[Sca-cooks] sops and sippets

[Stefan li Rous]

Adamantius said:
<<< The other question to be addressed is whether our target audience  
ate much toasted bread that wasn't sops, and whether this was  
considered healthy, or even if everybody concerned could chew it.

I mean, the recipes from the sixteenth and seventeenth century that go  
into detail as to how sops are prepared and slowly moistened, seem to  
suggest that sops are pretty well puffed up and jellylike by the time  
they're served. You have to wonder whether this could be accomplished  
by the kind of over-reduced pottage being spoken of. >>>

I have a small file on sops from previous discussions:
sops-msg          (34K)  7/ 4/06  Slices of bread soaked in a sauce.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-BREADS/sops-msg.html

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any original recipes in there.  
What are some of the recipes you are referring to, Adamantius?

The redactions I do have pretty much say to put the bread in the  
bottom of the bowl and pour the soup or the soup/wine mixture over it.  
I don't see time for it to get "well puffed up and jellylike". There  
is a quote from you (Adamantius) in the file of "I think the adjective  
we need for sops is "fluffy"..." but I don't seem to having anything  
about why you say this.

There is also a comment in there that seems to talk about toasted  
bread being used this way as "sippets" rather than "sops".

To me right now, the idea of pouring the soup or soup/wine combination  
over wonder-bread type bread sounds doughy and disgusting, but it you  
used a whole wheat or other bread it might not be too bad. But then I  
do have teeth or better than period replacements.

Have folks served sops or sippets as part of feasts? How did it go over?

Thanks,
   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 ****