[Sca-cooks] OOP - Food for a 19th Century Parisian Courtesan

[V O]

Hummmmm?  When did sea-moss become a "norm for blanc-mange?  Here is one from 
1904 a publication from gold medal flour, and no longer in the "sick" catagory 
of foods.  


Blanc-mange

One half cup Irish moss.  Wash in teped water, pick over and put into a double 
boiler with one quart of milk.  Boil until it thickens when dropped on a cold 
plate.  Add one-half salt-spoon salt, strain, not allowing bits of moss to pass, 
add flavoring and turn into a mould that has been wet with cold water.  Sea-moss 
farina may be used-one level teaspoon to a quart of milk.  Heat slowly and stir 
often.  


So from the 1891 (which was origionaly published in 1874) cookbook to the 1904 
one it went from an invalid food to a normal recipe to put in a thing like an 
product advertising cookbook phamplet.  Very wierd.......  


It is kind of interesting to see how much the recipe changed over the many, many 
years (centuries) of this recipe name.  


Is the sea-moss a coagulant/thickner?   I know there is a sea-weed that is used 
in a lot of things like dog food, carnageehan or something like that (I know 
that is spelled wrong) could that be what they are talking about?  


Mirianna



----- Original Message ----
From: V O <voztemp at yahoo.com>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Tue, February 1, 2011 3:00:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP - Food for a 19th Century Parisian Courtesan

Ok, here is a good one from a 1891 book.  

Sea-Moss Blanc-Mange
Wash the moss well, and soak it for half an hour or more in a little cold 
water.  To half an ounce or a handful of moss allow one quart of water, or 
rather of rich milk, if the patient can take milk.  When the water or milk is 
boiling, add the soaked sea-moss, and sugar to taste.  Let them simmer until the 

moss is entirely dissolved.  Strain the juice into cups or little molds.  Many 
boil a stick of cinnamon with the water or milk, and flavor also with wine; but 
the simple flavor of the sea-moss is very pleasant.  It may be served with a 
little cream and sugar poured over it.