[Sca-cooks] The Eminent Maestro Martino of Como

[Wanda Pease]

> >
> It is!  The editor, Prof. Ballerini, spoke before the Culinary
> Historians of Southern California a couple of year ago or so, and was
> delighted to hear about people who actually wanted it as a COOKBOOK
> rather than an historical study.  He wants us to do the thing with a
> peacock served in its skin... um, I'm not sure I want to risk that, and
> besides, peacocks are protected in L.A. County.

Bad influencers all of you!

I wonder about the dangers of putting a cooked bird (swan or peacock) back
into its skin.  I've been at a feast where it was done and no one became
ill.  It seems to be a very common item in feast descriptions and you would
think they would quietly lose the idea if it contributed to the overflow of
the area latrines.  Birds seem to be one of the few things that are
mentioned as being "re-dressed" aren't they.  Their plumed skins wouldn't be
much tastier than deer or boar hide and I don't seem to remember them being
brought out except in the Boars Head.

Would rubbing the skin with something like pepper or vinegar help retard
bacterial growth until you had paraded it around and taken it for whacking
into gobbets?

Regina/Wanda