[Sca-cooks] barded or marble meat in the 13th century

[Elise Fleming]

Galefridus wrote:

 >BTW, the Arabic title of the recipe doesn't translate to "Dish of Meat
 >with Cauliflower." It translates to "Dish of Meat with White Lead." 
 >The last word of the recipe is ??????? (isfidaj), which Lane's Lexicon
 >defines as white lead. It is also listed as such in Avicenna, who
 >describes its uses and effects in detail.

Given the Spanish translation by Huici Miranda, "white lead" makes no 
sense. The last words don't even come near something like that. I 
wouldn't expect Perry to mistake "white lead" and write "if God wills" 
or "season it with chopped cilantro" instead of "white lead". I wonder 
if, during the 13th C in Spain, the Arabic word had other meanings 
beside what Lane suggests. And, in Avicenna, he wasn't talking about 
cookery, was he? Couldn't the Arabic "isfidaj" have more than one meaning?

Perhaps His Grace Cariadoc could contact Charles Perry...?

Alys K.
-- 
Elise Fleming
alyskatharine at gmail.com
http://damealys.medievalcookery.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8311418@N08/sets/