[Sca-cooks] Sent Sovi and A&S - advice needed

[emilio szabo]

<< If Spanish background sources are unavailable in English, would you find
roughly contemporary French and Italian sources acceptable for
documenting ingredients in a Spanish book? >>


As a rule, I'd say "no", unless you can show, that the French or Italian source in question is indeed relevant. However, in order to show that, you will need the kind of independent first hand, i.e. Spanish, evidence you don't have at hand in English translation.


In addition, I wonder if it might be worth the while to consider 14th/15th century historical units more strictly.


In a sense, the Libre de Sent Sovi is not a "Spanish" source, rather it is "el més antic text català que coneixem sobre cuina" (Rudolf Grewe's words): the oldest catalan text we know of on the art of cooking.


If I remember correctly, the "Neapolitan Recipe Collection", edited and translated into English by Terence Scully, shows some close relationship to Sent Sovi. 


E.