Topkapi-Serai-art - 9/18/08
An 16th Century Ottoman feast done by Urtatim for the Principality of the Mists Fall Investiture in 2007.
NOTE: See also the files: ME-Refrsh-Tbl-art, ME-feasts-msg, fd-Turkey-msg, ME-revel-fds-art, fd-Morocco-msg, Turkey-msg, Islamic-bib, dates-msg, figs-msg.
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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
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Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:40:57 -0700
From: Lilinah <lilinah at earthlink.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Dinner in the Topkapi Serai
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Last night I - with the help of three other cooks - prepared a feast
for Mists Fall Investiture. It was a meal of dishes from the late
15th C. Ottoman cookbook written by Shirvani, as well as a few
recipes I reconstructed - dishes featured in late 15th and in 16th C.
menus, and some described by Europeans who ate in the Topkapi.
I had intended to do some prep work a few weeks ago, but had a bout
of... mmm... intestinal distress... and I did not want to be handling
ground meat that I would be serving to others.
Therefore, we started at a disadvantage, spending several hours
making things I'd meant to make in advance.
We did manage to get the feast out pretty much on time - the first
dishes went out about 10 or 15 minutes late. And there were some
server issues in the second course that delayed the service of food
that was just sitting there waiting to be served.
Additionally, the weather turned pretty bad yesterday, so while about
72 tickets had been pre-sold (that limit was 60, but I approved an
additional 66, plus the High Table), we only served about 48 diners
plus High Table, which meant I had a lot of extra food.
However, despite these disadvantages I got the impression the feast
was well received.
One of the dishes called for gourds, and I used a type of Old World
gourd. It had an Asian name in the market - opo - but it looked just
like the gourds in the pictures in the Tacuinum Sanitatis. They were
a medium-light green with a smooth surface and of varying shapes.
None of us had eaten one before. So we passed around little sliced of
the raw vegetable. It was clearly related to cucumbers, but not wet
like them, and with a milder flavor.
I purchased all the lamb and chicken from a local halal butcher.
Here's the menu - some dishes may seem familiar because of
discussions on this list:
A 16th Century Dinner in the Topkapi Serai
---== FIRST COURSE ==---
Terbiyeli Tavuk Chorbasi (Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup)
Organic chicken broth, wheat pasta (orzo), organic lemon juice, eggs,
salt.
-- in feast menus throughout the 16th C
-- reconstructed based on descriptions
Kadin Tuzlugu Chorbasi (Sweet-and-Sour Meatball and Fruit Soup)
Lamb, honey, onions, apples, almonds, grapes, apricots, barberries,
salt, cloves, rosewater
-- served in the feasts of the circumcision ceremonies of 1539
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
Manti (Meat-filled Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce)
Filling: Lamb, chickpeas, wine vinegar, cinnamon, salt, pepper;
Purchased Wonton wrappers: wheat flour, egg, salt;
Sauce: yogurt, sumac, garlic
-- served to Mehmed II in 1469 and in the palace in autumn in the 16th C
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
---== SECOND COURSE ==---
Bread - wheat flour,
Cucumber Pickle - Cucumbers, wine vinegar, salt
-- mentioned in feast menus
Rose Jam - Rose petals, water, sugar
-- mentioned in feast menus
Bulghur with Chestnuts
Bulghur wheat, onions, chestnuts, vegetable broth, butter, salt,
pepper, ginger
-- served to Sultan Mehmed II in 1469 and in the palace in the 16th C.
-- reconstructed based on descriptions
Four Colors of Rice
All: rice, butter; Yellow - saffron; Green - spinach; Red -
pomegranate molasses & pekmez (grape molasses)
-- mentioned in 16th C feast menus along with the coloring agents
-- reconstructed based on descriptions
Kachkul-i Kabak (Spiced gourds)
Gourds, chickpeas, onions, carrots, sugar, parsley, oil, salt,
cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
Mahmudiyye ("Mahmud's dish" - chicken with fruit and noodles)
Chicken, salt, honey, almonds, apricots, grapes, fine wheat noodles,
butter
-- in winters menus at Topkapi, as well as in feast menus of the
festivals of 1539
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
Merserem (lamb with greens and yogurt)
Lamb, chickpeas, chard, onion, yogurt, butter, mint, parsley, garlic
greens
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
Sour Cherry Syrup Beverage
Mulberry Syrup Beverage
---== DESSERT COURSE ==---
Helwa-i Sabuni
Corn starch (I was unable to find wheat starch), honey, almonds,
sesame oil
-- in feast menus in the 15th and 16th C.; many varieties: white,
red, yellow, green, with tamarind
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
Sheker Burek (Baked Almond-Topped Pastries)
Flour, almonds, cane sugar, butter, rose water, yeast, saffron
-- Mentioned in the "Danichmendname" (an epic poem), palace accounts
of 1490, and the feasts of the circumcision ceremonies of 1539.
-- from Shirvani's translation of al-Baghdadi
Senbuse Mukellele ("Crowned Triangles" - Fried Almond-Filled Pastries)
Almonds, cane sugar, purchased phyllo dough, rose water, cinnamon,
butter
-- mentioned in "Nazmut-tebayi" (an early 15th C. medical work),
served at two religious ceremonies in 1556, and in feasts of the
circumcision ceremonies of 1582
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
Muhallebi (Delicate Rice Flour Pudding)
Milk, cane sugar, rice flour, butter, rose water, cinnamon, salt
-- served to Mehmed II, in the feasts of circumcision ceremonies, in
the palace
-- from the recipe by Shirvani
Zerde ("Yellow"- a rice pudding)
Rice, water, cane sugar, almonds, pistachios, butter, saffron
-- served in public soup kitchens/alms houses on special occasions,
during the public feasts for the celebrations of 1539, and in winter
in the palace
-- from a 17th C. Moghul recipe
Coffee - Peet's Italian Roast
-- a popular beverage in Constantinople beginning in the mid-16th C.
prepared Turkish style
Served with rough brown sugar cubes on the side
--
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:23:01 -0700
From: Lilinah <lilinah at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Dinner in the Topkapi Serai
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
Maire wrote:
> Wow, Urtatim! I would have risked a *lot* of foul weather for a
> feast like that! Yum!
> What was your favorite dish in the menu?
I really don't know. I only tasted a few of the dishes during the
feast (the manti and the chicken) and, while I took some leftovers
home, I only ate 2 of them yesterday (the chicken soup and the
muhallebi). Several people came up to me to rave about the meatball
soup during the feast, but I never got to taste it.
Earlier in the week one of my cooks, Beli Bailey, drove to my house
where we made over 400 pastries: Sheker Burek, baked yeasted
"cookies" with home-made almond paste on top; and Senbuse Mukalelle,
home-made almond paste wrapped in phyllo, then fried in butter on
site. I did taste one of the Senbuse because a friend shoved one in
my mouth - it was quite good :-)
One of my cooks, Anna Serre, is a fabulous feast cook in her own
right. She lives in another Principality and had a long drive to come
help me. She made a WONDERFUL subtlety just for the feast - the
Topkapi garden with what looked like a gingerbread domed building,
trees with marzipan fruits of various colors, and even a cookie lake
with a colorful glaze. At the end of the feast she invited people to
eat it - as was done with amazing often life-sized sugar sculptures
paraded through the streets of Constantinople during princely
circumcision festivals. I sure hope she got photos of it before it
was devoured!
--
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:09:40 -0800
From: K C Francis <katiracook at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Dinner in the Topkapi Serai
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
I was one of the lucky diners and it was delicious. The desserts
were the best I had had at an SCA feast in a very long time. I sat
with a newcomer family of vegetarians. They enjoyed all the dishes
they could eat and had their fill. I am looking forward to the
posted recipes as there were three dishes I can't wait to have again!
Katira al-Maghrebiyya
> From: lilinah at earthlink.net
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] Dinner in the Topkapi Serai
>
> Last night I - with the help of three other cooks - prepared a feast
> for Mists Fall Investiture. It was a meal of dishes from the late
> 15th C. Ottoman cookbook written by Shirvani, as well as a few
> recipes I reconstructed - dishes featured in late 15th and in 16th C.
> menus, and some described by Europeans who ate in the Topkapi.
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:23:03 -0800
From: K C Francis <katiracook at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Dinner in the Topkapi Serai
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Wow, Urtatim! I would have risked a *lot* of foul
> weather for a feast like that! Yum!
> What was your favorite dish in the menu?
> --Maire
Replying as a guest at the feast, my favorite dishes were:
Manti (Meat-filled Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce) Filling: Lamb,
chickpeas, wine vinegar, cinnamon, salt, pepper; Purchased Wonton
wrappers: wheat flour, egg, salt; Sauce: yogurt, sumac, garlic--
served to Mehmed II in 1469 and in the palace in autumn in the 16th
C-- from the recipe by Shirvani Very tasty, our table asked for more
and I would have eaten 3rds if it hadn't been served so early in the
feast. Mahmudiyye ("Mahmud's dish" - chicken with fruit and noodles)
Chicken, salt, honey, almonds, apricots, grapes, fine wheat noodles,
butter-- in winters menus at Topkapi, as well as in feast menus of
the festivals of 1539-- from the recipe by Shirvani
This saucy dish was delicious. a delightful combination of sweet and
savory. Senbuse Mukellele ("Crowned Triangles" - Fried Almond-Filled
Pastries)Almonds, cane sugar, purchased phyllo dough, rose water,
cinnamon, butter-- mentioned in "Nazmut-tebayi" (an early 15th C.
medical work), served at two religious ceremonies in 1556, and in
feasts of the circumcision ceremonies of 1582-- from the recipe by
Shirvani
These were incredible, light, little bites. I got two from our tray
and I saw extra on the head table tray so I went up and 'begged a
boon". Having just gifted them with a box of wire and bead jewelry
for royal gifts, they were more than happy to share the extra.
Muhallebi (Delicate Rice Flour Pudding) Milk, cane sugar, rice flour,
butter, rose water, cinnamon, salt-- served to Mehmed II, in the
feasts of circumcision ceremonies, in the palace-- from the recipe by
Shirvani
This was a nice contrast to the little crispy bits and is aptly
described. Urtatim, you ROCK!
Katira al-Maghrebiyya
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:27:43 -0800
From: K C Francis <katiracook at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Dinner in the Topkapi Serai
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
I've posted my favorite dishes from the feast with comments. The
subtelty was incredible. I loved that the oranges and lemons were
tied to the tree limbs so harvesting them was easy. I had a lemon
and the marzipan was perfect with a little lemon flavor.
Katira
<the end>