[Sca-cooks] Musk seed addendum Re: Flour question

[David Friedman]

The ambrette seeds arrived. They don't seem to 
have much taste, which makes me wonder if I 
should be looking for something else.

>Out of stock. I've ordered some from:
>
>http://www.herbsandmeds.com/
>
>>Here is the website I found:
>>
>>http://www.somaluna.com/product.asp?p=134
>>
>>They are in Bloomington, Indiana, so it shouldn't take long to received.
>>
>>Huette
>>
>>--- On Sun, 1/16/11, Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
>>Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Flour question
>>To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
>>Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 3:22 PM
>>
>>
>>I think that this recipe sounds delightful, 
>>even without the musk.  Before I would ever try 
>>using musk or camphor, I would try it out in a 
>>small batch with only a select few to taste.  I 
>>am not sure what musk would taste like, but 
>>from the camphor cough drops that I tried years 
>>ago, it is a pretty strong flavor, which modern 
>>Americans might not like.
>>
>>But rather than using coriander as the 
>>aromatic, IMHO, I would rather try cardamom, 
>>which was popular in period both in Europe and 
>>the Middle East.  It can also be found 
>>commercially in a very fine powdered form.
>>
>>I just looked up 'musk' in the Oxford Companion to Food which says this:
>>
>>"In appropriately discreet quantity or diluted 
>>form, musk was formerly used in the kitchen 
>>with rose-water to flavour such things as pies 
>>but this practice seems to have died out."
>>
>>The OCF goes on to say, "Smell-alikes in the 
>>plant world often have common names 
>>incorporating 'musk' or 'musky'.  The musk 
>>melon is one example; and there are also the 
>>musk cucumber and musk lime.  The musk mallow, 
>>'Abelmoschus moschatus' is a different matter, 
>>in that its seeds provide a musky spice 
>>(French, ambrette) sometimes used to flavour 
>>coffee."
>>
>>I have looked up ambrette or muskdana and found 
>>a site that sold the seeds for $7.00 an ounce 
>>that were food grade seeds.  It is another idea.
>>
>>Huette
>>
>>
>>--- On Sun, 1/16/11, Elaine Koogler <kiridono at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>  From: Elaine Koogler <kiridono at gmail.com>
>>>  Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Flour question
>>>  To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
>>>  Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 12:58 PM
>>>  Thanks to everyone.  I'm
>>>  probably going to go ahead and use all purpose
>>>  flour, though I may try a test batch with 
>>>cake flour.  And I think I'm going
>>>  to take Bear's suggestion and use the coriander as my
>>>  aromatic.  Given the
>>>  ingredients in the cookies, I think that would very
>>>  compatible!
>>>
>>>  When I get the menu nailed down, I'll post it for all to
>>>  see. (And yes, I'm
>>>  going to probably do one of the banana dishes!)
>>>
>>>  Kiri
>>>
>>>  On Sun, Jan 16, 2011 at 3:05 PM, Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
>>>  wrote:
>>>
>>>  > Had a bit of time finally today so I pulled out my
>>>  copy of Annals of the
>>>  > Caliphs' Kitchens to look at the cookies that Kiri is
>>>  talking about.
>>>  > Page 426 for those that care. I note Nawal mentions in
>>>  a footnote,  "The
>>>  > cookies described here are similar to today's
>>>  traditional Iraqi stuffed
>>>  > cookies klecha, made using similar carved wooden molds
>>>  (qalab)."
>>>  >
>>>  > Klecha or kleicha recipes seem to use All Purpose
>>>  Flour. She gives detailed
>>>  > instructions in her 2003 cookbook Delights from the
>>>  Gardens of Eden. There's
>>>  > an entire chapter on their history and the
>>>  variations.
>>>  >
>>>  > Johnnae
>>>  >
>>>  >
>>>  >
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  --
>>>  "It is only with the heart that one can see clearly; what
>>>  is essential is
>>>  invisible to the eye."
>>>  --Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
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>>
>>
>>
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>--
>David/Cariadoc
>www.daviddfriedman.com
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David Friedman
www.daviddfriedman.com
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