[Sca-cooks] Medieval questioniare - tablecothes, buffets and tisane

[Suey]

Many thanks Saint Philip for providing the coquinaria address which I 
copied and pasted, took the test and according to them I flunked the 
tablecloth and the buffet questions but I totally disagree.
1. The tablecloth first introduced in Europe was by Ziryab, the Kurd, 
founder of the first conservatory of music which was in Cordoba. His 
tablecloth was leather. The surnape did not exist then on the 9th C. 
Muslim Hispanos were instructed to clean their knives and hands on the 
flatbread provided. Spaniards did not have trenchers. Yes, Rickert, 
Edith. _The Babees’ Book Medieval Manners for the Young: Done into 
Modern English from Dr. Furnivall’s text_, New York, Cooper Square, 
Publishers, Inc., New York, 1966 states:
p xxxi a young nobleman was instructed not to wipe his nose on the 
tablecloth.
p 6 says to wipe your mouth with a cloth not the tablecloth so as not to 
dirty the drinking cup.
p 14 repeats the above in poetry.
p 59 "Ye do not right to soil your table, nor to wipe your knives on 
that, but on your napkin."
p 136 repeat: "Wipe thy mouth when thou shalt drink ale or wine
"On thy napkin only; and see all things be clean.

"Wipe thy mouth when thou shalt drink ale or wine

"On thy napkin only; and see all things be clean."
p 152: "

"Having a napkin

thereon them to wipe;

Thy mouth therewith

clean do thou make, . . "
p 164 again nose - handkerchief.

2. Buffet/banquet - sideboard. We know from Richard Neville, our 
charming host and prime minister of Edward IV that, a sideboard was a 
snackbar between between meals with cheeses and coldcuts for travelers 
who arrived after long journeys to refresh themselves or for family and 
guests in the manor or townhouse wishing a snack between meals. During 
banquets it was used for items servants needed to serve tables such as 
surnapes, salt etc and a place for carving meats.
Conclusion: our answers were correct "coquinaria" flunked on those two 
questions.
3. Where does tisane enter this debate?
I wrote:

>> > Tisane is barley water, gruel. It has nothing to do with tea. . .  tisane (infusion),
>>     
St. Philip replied:
> Suey, please look in the dictionary and look up "infusion". ptisan, 
> barley water or gruel. 
Ok I know what infusion means. Did look it up just in case. Don't see 
your point. What is it? What is your definition of tisane?
Suey