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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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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.

 

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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: 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>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
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Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org