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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    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>