[Sca-cooks] Medieval thinking

[Saint Phlip]

While much of what we do as Medieval cooks is use Medieval ingredients, to
the best of our ability, in Medieval recipes, one thing we often neglect is
trying to THINK like a Medieval person. After all, to them, they were
participants in assorted living breathing Medieval (to them, MODERN)
cultures, and as such, applied what they knew, including their standard
recipes and humoral theories, to any new thing they encountered.

On the other hand, we moderns are trying to apply our often limited
knowledge of Medieval techniques to these Medieval foodstuffs (to us, Dead
cultures).

How about, as an exercise in opening our minds to greater understanding of
Medieval ways, if we attempt the following:

I found the following web page which enumerates a number of invasive, but
edible species here in the US. Why don't we try, as an experiment, to USE
these somewhat unfamiliar species as we think they might have been used in
period, had our Medieval progenitors encountered them? We can assign them
humoral characteristics, etc, and they won't be so familiar that we do
same-old, same-old with them, AND, we will gain hunter gatherer skills,
like Medieval folks, if we try to use them, as well as helping remove these
unwanted species from our ecosystem.

For our non- NA list members, I'm betting you guys could do the same,
looking for edible incvasive species in your areas, although you'll have to
forgive me for not having a clue as to what they might be ;-)

http://www.takepart.com/photos/invasive-species-you-should-eat/a-danger-to-local-ecosystems

-- 
Saint Phlip

So, you think your data is safe?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/23/schneier.google.hacking/index.html?hpt=T2

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

.I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary notices I
have read with pleasure. -Clarence Darrow