[Sca-cooks] The purpose of SCA-Cooks from Isabella de la Gryffin and a Culinary Question

[Stefan li Rous]

Lady Isabella de la Gryffin asked:

First, welcome to the SCA-Cooks list!

<<< Could anyone recommend some good sources for period  
confectionary? >>>

Probably.

<<< I'm
willing to start with marzipan, but I'd like to move past that. >>>

In general, I'm going to recommend taking a look at the files in the  
FOOD-SWEETS-DECORATED section of the Florilegium. I know your SO  
knows of the site. :-) But the address is also given in my sig. line  
below.

marzipan-msg      (85K)  6/18/04    Use of marzipan (almond paste) in  
sotelties.
    (uh oh. The file description is gone from the index file. I will  
see about fixing this. In the meantime, try:
About-Marzipn-art (16K)  1/19/06    "About Marzipan" by Dame Alys  
Katharine.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/About-Marzipn-art.html

Much of the info in this file comes from Olwen the Odd, who recently  
rejoined this list, so you can probably get any additional questions  
you have answered here as well.

<<< And, is cane sugar period? >>>

Well, for when and where in period? But yes it was. Until late in  
period or post=period it was still relatively expensive, though. Beet  
sugar is not. The processing for it was invented in the late 18th  
century and further developed by the French in the early 19th century  
when the British blockaded them, preventing cane sugar from getting  
to France.
sugar-msg        (148K) 11/26/06    Sugar and other medieval sweeteners.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/sugar-msg.html
You might also find this file of interest:
Cypriot-Sugr-art  (54K)  8/ 5/06    “From Cane To Kitchen: An  
Investigation into
                                        Medieval Processed Sugar” by  
Gavan
                                        MacBane. Sugar processing in  
Cyprus.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/Cypriot-Sugr-art.html

<<< I finally found some of the Badia cone sugar in our Publix in
town, based on the fact that you can also find this stuff in Jas  
Townsend I
suspect it's pretty close to what may have been used in our period. >>>

This file talks about the types of sugar available today and how they  
compare to period sugar, including the sugar cones of which you speak.
sugar-sources-msg (16K)  6/13/01    Modern sugar sources. Sugar types.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/sugar-sources-msg.html

Well, here are a few more suggested files, that are in that same  
section:
14C-Sweets-art    (17K)  9/14/00    "Sweets and Treats of the 14C"
                                        by Lady Hauviette d'Anjou.
3-Span-Sweets-art (13K)  4/26/01    Three Spanish sweet dishes from  
de Nola by
                                        Vicente.
Roses-a-Sugar-art (21K)  7/15/98    "Divers Pretty Things Made Of  
Roses & Sugar"
                                        by Mistress Renata Kestryl of  
Highwynds.
Sgr-a-Cnftns-art  (20K) 12/26/00    "Of Sugar and Confections" by Alys
                                        Katharine, O.L., O.P. (Elise  
Fleming).
Smooth-Cmfits-art (12K)  5/30/07    "Historic Comfits Using Modern  
Equipment" by
                                        Dame Alys Katharine, O.L., O.P.
Bakng-w-Sugar-art (76K) 10/21/06    “Baking with Sugar in Renaissance  
Germany”
                                        by Lord Giano Balestriere.
Sugar-Paste-art   (20K)  8/23/06    "Sugar Paste: A Cook's ‘Play  
Dough’" by Dame
                                        Alys Katharine, O.L., O.P.
Sugarplat-Adv-art (14K) 11/15/05    “Adventures with Sugar Plate” by  
Count
                                        Gunthar.
Sugarplums-art    (19K)  7/15/98    "Visions of Sugarplums" by Mistress
                                        Renata Kestryl of Highwynds.
candied-fruit-msg (34K)  2/ 2/07    Period candied fruit. Recipes.
candied-peels-art (16K)  3/21/06    "Candied Fruit Peel" by Dame Alys  
Katharine.
candied-peels-msg (58K)  2/ 2/07    Candied fruit peels. A late  
period treat.

And, after you've been here a while you might even find some of these  
author's names to be familiar. :-)

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****