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NP-Italian-fst-art - 2/1/05

 

An Italian feast done by Bear for Namron Protectorate XXVIII.

 

NOTE: See also the files: Italy-msg, feasts-msg, fd-Italy-msg, p-Italy-food-bib, books-food-msg, salads-msg, bread-msg, breadmaking-msg, bread-for-fsts-msg, fish-msg.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

 

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                          Stefan at florilegium.org

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Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2004 08:56:17 -0500

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Protectorate Feast-Part I

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

As Bear promised:

 

The Protectorate XXVIII Feast was planned for 272 people, 228 paying and 48

comps. Unfortunately we came nowhere near this. Known World Academy of the

Rapier in the southern half of the kingdom drew most of our light weapons

crowd. Limited advertising and threats of extreme weather added to the

problem. Overall attendance was 100-150 people below previous years.

 

My usual habit of purchasing over time to get the best prices did not

happen, due to a late authorization of expenditures and my travels. Most of

the purchasing was done in the two days before the event. Some purchasing

decisions (having to go with smoked ham rather than airor salt cured) cut

expenses, which was a fortunate considering the decline in attendance. The

forty pounds each of ham and chicken thighs unused will be frozen for use at

a local event.

 

We had no accurate count of paid feasts until the gate closed. Based on the

count at around 2pm, I shifted to preparing only for 160. At the final

tally, I had 141 paid and 17 comps. My break even was between 138 and 139

paid. This is the closest I have come to going in the red on a feast since

my first one, where the total profit from the feast was $1.86.

 

Friday, I baked the bread, made the stock, and began preparing the apples

with the assistance of some local members who had a few minutes each to

spend working with me. The feast prep was done with a pick u crew that

floated in and out. I truly appreciate these people for we had dinner

prepared to go by 4:30 in the afternoon with a 6 pm start. Feast was delayed

by court being held in the hall, but we got rolling at 6:20, so the food

wasn't damaged by the delay.

 

There were problems with the bread. The yeast was more active than normal,

giving a faster rise and forming gas bubbles under the crust which later

collapsed giving some of the loaves a wrinkled apple look. There was also a

problem with under salting in one of the batches. It was irritating to me,

but I doubt any of the people eating noticed.

 

There were some problems with the new table layout and the servers, but we

muddled through. Everyone was properly stuffed and the only real  

complaint that reached me was about a just turned 21 server who had a little each time she passed the brewer's serving station.

 

The menu for the feast was:

 

The First Course

Carbonata

Roasted Onion Salad

Apple Sauce

 

The Second Course

Zanzarelli

 

The Third Curse

Limonia

Brodo of Fish

Kidney Beans

Peas with Salt Pork

Bread

 

The Final Course

Baked Cheese Bread

 

All recipes are from Italian sources, most filtered through Redon et al, The

Medieval Kitchen, and Scully, The Neapolitan Cookbook. The exception is the

apple sauce recipe taken from Chiquart's Fait du cusine which comes from

Savoy, an independent duchy with ties to France and Italy. The adaptations of

the recipes are mine. Modifications were made to some of the recipes for the

feast.

 

I did use fresh spices for all of this. The ginger was commercial rather

than fresh from the spicer and I had to double quantities of it to match the

power of the other spices.

 

 

Carbonata

 

Per fare carbonata

 

Togli la carnat salata che vergellata di grasso e magro enseme, et tagglia

in fetta, et ponile accocere ne la padella et non le lassare troppo cosere.

Dapoi mittele in un piatello et gettavi sopra un pocho, di succharo, un

pocho di cannelia, et un pocho di petrosillo tagliato menuto. Et  

similmentepoi fare di summata o prosutto, giongendoli in scambio d'aceto del sucho d'aranci, o limoni, quel che piu ti placesse, et farratte meglio beverre.

 

To make carbonata, take salt meat layered with lean and fat, and cut it in

slices, and put it in a pa to cook; do not let it overcook. Then put it on

a plate and sprinkle it with a little sugar, a little cinnamon, and a little

finely chopped parsley. And you can do the same to prepare salt pork or ham,

using orange or lemon juice in place of vinega, whichever you prefer; it

will make you drink all the better.

 

Martino, Maestro, Libro de arte coquinaria

 

8 thin slices of ham (air or salt cured for preference)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley

3 Tablespons wine vinegar, bitter orange juice or lemon juice

 

Lightly brown the meat in an ungreased skillet and transfer to a  

platter.

Sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and vinegar or juice over the meat or

Stir the spices and vinegar or juice together in the skilet and pour over

the meat.

Sprinkle parsley on the meat.

 

Serves eight.

 

 

For the feast, I had to use a regular smoked ham rather than salt or air

cured. I got spiral cut and sliced the meat from the bone hoping to save

time. Next time, I will probably use whole hams, bone them and slice them

with a commercial slicer.

 

As I was using a grill, I created the sauce in a small sauce pan from

oranges. The sauce is thin, but the meat does not need to drenched to

brighten the flavor. This was one of the thee dishes which received the

most comment.

 

Roasted Onion Salad

 

De la insaleggiata di cipolle

 

Togli cipolle; cuocile sotto la bragia, e poi le mande, et tagliale per

traverso longhetta et sottili; mettili alquanto diaceto, sale, oglio, e

spezie, e da  mangiare.

 

Of onion salad. Take onions; cook them in the embers, then peel them and cut

them across into longish, thin slices; add a little vinegar, salt, oil, and

spices, and serve.

 

Libro della cucina del secolo XIV

 

2 lbs of sweet onions

olive oil

wine vinegar

salt

pepper

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

 

For ease of preparation and clean up, wrap the onions individually in

aluminum foil.

Roast the onions for about 1 hour in coals or a 500 degree F oven. Remove

and cool.

The onion skins should be blackened and carmelized

Trim the top from the onion and pull the outer layer to the root end to

provide a hand grip.

Cut the onion longitudinally from near the root to the top.

Sever the onion strips near the rot end and place in a bowl.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices.

Add a small amount of oil and vinegar to taste.

 

Toss and serve. Serves eight.

 

For large scale serving, make a vinegarette to taste of the oil, vinegar,

salt, pepper and spices.

 

 

Apple Sauce

 

Emplumeus de pomes

 

Por donner entendement a celluy qui le fera sy prennes de bonnes pomes

barberines selon le quantite que l'on en vouidra faire et puis les pares

bien et appoint et les tailles en beaulx platz d'or ou d'argent; et qu'il

hait ug beau pot de terre bon et nect, et y mecte de belle eaue necte et

mecte bouillir sur brase belle et clere et mecte bouillir ses pomes dedans.

Et face qu'il ait de bonnes amendres doulces grant quantite selon la

quantite des pomes qu'il ha mis cuire, t les plume, nectoie et lava

tresbien et mectes broyer au mortier qui ne sante point les aulx, et si les

broie tresbien et les arouse du boullon en quoy cuisent lesdictes pomes, et

quant ledictes pomes seront asses cuictes si les tires dehors sur bell et

necte postz, et de celle eaue colle ses amendres et eb face lait qui soit

bon et espes, et le remecte boullir sur brase clere et necte san fumee, et

bien petit de sol. Et entretant que il bouldra si hache bien menut ses

dictes pomes a ung petit t nect coutel et puis, estre hachies, si les mecte

dedans son lait, et y mecte du succre grant foison selon ce que il y a

desditz emplumeus de pomes; et puis, quant le medicin le demandera, si le

mectes en belles escuelles ou casses d'or ou d'argent.

 

Apple sauce. To explain it to whoever should make it, he should take good

barberine apples depending on the quantity to be prepared. Then he should

peel them carefully and cut them into pieces into fine gold or silver

platters. He should take a goodearthenware pot, very clean, and boil some

pure water over good bright coals, then add the apples. He must also have

good sweet almonds, in large quantity depending on the apples to be cooked;

he should skin them and wash them well, then crush them n a mortar that has

no garlic odor; when they are well crushed, he should moisten them with the

liquid in which the apples are cooking, and when the apples are sufficiently

cooked he should remove them to a nice clean surface, and strain the almonds

with this water, making a good, thick milk, and return it to the boil over

bright, clean, smoke-free coals, with a tiny bit of salt. And while it is

boiling, he should chop the apples finely with a small, clean knife; when

they are chopped, he shold add them to the milk and add a great deal of

sugar, as required for this applesauce; then, when the physician calls for

it, he should serve it in fine bowls or dishes made of gold or silver.

 

Maitre Chiquart, Fait du cusine

 

1 1/2 lbs of cooking appls

1 1/2 quarts of water

1 cup almonds

almond extract

4 Tablespoons of sugar

 

Pour boiling water on the almonds. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove the

almond skins.

Peel and core apples. Cut into eighths.

Bring the water to a boil in a non-reactive pa. Cook until very tender.

Remove the apples and reserve the water.

Crush the almonds to a mealy consistence, adding the reserved water to form

a thick liquid.

Strain the almond liquor through a fine cloth (muslin kitchen towel, three

or four layers f fine cheesecloth, etc.

Squeeze out as much of the almond milk as possible.

Chop the apples fine, but don't puree.

Bring the almond milk to a boil. Add the chopped apples and the sugar. Whisk

together gently and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add lmond extract to

taste.

 

Remove and cool. Serve cold.

 

Serves eight.

 

I didn't use bowls of gold or silver, but this came out well. I did use

Golden Delicious apples to keep them from turning mushy.

 

I used a food processor to chop the apples, pulsing the blade to try to get

bits of apple rather than puree. The almonds were blanched and slivered from

the store to save time and were also crushed in the food processor with some

of the apple water. I found one that the best results came from slowly

adding the water until the nuts and water became a creamy slurry without a

lot of splashing liquid. I added two teaspoons of almond extract to 30

pounds of apples.

 

This is the second dish that received much favorable comment.

 

 

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2004 08:57:24 -0500

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Protectorate Feast-Part II

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

 

Zanzarelli

 

Per fare zanzarelli

 

Per farne dece menestra; togli octo ova et mesa libra de caso grattugiato,

et un pane grattato, et mescola ogni cose inseme. Dapoi togli una pignatta

con brodo di carne giallo di safrano et ponila al focho; et como comincia a

bollire getta dentro quella matefa'le menestre, et mittivi del le spetie di

sopra.

 

To make zanzarelli. To make ten platefuls, take eight eggs, half a libra of

grated cheese, and breadcrumbs, and mix these things together. Then take a

pot of meat broth colored yellow with saffron and put it on the fire; and

when it begins to boil put in this mixture and stir with a spoon. And when

it seems to have thickened, then remove the pot from the fire and serve up,

then sprinkle with spices.

 

Martino, Maestro, Libro de arte coquinaria

 

20 ounces of broth or stock

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon of grated or shredded romano or parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon fine breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon each of black pepper, cinnamon and ginger, blended

2 threads of saffron (if desired)

 

Whisk the eggs in a bowl

Add the cheese and the breadcrumbs and whisk until evenly dispersed and the

mixture thickens.

Put the broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add the saffron, remove from the heat and let stand for a few minutes to

permit the saffron to color the broth.

Return the broth to the heat and bring to a second boil.

Add the egg mixture and whisk until the ingredients are blended into the

broth. Remove from heat.

Add the spice blend 1/4 teaspoon at a time, whisking them into the broth,

until the desired taste is reached.

 

Makes 3 cups of soup.

 

The recipe produces a rich soup similar to egg drop soup.

 

Adding more cheese and breadcrumbs will thicken the soup, This adaptation is

a little thin. The original recipe calls for about 6 ounces each of cheese

and bread for between a half gallon to a gallon of soup.

Spices should be added by taste, as fresh spices may require less than

specified in the recipe.

 

This was the third recipe that received the most favorable comment.

 

 

Limonia

 

De limonia

 

Ad limoniam faciendam, suffrigantur pulli cum lardo et cepis. Et amigdale

mundate terantur, distemperentur cum brodio carnis et colentur. Que

coquantur cum dictis pullis et speciebus. Et si non habentur amigdale,

spissetur brodium cum uitellis cuorum. Et si fuerit prope horum scutellandi,

pone ibi succum limonium uel limiarum uel citangulorum.

 

Limonia. To make limonia, fry chickens with fat and onions. And crush some

skinned almonds moistened with meat broth, and strain. Cook with the

chickens and spices. If you have no almonds, thicken the broth with egg

yolks. When the time to serve nears, add the juice of lemons, limes or

bitter oranges.

 

Liber de coquina

 

1 chicken cut into pieces or pieces of chicken for all at the table

1 cup almonds or two egg yolks

2 cups chicken broth

2 small onions sliced thin

3 Tablespoons olive oil or 2 ounces of salt pork

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon of cloves

1/4 teaspoon of ginger

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

juice of 1 lemon

 

Crush the almonds to a mealy consistence, adding hot broth to form a thick

liquid.

Strain the almond liquor through a fine cloth (muslin kitchen towel, three

or four layers of fine cheesecloth, etc.

Squeeze out as much of the almond milk as possible.

Heat a skillet and render the salt pork or use olive oil.

Remove the rendered fat.

Brown the onions and the chicken together.

Salt to taste and sprinkle with spices.

Add the almond milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30

to 40 minutes.

 

Add the lemon juice.

Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve.

 

Serves four to eight.

 

After browning the chicken in a skillet, these were panned and baked at 425

degrees F until done. The broth was thickened with egg yolks rather than

almonds.

 

 

Brodo of fish

 

Del brodo del pesce

 

Pesce ben lavato, quanto si conviene; friggilo con l'oglio abbundantemente,

poi lassa freddare; poi abbi cipolle tagliate per transverso; friggile con

oglio rimanente del pesce; poi prendi amandole monde, uva secca, tenula

secca a prugne, e friggi con le dette cipolle insieme, e leva via l'oglio

che avanza, e togli pepe e saffarano, e altre spezie elette, bene trite, e

distempera con le cipolle predette, e vino e aceto; e, distemperato

fortemente, metti a fuoco fino che bolla; poi levalo dal fuoco, e poni in

altro vaso, e mettilo ordinatamente a solaio col pesce predetto. E se 'l

volessi dolce, ponvi o vino cotto, o succaro competentemente.

 

Brodo of fish. Take as much well washed fish as you need; fry it in plenty

of oil, then let it cool, then take the onions sliced crosswise; fry them in

the oil left from the fish; then take skinned almonds, raisins, dried

elecampane, and prunes, and fry them together with the onions, and remove

the excess oil. Take pepper, saffron, and other selected spices,finely

pounded, and mix with the onions,and wine and vinegar; and when it is

thoroughly blended put it on the fire until it boils; then take it off the

fire, and put into another container; put it in alternating layers with the

fish. And if you like it sweet, add either boiled wine or sugar in the

appropriate quantity.

 

Libro della cucina secolo XIV

 

1 lb filet of whitefish

olive oil

1 small onion thinly sliced

1/4 cup blanched almonds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup prunes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

salt

1/4 cup sweet wine

2 Tablespoons wine vinegar

 

Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the fish filets. Remove skin before or

after frying.

Set the cooked filets aside to cool.

Add the onion slices to the skillet and saute until they just begin to

brown, then, stirring, add the almonds, raisins, prunes, spices and salt to

taste. Continuing to stir add the wine and vinegar. Simmer for ten to twenty

minutes. Be sure the mixture doesn't burn.

Layer the fish and the sauce into a serving dish. Serve cold or

lukewarm.

A sprinkle of sugar or some sweet wine can be added if a sweeter dish is

desired.

 

Serves four.

 

 

For large quantities, the sauce and fish will need to be prepared separately

and cutting the filets into smaller pieces may permit the dish to be spread

among more people.

 

The elecampane (Inula helenium) is not readily available and there is no

information about what part of the plant was used in cooking, although the

roots were used medicinally.

 

Only about 1/3 of the sauce needed got prepared and as a consequence, the

fish was dry. I used whiting to cut costs and the filets were breaking

apart, fortunately, I had planned to break the filets into pieces for ease

of service. I experimented with using a convection oven to cook the filets

in olive oil to speed the cooking. There was no appreciable taste

difference. Almond slivers were left off because of some known allergies

among the diners.

 

 

Kidney beans

 

Fasoli

 

Coce li fasoli in aqua pura ho in bono brodo, he quando serano cotti, tole

cipolle tagliate suttile he frigele in patella cum bono olio he mette de

sopra questa cipolle cum pipero he canella, he zaffrano; poi lassali

reposare sopra la cinere calda una pezo; et poi fa le menestre cun specie

bone de sopra.

 

Cook the kidney beans in pure water or good broth, when they are cooked, get

finely sliced onions and fry them in a pan with good oil and put these fried

onions on top along with pepper, cinnamon and saffron; then let this sit a

while on the hot coals; dish it up with good spices on top.

 

Cuoco Napoletano

 

10 oz dried blackeyed peas

olive oil

1 small onion thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 or 3 threads of saffron (if desired)

 

Wash the blackeyed peas thorougly and let soak for several hours or

overnight.

Drain.

Place the beans in a pot and cover with water. Add the salt.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Add the pepper, cinnamon and saffron.

In a skillet brown the onion.

Garnish the top of the blackeyed peas with the onion. Let simmer for 10 to

15 minutes longer.

Spice to taste and serve.

 

Serves eight.

 

In the context of a 15th Century Italian recipe, the legume in question is

the black-eyed pea rather than a modern kidney bean.

 

The spices were mixed and put in a shaker to sprinkle on the blackeyed peas.

Do a taste test to determine how much to put on. We didn't and the dish was

too bland.

 

 

Peas with salt pork

 

Piselli cum carne salada

 

Piglia piselli cum la scorza he falli dare uno bullore; he piglia carne

salata verzellata he tagliata in fette sotile longe mezo digito, he

frigele uno pocho; poi metta li diti piselli a frigere cum la dita carne he

meteli uno pocho de agresto, uno pocho de sabba he zucaro he canella. Cusi si

po fare cum li fasoli.

 

 

Get peas in the shell and bring them to a boil, get marbled salt pork and

cut it into slices half a finger long, and fry then a little; then set the

peas to fry with the pork; and add a little verjuice, a little must, sugar

and cinnamon. The same can be done with beans.

 

Cuoco Napoletano

 

1 lb fresh or frozen peas in the shell

1 oz salt pork

1 Tablespoon verjuice

1 Tablespoon must or grape juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a sauce pan.

Add the peas, cook until tender. Drain.

Slice the salt pork into strips about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Place salt pork in skillet and cook over low medium heat until

translucent.

Add the peas to the skillet and fry stirring occasionally until the salt

pork is brown.

Stir in the verjuice, must, sugar and cinnamon.

 

Remove and serve. Serves 4 to 8.

 

 

Baked Cheese Bread

 

Crostata de Caso et Pane

 

Piglia pane he getta via la crosta, he fa fette suttile he bruscule a lo

foco che siano colorite; dapoi inbratale cum butiro frsco, he ponerai de

sopra zucaro, canella; et poi habe fette de caso grasso he metelo sopra

questo pane cum de sopra ancora zucaro he canella; poi mette queste fette in

una padella de torta sopra le cinere cum lo coperto de sopra cum braxa; et

como lo caso sia squagilato, manda presto a tavola.

 

 

Get bread, remove the crust, slice it thin and toast it on the fire to color

it, then coat the slices with fresh butter and put sugar and cinnamon on

top, then get slices of creamy cheese and put them on the toast with sugar

and cinnamon on top; then put the slices into a torte pan and put this on

the coals with the lid on and coals on top; when the cheese has melted,

serve it quickly.

 

8 slices of white sandwich bread

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Whipped butter or margarine

Slices of cheese to cover the bread

 

Mix cinnamon and sugar in a clean salt or pepper shaker.

Toast the slices of bread and trim the crust.

Butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Place the slices of bread on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

Top the buttered bread with the slices of cheese.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Place the pan in a 300 degree F oven until the cheese begins to melt.

Remove and serve.

 

Serves eight.

 

With the fresh spices, we wound up using 4T sugar to 1T cinnamon. The bread

needs to be a little stale to make good crisp toast. The cheese slices need

to be sliced a thicker than deli slices. Try making a slice of cinnamon

toast to taste to find out how heavy to spice the toast.

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
All other copyrights are property of the original article and message authors.

Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org