fd-Turkey-msg

This document is also available in: text or RTF formats.

fd-Turkey-msg – 2/24/08

Medieval Turkish food. References. Recipes.

************************************************************************

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

************************************************************************

Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 15:25:23 -0500

From: "marilyn traber" <mtraber at email.msn.com>

Subject: SC - turkish website of recipes

I found a nice little website of Turkish foods, no documentation but nicely

done by a guy over in turkey-

http://dominet.com.tr/turkey/recipes.html

you should check it out. It is basically recipes from home, like a nice

chicken/rice molded pudding/dessert that would go over quite well at a

summer potluck-or a fancy luncheon/tea for the royalty at a fighting event.

margali

[come on folks, he has had like 53 hits in 3 years, it deserves a look even

if it isn't documented!]

Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 16:40:35 -0500

From: "marilyn traber" <mtraber at email.msn.com>

Subject: Re: SC - turkish website of recipes

I got to it through a website www.tubears.com, mayhaps you need to get

there through them?

margali

Date: Sat, 21 Mar 98 17:14:10 PST

From: "Alderton, Philippa" <phlip at morganco.net>

Subject: Re: SC - turkish website of recipes

Thanks for the website, Margali, had a good time. If you follow the links

back to Turkey, you can find another Turkish recipe site.

phlip at morganco.net

Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 16:18:00 -0500

From: Woeller D <angeliq1 at erols.com>

Subject: Re: SC - turkish website of recipes

> I tried to access the Turkish website, but it asked for a user name and

> password for the network! How does one go about doing this?

> Arlene Silikovitz

> West Orange, NJ

Try clicking on this address:

http://www.dominet.com.tr/turkey/recipes.html

If that doesn't work, click on this address:

http://www.tubears.com/

on THAT page, go into the first menu choice (titled '50,000 recipes'),

and go to 'Turkish Cuisine', then click on the 'go' button, and you're

there. Happy Trails...

Angelique

Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 00:15:01 -0400

From: "Philippa Alderton" <phlip at bright.net>

Subject: SC - Recipes found researching persona

I've been doing a bit of research on the 'Net, looking into my persona, and

came across these recipe sites for Turkic foods. Many of the recopes appear

to be traditional, although there are modern ingredients in several. Ras,

you'll love it- I didn't know there were this many ways to cook horse meat!

http://www.euronet.nl/users/sota/recipes.html

http://www.kz/eng/cooking/cooking.html

http://130.54.28.2/~insepov/food.htm

http://www.cs.umd.edu/users/kandogan/FTA/TurkishCuisine/cuisine.html

http://www.armory.com/~ssahin/mutfak/

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~bingo/osh.html

Phlip

Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 17:14:41 -0600

From: "Sara K. Tallarovic" <electricfish at earthlink.net>

Subject: SC - A Turkish recipe...

I have a recipe from a modern cookbook for a Turkish dish called "whiskeyed

chicken livers" or "drunken chicken livers". It is an absolutely delicious

dish and I have been wondering if it, or any variation of it, may be

documentable in period anywhere in Europe or Asia. Here is the recipe

(roughly):

Take about a pound of chicken livers, drain them, then marinate them at

least 12 hours in either whiskey OR ouzo (I would imagine you could also

use the Turkish equivalent of ouzo, but the name escapes

me...Arkat?). After they have marinated, toss them in a mixture of flour,

seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. Then fry in hot olive oil until

crispy and cooked through. You serve them on a bed of sauteed onions. You

can also substitute sliced calf liver for the chicken livers.

I cooked up a batch of these at Estrella one year in a cast iron skillet

over an open fire. It was a heavenly diversion from the cold feta, olives,

and pita bread we had subsisted on most of the weekend. I would love to

serve them at a period middle eastern or central asian feast sometime, but

I'd like to be able to document them. Any one out there heard of this

dish, and could you point me to a source?

Many thanks!

- -Shu'la

Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 04:44:27 +0100

From: TG <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>

Subject: Re: SC - A Turkish recipe...

<< ... a Turkish dish called "whiskeyed chicken livers" or "drunken

chicken livers". (...) I have been wondering if it, or any variation of

it, may be documentable in period anywhere in Europe or Asia. (...) Any

one out there heard of this dish, and could you point me to a source? >>

I just went through an article about the social history of the Turkish

cuisine, where a certain number of 15th and 16th century dishes are

mentioned mostly from travelogues and kitchen rolls, but I could not

find such a dish there. However, the sources quoted in the footnotes

might be of some help; the article is: Reindl-Kiel, H.: Wesirfinger und

Frauenschenkel. Zur Sozialgeschichte der t¸rkischen K¸che. In: Archiv

f¸r Kulturgeschichte 77 (1995) 57-84. The article is in German, the

sources quoted are in a variety of languages.

Looking at one of the sources quoted, I could not find it in Hans

Dernschwam's description of Turkish food in his diary of a travel to

Constantinople (1555; seven pages on food and dishes!). However, he says

that chicken was sold frequently and: "Aber gemainiglich findt man gutte

huner zw 6 aspern, darzw gibt man ainem die lebern vnd magen" 'But

usually, you can find good chicken for 6 aspers, and in addition you are

given the liver(s) and the stomach(s)'. At least there should be dishes

from chicken livers.

Instead of the recipe you are looking for, here is a different one:

"Hollow out young pumpkins or eggplants, fill them with chopped sheep

meat and garlic, add spices and salt, cook them without anything else in

water. They pour common yogurt, i.e. sour salted milk (like _compos_),

over this and kindred dishes. In the same way, they hollow out carrots

and fill them in the abovementioned manner".

Original: "Die jungen kyrbis auch podliczschan holert man aus, dorein

fultt man klain gehagt schaffen flaisch auch knoblach, gewurczt vnd

gesalczen, sieden sy, schlechtz im wasser ab. Vber solche vnd

dergleichen gerichte schutten sy schlecht jugurt, das ist sawer

gesalczene milich, wie compos. Also hoelern sy auch die gelben ruben aus

vnd fullen sy, wie obstatt" (Dernschwam, ed. Babinger 124; Reindl-Kiel

says that this dish, karniyarik, and others described by Dernschwam,

yaprak dolmasi, muhallebi, are still eaten today).

Th.

- -- Paviot, J.: Cuisine grecque et cuisine turque selon l'expÈrience des

voyageurs (XVe-XVIe siËcles) [Greek and Turkish cuisine according to the

experience of the travellers of the 15th and 16th centuries]. In: Bryer,

A./ Ursinus, M. (eds.): Manzikert to Lepanto. The Byzantine World and

the Turks 1071-1571. Amsterdam 1991 (Byzantinische Forschungen 16).

Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 19:29:24 -0500

From: LYN M PARKINSON <allilyn at juno.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Honey Yogurt

Last night, on Travels with Rick, Rick was in eastern Turkey. One of the

breakfast items was honey yogurt. As the people in town were still

living in beehive houses, and didn't seem to be modernized in any way

except occasional electricity, this is likely a very old spread for

bread. No proof, but I plan to try some and see if I like it.

Allison

Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 10:54:06 -0800

From: Susan Fox-Davis <selene at earthlink.net>

Subject: SC - Turkish Cheese article

http://www.atamanhotel.com/cheese.html

I'm working on finding some sources on the history of our favorite

modern Middle Eastern foods, which mostly derive from Turkish cookery.

This article by Prof. Dr. Artun ‹nsal gives a few leads to period

documents, histories and legal codes mentioning foodstuffs.

http://members.nbci.com/hunkars/

Elif AK«ALI's Turkish Food Links

The History of Turkish Cuisine

Some more period citations, including Rumi (!)

More as I find them,

Selene

Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 19:37:43 -0400

From: johnna holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: MEDIEVAL Near Eastern Food

Ok--- try these books---

Consumption studies and the history of the Ottoman Empire, 1550-1922 :

an introduction / Donald Quataert. Albany : State University of New

York Press, 2000 358 p. ISBN: 0791444317 or 0791444325 (pbk.)

includes a paper on "Aspects of the Ottoman elite's food consumption :

looking for "staples," "luxuries," and "delicacies" in a changing century."

The Dervish lodge : architecture, art, and Sufism in Ottoman Turkey /

Raymond Lifchez. Berkeley : University of California Press, 1992

348 p. ISBN: 0520070607 includes a paper "Food in the life of the Tekke."

Towns and townsmen of Ottoman Anatolia :

trade, crafts, and food production in an urban setting, 1520-1650 /

Suraiya Faroqhi. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ; New York : Cambridge

University Press,1984 425 p. ISBN: 0521254477

Mnemeia Hellenikes historias.

Documents in=E9dits relatifs =E0 l'histoire de la Gr=E8ce au moyen =E2ge

Konstantinos N Sathas NINE volumes done 1880-1890

in French Paris [etc.] Maisonneuve et cie.,

This one was under Ottoman and Gastronomy.

Les bonheurs de ma cuisine juive dans la tradition s=E9pharade :

la cuisine jud=E9o-espagnole emport=E9e au XVe si=E8cle d'Espagne vers l'Empire Ottoman traditionnelle aujourd'hui encore =E0 Bruxelles, =E0 Paris, =E0 New

York, =E0 J=E9rusalem /

A Rivka Cohen. Aix-en-Provence : Edisud, 2000

French 238 p. :

This was just a quick search. I suspect that there are papers

because Turkey has an active food history community.

There's actual more there than one might think. I didn't even

try the Balkans.

Johnnae llyn Lewis Johnna Holloway

Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 20:24:37 -0400

From: Lee Sebastiani <valeriavictrix at mac.com>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Has anyone translated these new recipes into

English?

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

I could probably manage the French, but.............

Thanks!

--Lee Sebastiani

Link: http://www.slowfood.com/eng/sf_sloweb/fuori_guscio/8fuori_EN.html

From the archives to the kitchen. A translators recipes

Lilia Zaouali

For five centuries, the secrets of the imperial

cuisine of Ottoman Turkey escaped the curiosity of scholars. The

reason? They were hidden away un a neglected fifteenth-century manuscript

whose real value had been underestimated. Careful reading of the

document - wrongly believed to be a mere translation of the celebrated

thirteenth-century Arab cookery manual Kitb al-Tabkh by al-Baghdadi -

brought to light as many as 82 recipes. The first part of the

manuscript in fact consist of a translation from Arabic to Turkish

of the recipes of al-Baghdadi, but the ones from no. 74 onward are the

personal contribution of the translator turned author, Mehmed bin

Mahmoud of Azerbaijan. This part of the document thus bridges gaps in

documents on the cooking of the Ottoman empire in its period of

greatest splendor.

By Stefane Yerasimos, a lecturer

at the Paris-VIII University and author of numerous books on Turkey and

the Ottoman Empire.

A la table du Grand Turc Editions

Actes Sud, from the Orient Gourmand / Sindbad series , Arles

2001

22.8 euros

Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 21:02:37 -0400

From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Has anyone translated these new recipes into

English?

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

I don't find it listed as being translated into

an English or American edition.

It can be ordered from Amazon Canada.

Johnnae

Lee Sebastiani wrote:

> I could probably manage the French, but.............

> --Lee Sebastiani

> Link: http://www.slowfood.com/eng/sf_sloweb/fuori_guscio/

> 8fuori_EN.html

> Stefane Yerasimos,

> A la table du Grand Turc Editions

> Actes Sud, from the Orient Gourmand / Sindbad series , Arles

> 2001

> 22.8 euros

Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 14:28:58 -0400

From: Patrick Levesque <petruvoda at videotron.ca>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Period Turkish food

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

<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

There was mention of Stephane Yerisamos' 'À la table du Grand Turc'

recently. I've just received my copy.

It's an excellent book. The only negative point is that it's so damn short!

There are 50 pages or so of background information on culinary habits and

expenses of the Ottoman court, and 40 recipes. Of these, 26 are translation

of period Turkish recipes added found at the end of a Turkish translation of

al-Baghdadi.

(there are 82 of these recipes, however, so it's a bit frustrating to have

only 26 of then and to know the rest is out there, somewhere!!!)

Most of these recipes are for lamb, mutton or chicken (although some of them

can be adapted to camel, veal, or other...).

The background research is very thorough. Yerisamos went through official

records, account books and so forth to make as sure as possible that the

recipes presented were indeed the one used in period.

All recipes are presented in French translation, with a redaction and a

paragraph of background history, etymology, etc... Recipes, except for their

names, are never presented in their original language.

If you can read, or even just barely decipher French, buy it! Otherwise I

intend to try a couple recipes this long week-end (Canadian Thanksgiving) so

I'll post them afterwards.

Petru!

Date: Sun, 09 Oct 2005 20:14:10 -0400

From: Patrick Levesque <petruvoda at videotron.ca>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Turkish food, continued...

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

<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Got to try two recipes tonight!

I am unsure about the quality of the first translation, since it's basically

the different steps of the redaction put together in a string. My hypothesis

is that there was a serious lack of proofreading in the recipes section (in

any case, that's all there is to work on, and I couldn't read the original

anyway..,). I've therefore added my comments in parentheses.

Although the problems with the French translation could cause us to worry

about faithfulness, or even, the actual existence of the recipe, Yerisamos

adds the actual folios on which it is inscribed (127 and 128 of the

manuscript, which is kept at the Süleymaniye Central Library. The compiler

is Mehmed bin Mahmoud Chirvânî). Although there are a few more recipes with

this problem, most of them seem to have been properly translated.

1) Tüffahiyye: Dice the meat (unspecified - I used a pound of boned and

diced lamb) and cook it in very little water. Make a syrup with all the

sugar and water (quantity of sugar unspecified - Translator recommends 3 cup

sugar) and drop four whole apples, peeled and cored. Baste them in syrup -

when it thickens, add rose water to dilute it and keep cooking. Repeat this

step three times, then remove the apples and put them in a platter. Then

cook the meat in this syrup for a few minutes. Add ground apples (translator

recommends 3) in a pot, put into this pot the meat and some syrup. Add two

more peeled and sliced apples to the pot, as well as slivered almonds (I

used 100 grams). Bring to a boil, cook for a few minutes, add pitted and

sliced dates (I used 6 fresh dates cut in four pieces each), saffron and ???

(starch, presumably - the translator puts in corn starch which we know

definitely ain't it). Add salt and remove from the fire. Put in a platter,

add the candied apples on top and sprinkle with rose water and more

slivered almonds.

I cooked the meat in a pan filled with 1/2 inch of water, until it add all

evaporated, before adding the meat to the syrup. I was concerned at first it

would be a bit too tough, but it turned out ok in the end.

I had a syrup which was too liquid, probably, so the apples didn't have the

candied glaze I expected. I wonder whether it would be better to core them,

but to leave the skin on? I'll also have to remember next time to use a lot

less water to begin with. I've used the quantities written above - it would

probably be enough for 8 people as a feast dish, but can feed 4 to 6 persons

(depending on appetite) in a mundane setting.

2) Herise of rice.

No translation problems here. Here goes:

The art of making it is thus: clean a fat chicken, put it on the fire to

boil and remove the scum. When the blood gets out of the chicken, remove

from the fire, press it to remove the water, and tear it with your nails to

make thin strings of flesh. It is better to do this while it is still hot.

Strain the chicken broth through a sieve to remove the scum. Clean rice,

wash it, and soak it in this broth, place it on ashes to keep it warm. Leave

it thus until the broth is absorbed. When it is soaked, cook it in fresh

milk, cook it well. Stir it with a spoon so the bottom doesn't burn out. Add

salt, it must not be too salty or not enough. Before you remove it from the

fire, add sugar to perfect the flavour. Then add the strings of white flesh,

mix everything and remove from the fire. Add a little ghee and leave it to

rest. Put it in platters, sprinkle with rosewater and sugar and eat.

My redaction (varies slightly from the translator)

1 cup rice

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/3 cup milk

Salt, sugar, butter

Rosewater (optional)

Cook the rice in the broth until it is all absorbed. Add milk, bring

(carefully!!! and stirring) to a boil, until the rice is cooked. Add salt,

sugar and a little butter, to taste.

The translator mentions another recipe without chicken - I left it out

because there was no point cooking a whole chicken for 3 people when there's

a lot more stuff to eat, but you would add it in near the end as well.

In both recipes I left out the rosewater, as my significant other is not

very fond of the taste.

Both recipes are very good, if somewhat sweet, especially the tuffahiyye.

The candied apple are very good - if properly done and piled, they could

make quite a presentation to any high table.

Petru

Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 15:47:57 -0700

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: [Sca-cooks] SCA-Period Ottoman Cookbook

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org, sca-persian at yahoogroups.com,

SCA_Turkish_Personas_Moderated at yahoogroups.com,

MiddleEasternPersonas at yahoogroups.com,

SCA-MidEastMusicCulture at yahoogroups.com

(apologies, first, for the cross posting but it seemed relevant)

I'd heard on some SCA-Middle Eastern e-mail lists that a possibly

period Ottoman Turkish cookbook had been published. I had read the

title "At the Sultan's Table". Further research showed that the

original was published in modern Greek, which is, well, Greek to me.

I mean, i can read the alphabet and make the sounds, but i won't

understand most of the words.

So i poked around on the internet and discovered that the same author

had a book with a similar title in *French*, which i *can* read:

A la table du Grand Turc

(literally "At the table of the Sultan")

by Stephane Yerasimos

L'Orient gourmand series from Sindbad/Editions Actes Sud

Arles (France), 2001

ISBN 2-7427-3443-0

(price 22.80 Euros)

So eleven days ago (March 31) i ordered it from a French bookseller.

On Friday (4/7), it was sent from France and arrived here Tuesday

morning!

It is a slim volume - 136 pages. It is clearly not a reproduction of

a complete actual Ottoman Turkish cookbook (unhappy sigh). Pages 9-53

are essays by the author about finding real 15th/16th c. Ottoman

recipes, about documents that listed the Topkapi's food purchases,

about documents that list what Sultan Suleyman ate, about what

ordinary people ate every day - all of which which i look forward to

reading.

The opening essay mentions that the author found the earliest

published Ottoman cookbook to be from the 18th century, after the

introduction of tomatoes, bell peppers, and other ingredients from

the Americas, with recipes too similar to those of today. He was

disappointed because he wanted to find authentic Ottoman food.

Then he found a copy of the Arabic cookbook by al-Baghdadi translated

into Turkish. He was at first disappointed, because this book is

already familiar and he was looking for genuine Ottoman cuisine. But

he remembered that other copied cookbooks often contain additional

recipes from other sources. And when he began translating it, it

became clear that while the first 160 recipes or so were from

al-Baghdadi, there were also 82 different recipes written by the

translator, Mehmed ibn Mahmoud al-Chirvani, an Azerbaijani from the

city of Chirvan. The modern author then verified that these recipes

were not merely copied from some other cookbook but were actually

eaten in the Topkapi when he found another text that listed

everything the Sultan had eaten over a period of two years. The list

included recipes from al-Baghdadi and recipes written down by

al-Chirvani.

The main body of this French book, pages 56-134, is recipes,

frustratingly, not all 82 of al-Chirvani's recipes. Rather there are

a total of 40 recipes, 38 are from al-Chirvani; one reconstructed

from period descriptions and a recipe from 1844; and one

reconstructed from period descriptions and modern recipes. The modern

worked out versions, along with a paragraph or more discussing the

dish, its source, etc., face the original Turkish recipe in French

translation.

I was disappointed to see so few of al-Chirvani's recipes (only 46

per cent, pout pout), but i'm excited about having nearly half of

them. In addition, several are clearly of Persian origin!

Here's a list of recipes with *my* brief descriptions - the meat is

always lamb or mutton:

* Salma - meat with noodles

* Tuffahiyya - apples stuffed with meat

* Mujazza'a - burani of chard and meat with yogurt sauce

* Dane-i Richte - noodles with meat and pulses

* Herise (harissa) - meat & grain cooked together

* Tuffahiyya - candied apples and meat in sugar syrup

* Rahaniyya - Kalye of spinach - meat with spinach and spices

* Herise - harissa of rice - whoa! This is medieval blancmange

* Tchechidiyya - meat cooked with fruit

* Kavurma - (kurma?) - Breaded fried chicken on sops with sweet and

sour sauce

* Merserem - Meat with vegetables in herbed yogurt sauce

* Zirva - sweet-and-sour lamb or chicken

* [[Estouffade of gourd (Turkish name not given) - casserole of meat

and gourds with verjus (from an 1844 recipe - but in 16th c. lists of

dishes)]]

* Medfune - stewed meat served with eggplants stuffed with chopped lamb

* Mersmuye - stewed meat and meatballs cooked in apples and rice

* Hintayye - stewed meat cooked with wheat

* Piyaziyye - Onions stuffed with rice and chopped meat

* Kabuni / Dane-i Kabuniyye - meat, onions, chick peas and rice

cooked together

* Rummaniyye - meat, eggplant, and gourd with spices and sour

pomegranate juice

* Nirbadj - meat and carrots with grapes and nuts

* Rachidiyye - a "pudding" of starch, honey, rosewater, cinnamon, and

cloves, served topped with apricots and ground almonds, and with

pieces of cooked chicken coated with a syrup of honey, butter and

saffron

* Buraniyye al-kar' - meat, meatballs, and gourds in yogurt sauce

* Hazariyye - meat, meatballs, and fresh favas

* Kachkul-i kabak - meat, gourd, and chick peas with carrot jam and

spices

* Bakuliyye - meat, leeks, and meatballs made with leeks with yogurt

* Buyressiye - meat, meatballs cooked with barberries, fresh fruit,

almonds, and rice

* Mu'amiyye - meat, meatballs, chick peas, lemon or orange juice,

yogurt, spinach, rice, and dried mint

* Mahmudiyye - chicken with honey, almonds, grapes, apricots, and

noodles

* Masusa - chicken cooked, cut up and fried, seasoned with spices and

topped with egg yolks

* Manti - dough wrappers filled with crushed chick peas and with

chopped meat seasoned with cinnamon and vinegar, boiled and served

with sauce of yogurt and garlic, then sprinkled with sumac

* Muhassin - Condiment of eggplants, boiled in salt water, then

chopped and seasoned, then covered with vinegar and pomegranate

juice, with the addition of walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, and chick

peas fried in sesame oil, then aged a few days

* Left muhallel muhella - turnips in vinegar and honey

* Mastave - Silk be-laban - Cooked chopped chard in garlic yogurt sauce

* Ma'muniyye - sugar or honey, butter, rice flour, milk, chicken,

almonds

* Mukallele - Senbuse (sambusek - samosa) filled with almonds ground

with sugar, musk, and rosewater, fried, then plunged in sugar syrup,

then dipped in powdered sugar flavored with musk or camphor

* Helva - a cooked sweet made of sesame oil or sweet butter, white

flour, water, saffron, rose water, honey, poppy seed and pistachios,

poured in layers with powdered sugar

* Cheker Borek - dough of tail fat, butter, flour, water, yeast, and

saffron; filled with finely ground almonds and sugar, rosewater, and

musk - put in a pan with plenty of melted butter, then baked, then

rolled in sugar

* Helva-i Sabuni - a cooked sweet made of honey, starch, almonds, and

sesame oil

* Muhallebi - a cooked sweet made of rice flour, sugar, milk, salt,

butter, rosewater

* [[Zerde - a cooked sweet made of rice, sugar, starch, saffron,

almonds and pistachios - mentioned in Suleyman's food lists, but no

recipe given - this is based on period descriptions and modern

recipes]]

So, i'll be reading it more carefully over the next couple days. And

reporting back, if i don't float away (so much rain here in NoCal)

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

the persona formerly known as Anahita

Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 17:21:54 -0700

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] SCA-Period Ottoman Cookbook

To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Patrick Levesque <petruvoda at videotron.ca> wrote:

> I actually tried two of these recipes already - they are quite

> delicious!

I assume you used Cirvani's recipes and not Yerasimos's modern ones :-)

> I'm not so sure about the meat always being lamb or mutton - I have a

> feeling this may be an assumption by Yerasimos.

I agree that there could be other meats, so other than goat, what

else do you think is likely? Yerasimos writes in his one of his

essays about how with the strictures of Islam on meat, making what is

hunted practically haram - because you have to pray directly over the

animal before you kill it - (there are some "cheats" such as praying

over your weapon before sending it into the animal) so gradually

deer/gazelles/etc., rabbit/hares, and other wild prey were eliminated

from the diets of most Muslims.

> Especially in the

> Tuffahiyya, where his translation of the recipe is, by mistake, is

> actual redaction!

Which one? Yerasimos published two quite different Tuffahiyyes.

> This said, Charles Perry mentions Sirvani in his introduction to

> his latest translation of "A Baghdad Cookery Book" -

Which i'll be ordering this week :-)

> maybe he could confirm this (and

> tell us whether he plans to translate Sirvani eventually :-))

THAT would be great.

Until then, i'm going to be translating the French versions of the

originals for SCA purposes. And i'll post them here...

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

the persona formerly known as Anahita

Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 21:16:24 -0400

From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] SCA-Period Ottoman Cookbook

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

For the Midrealm Coronation feast on the 22nd of April and to answer some related questions on another list I have been looking into Ottoman foods also.

Besides all the EEBO materials and descriptions of foods encountered by

Westerners, there's a huge amount of other stuff.

Among the most interesting online articles that I have come across is

this one:

“The Imperial Procession: Recreating a world's order” by Stephane

Yerasimos. It examines the feasts and festivals of the Ottoman Court.

http://www.geocities.com/surnamei_vehbi/yerasimos.html

by the author of A la Table du Grand Turc which can be acquired from

Amazon Canada.

For those that are intrigued by the topic and would like to read more,

I can suggest the following books in English.

Cevik, Nihal K. (Editor), Imperial Taste, 700 Years of Culinary

Culture. Ankara : Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture, the General

Directorate of Research and Development of Folk Cultures, 2000.

Footnotes and bibliography along with pictures and some recipes.

Also includes a translation of The Bursa or Edict of Standards from

1502.

One book with marvelous pictures is:

The Food Culture of the Ottoman Palace by Gary Oberling and Grace Martin

Smith. Istanbul : Society of Friends of Topkapi Palace Museum, 2001.

Again great illus; good text with footnotes; Lots of information on the

16th century court.

The newest and perhaps one of the most interesting:

Yerasimos, Marianna 500 Years Of Ottoman Cuisine ISBN : 9752301614

Publisher : Boyut Yayın in İstanbul.

It was just published in Dec. 2005, so it’s not available for

interlibrary loan.

Prices vary widely. 46.99 down to 23.00 if purchased from Istanbul.

It includes a great chapter on food and culinary sources

in Ottoman history, inc. palace records. Also nearly 100 recipes ranging

from 14-17th centuries. With illustrations.

{One can get the Servani recipes but they have not been translated.}

The easiest way to obtain Turkish books is to order them directly from

Istanbul. Should anyone get motivated and want to order from Turkey, I'd

suggest EREN Books. http://www.eren.com.tr/

While it can take 6 weeks or longer at the cheapest book rate, my books

came in roughly two weeks.

Otherwise do try interlibrary loan, but be prepared to wait.

http://www.tulumba.com is another online Turkish store with lots of

stuff. They also carry some books.

Johnnae llyn Lewis

Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 21:26:21 -0400

From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] SCA-Period Ottoman Cookbook

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

I found a marvelous art book while in the UK.

Turks : A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600-1600

it goes along nicely with the other books I already cited.

Johnnae

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 00:04:20 -0400

From: ranvaig at columbus.rr.com

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Period Greek Recipes

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

> Where I need help is on the Greek course. I am thinking about serving

> souvlaki on pita's, but would like to find some resources for this. Any

> good suggestions for books or online resources for period versions of

> this? I have found a few web sites with some information, but would love

> to get a book on period Greek cuisine, if such exists. I know about "The

> Deipnosophists" but from what I can see there are several books - but

> which one would be what I want?

It's not exactly a Greek recipe, but while I was

working on Rumpolt, he includes a "Turkish"

recipe for grilled mutton marinated in onion

19. Nimm sch?ne weisse Zwibeln/ und schneidt sie

gar klein/ und reib den Braten wohl damit/

auch mit Salz/ lasz es miteinander ein Stund oder

zwo liegen/ oder gar uber Nacht/ mach

darnach ein h?lzern Spiese von einer h??leu

Stauden/ steck die Braten daran/ und brat sie

geschwindt hinweg/ so werden sie gut und wohl

geschmack. Auf diese manier zugericht/

essen die T?rken gern.

Von Hammel

19. Take fair white onions/ and cut them

completely small/ and rub the roast well with

them/ also with salt/ let it lay together an hour

or two/ or overnight/ then make a wood spit from

a hazel bush/ stick the roast on it/ and roast it

quickly away/ like this it becomes good and well

tasting. In this manner prepared/ the Turks like

to eat.

Ranvaig