pepper to taste

Place lard in a metal or ceramic bowl. Put into in an oven heated to c. 150°C 
(350°F) until the lard has melted and the bowl is hot. Meanwehile, beat the 
eggs with the parsley. When the bowl is ready, open the oven door and our the 
egg batter into the hot bowl quickly. Return to the oven immediately and bake 
20-35 minutes (test doneness by inserting a stick or knifeblade). Remove from 
oven, cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and turn out onto a plate. Serve 
sliced for breakfast.
This is also a good way of providing pseudo-scrambled eggs for more people 
than you have pans or time to make.


I think this would have been considered a side dish rather than dessert 
(Königsberg MS):

[[18]] Wilthu ein gruneß von Huzellen machenn:
so wasche die Huzell gar schone und stos sie clein und streich sie
durch mytt Wein und seidt sye dann woll und thu dan darein guett
<<122>>
Hoengk und wurz genuck und wer es zu din, so reib Prott darein
und thu es in ein Haffenn so bleybett es dir 4 ader 6 wochen guett.
das magst kallt ader warm gebenn und stre(u) Zucker daruff und
Zimettrindenn.

If you want to make a green (dish) of pears
Wash the pears nicely and pound them finely. Pass them through a sieve with 
wine, boil them well and add good honey and enough spices. If it is too thin, 
add ground breadcrumbs. If you put it into a crockpot, it will last for 4 to 
6 weeks. It can be served cold or hot. Sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon.

Redaction:

2 lbs pears
1 glass white wine
1/2 cup honey
ginger, cinnamon

Wash, quarter and core the pears. Process in a blender or food processor to a 
puree (adding a little wine where necessary). Place in a pot, adding the 
remaining wine and the honey. Boil for 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously, 
until the pear has softened and changed color to a uniform greenish. Season 
to taste, boil another 10-15 minutes to thicken, and pour into a bowl. Serve 
sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
This is not as good as I hoped, but it's quite edible and faster to make than 
many others.

This one is one of the all-time favourites with the Shire (Meister Eberhard): 
Zum ein salsenn von weichselnn zu machen.
Item wiltu machen ein gutte salsenn von weichselnn,
so thue die weichsell in einen hafen vnd
secz die auff ein glut vnd laß sie siedenn vnd
laß dann wider erkaltenn vnd streich sie durch ein
tuch vnd thue sie dann wider in den hafenn vnd
secz sie auff ein glut vnd laß sie wol sieden
vnd rurr sie, piß sie dick wirt, vnd thue dann
honig dar an vnd geribens prot vnd negellein vnd
gut gestu:ep vnd thue sie in ein feßlein. Sie
pleibt dir gut drew oder vier iar.

To make a sauce of tart cherries.
If you wish to make a good sauce of tart cherries, put the cherries into a pot 
and place it on the embers and let them boil. Then cool down again and pass 
them through a cloth, put it back into the pot, place it on the embers and 
let it boil well until it thickens. Then add honey and grated bread and 
cloves and good spice powder and put it into a small cask. It will stay good 
three or four years.

Redaction: Take
250 grammes of tart cherries (from a jar) or
350 grammes of fresh tart cherries
50 grammes of honey
fine fresh breadcrumbs from two slices of wheat bread
ground cloves
ground cinnamon
ground ginger

Clean and stone the fresh cherries or strain the jarred ones (in that case, 
keep the juice). Place in a pot with some water (as little asyou can get away 
with) and boil until soft, then process (in a mortar, blender, food 
processing mill or through a coarse cloth). Return to the boil (add liguid if 
necessary - you want a fluid consistency at this point) and add honey (more 
with fresh cherries, less with jarred ones which are usually sweetened 
already) and spices to taste. Then add breadcrumbs, stir and remove from the 
fire once it thickens. Pour into a storage container or serving dish and let 
cool. The sauce will set into a semi-jelly.
Adventurous minds may vary this sauce with other spices as the exact seasoning 
was left unspecified. Cassia buds and galingale worked for me, but 
(non-period) pimento, grains of paradise or even plain pepper will harmonise, 
too. 

> I need
> ideas for a dessert-type board.

The usual almond stuff? From the Inntalbuch:

<<40>>
Einen ziger von mandel machen
Nim mandel so vil du wild vnd wol gestossen,
seichs durch ein tuch vnd werm in in einem
hafen vnd mit einem holczlein rur es durh-Þ
einander vnd behallt der mandel milich kalt
vnd geuss darauf mit zuker gemischt.

To make a curd cheese out of almonds

Take almonds, as much as you want and well ground, pass them through a cloth 
and warm them in a pot, stirring with a stick. Keep almond milk cold and pour 
it onto them mixed with sugar.

<<41>>
Ein igel von mandel
Wirf mandel gar wol gestossen in einen rainen
hafen und rurs wol mit einem chlainen holcz-Þ
lein. Schucz dann auf ein tuch, das es enpar
lig vnd las in seichen, das er truken werd vnd
besä es dann mit zuker vnd nim
dann dy virtailten mandel, das dy rot sein
mit saffran, vnd bestoss dann damit als einen
igel vnd gews dann daran ein dike mandel
milich vnd tues auf ein schüssel.

An almond hedgehog

Throw well ground almonds into a clean pot (with some liquid in it, I assume) 
and stir it well with a small stick. Then pour it out onto a cloth so that it 
lies /enpar/ (together?) and let it drain until it becomes dry. Strew it with 
sugar and take quartererd almonds that are colored red, and stick it with 
them like (the spines of) a hedgehog. Pour thick almond milk over it and 
serve it on a platter.

<<42>>
Ein chäs von mandel 
Well ein mandel milich in einem pfändel mit
einem wurczigen wein, vncz das es gerinn 
vnd das der wein süß sey, vnd schucz auf ein
tuch vnd tue ein strablein darunder vnd
lass seichen, das es truken werd, vnd tus dann
in ein chäs char etc.

A cheese of almonds

Boil almond milk in a small pan with spiced wine until it curdles - the wine 
must be sweet - and pour it onto a cloth, add a /strablein/ (stäublein = 
spices?) and leave it to drain until it is dry. Place it in a cheese /char/ 
(container).


THis one is easy and colourful, and can bew made in advance. KÖnigsberg MS:

[[17]] Wilthu machenn ein Sulzenn, die dreyerley Gestaltt hatt:
so nim Haueßenn plossenn die verseudtt inn Wasser schonn und nyme
dan dicke Mandell und Petersiligenn und hacke den gar klein un(d) reib
in ein Scherbenn der Mandell Milch und thu dan denn Trithell der Milch
doruntter und zuckers den woll abe, das wirdt ein grüne Varbe und
nyme dan disse zwey Theill (und) seudt inne einer Pffanenn und zucker
es auch abe und loß es sidenn und geueß ein Theill alls weiß uff ein
Pffenlein und mach dann das drytthell gell gleich und geuß und geueß (!)
daß auch uff ein Pffendleinn und laß es dann stenn und seudt und
seudt (!) dann die grin Varbe auch in einer Pffanenn und geuß dann
alls uff ein Pffanenn. also hastu dreuerley Varbe und las eß stein, biß
es hertt wirtt und habe es denne uber das Feuer und zuck es baldt
herabe und sch(l)ag es denn uff ein Panck und schneidt eß dann schagzaglett 
(?)
und leg es denn uff ein Schussell, ein weill weiß, ein weill
gell, einn grine biß die Schüssell vol(l) wyrtt und versalcz nicht.

If you want to make a jelly of three kinds
Take isinglass and boil it in water. Then take a lot of (ground) almond and 
parsley chopped small, grind the almond milk into a plate, add a third of the 
milk and sugar it well. That will be green. Then take these (other?) two 
parts and boil them in a pan, sugar them, let them boil and pour off one part 
of it onto a pannikin as white. Make the third part yellow and pour and pour 
(repeated) that into a pannikin, too. Boil and boil (repeated) the green 
color in a pan, too, and pour all of it into a pan. Thus you have three 
colors. Let it stand until it hardens, then lift it over the fire, pull it 
off again quickly and turn it out onto a board. Cut it /schagzaglet/ 
(chequered i.e. 'like a chessboard'?) and put it into a bowl, once white, 
then yellow, then green, until it is full. Do not oversalt.

Meister Hans also hasd a recipe for multicoloured almond layercake that kids 
love, and pressed dried apples with honey to die for. 


This one is delicious, and really looks like sausages at first glance 
(Königsberg MS)

[[22]] Wilthu Prottwirst inn der Fastenn machenn:
so nim gutt Veigenn und überseydt die und stoß die clein und soltst
sie auch vor clein hackenn und leg sye uff ein Prett und nim geriben
Leckogen darunder und welths als langh, als ein Brottwurst ist und
mach ein dickenn Strawbentagk vonn Wein und zeich die Wirst der
dirch und packs dann schonn. gib ein Zucker darzu.

If you want to make breaded sausages during Lent
Take good figs and blanch them, cut them small and grind them up. Place the 
mass on a board, add ground gingerbread (/Lebkuchen/) and roll it out as long 
as a breaded sausage. Make a thick batter with wine, dip the sausage in it 
and bake it. Serve with sugar.


> I would like to do a subtlety, preferably
> as a surprise for the man- he's a good guy, and considering he's been
> almost starving these last few years, and one of his first thoughts was to
> share the bounty with his friends, I want to make it as special as
> possible.

There is a recipe for fire-breathing pig's head in Meister Hans if you're 
feeling very sadventurous :-)

Or a trout in jelly, fixed in a birdcage? Or fish in clear jelly on a bed of 
jelled saffron broth 'swimming in a sandy brook'?

Or make a thick, white almond milk with butter-fried chopped apple pieces and 
serve it with coarse ground sugar and honey-nut cake as 'black bread with 
lard, fried onions and salt' (In Germany, this is still a fairly common snack 
food and I had good success putting it out on a dessert table once - rather 
surprised looks) THis one I have no period reference for, though. 


> And, I need recipes for small beer and a quick mead. Because of the Amish,
> we want to avoid mose than minimal alcohol, although Terry's quite willing
> to compromise to make things more accurately period. I also need a recipe
> or two for a period, completely non-alcoholic beverage, that would
> conceivably served in Germany.

I have a cherry 'syrup' drink from north Germany, but the instructions end 
saying it should be mixed with beer or mead. Generally, though, I suspect 
that the common references to 'dranc' are as likely non-alcoholic as 
alcoholic. 

How far into late period are you willing to go? i have a file full of 16th 
century German cakes, pies, sweet pastries, marzipans and cookies, but 
they're all late. 

If you're interested, mail me privately - I also have my ongoing Low German 
cookbook translation project that I can't pass over the list on account of 
coypright. there may be things in there to interest you. 

Have fun

Giano


	

	
		
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