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Camp-Cooking-art - 12/4/00

"Camp Cooking" by Lady Caointiarn.

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NOTICE -

This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set

of files, called Stefan's Florilegium.

These files are available on the Internet at:

http://www.florilegium.org

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be

reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first

or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris

AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous

stefan at florilegium.org

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This article was first published in the November 1999 issue of "The Maple".

Camp Cooking

by Lady Caointiarn

You don't think you have any talent to cook forsoothly - You cringe at the idea of packing a food basket of sausage, cheese, bread and beer *again*. But fear not, if you have a bit of talent feeding your household on a regular basis, you can do the same using recipes from the Middle Ages.

Menus can be as simple as a one-pot meal. Trying new foods at home, before taking them off to any Event is a good thing. This way you will know that no one in your party would rather starve than eat "that stuff," you won't be surprised by a phrase you missed earlier, and, by introducing new foods with familiar goodies helps push back the yuck buttons. I mean what's not to like about a Tart of Ryce? It can be made a day ahead, doesn't need refrigeration, just cover with foil and pack into your food basket.

Tart of Ryce

Boyle your Ryce, and put in the yolkes of two or three Egges into the Rice, and when it is boyled, put it into a dish, and season it with Suger, Cinamon, and Ginger, and butter, and the iuyce of two or three Orenges, and set it on the fire againe.

Dawson, Thomas, The Good Huswife's Iewel, 2parts. London, 1596/7

My redaction:

1 cup rice

2 cups water

3 eggs

scant 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger, freshly grated

In a pot with lid, boil water. Add rice and let simmer on low for 20 minutes.

In a bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored. Add sugar, juice and spices mixing well. Add the cooked rice, and butter mix well to incorporate all ingredients. Place in well-greased pie or tart pan. Bake at 350 for 30- 45 minutes (until nicely browned at edge). Serve warm or cold.

The rice may be made ahead of time and added cold. This is a great dish to round out a picnic style meal - a nice side dish that's not too sweet.

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Need something to take along for that late Friday night supper? As with most of us, the tent must be assembled and the campsite set-up, before anyone thinks of supper. This dish has a number of variations built in. When I first tasted it, it was made from ham, and the recipe itself uses chicken as a substitute, so any meat you use is sure to please. You may want to change the type of wine used - red for beef or lamb, white for chicken, veal or pork. It is simple enough to prepare on site, or the meat and sauce can be made ahead of time and frozen, so all you need to do is reheat and boil the fettuccini. Add a salad and crusty bread and supper is done.

Stwed Mutton

Take faire Mutton that hath ben roste, or elles Capons, or suche o(th)er flessh, and mynce it faire; put hit into a possenet or elles between ii. Silver disshes; caste thereto faire parcely,And oynons small mynced ; then caste there=to wyn, and a litull vynegre or vergeous, pouder of pepper, Canel, salt and saffron, and lete it stue on (th)e faire coles, And (th)en serue hit for the; if he have no wyne ne vynegre, take Ale, Mustard, and A quantite of Vergeous, and do (th)is in (th)e stede of wyne or vinegre.

(as copied from Pleyn Delit, #98, Harl 4016)

My redaction:

1 lb pork loin, sliced thin

1 large onion, minced

1 cup white wine

1 or 2 Tbs vinegar

1 or 2 Tbs cinnamon

pepper & salt to taste

1/4 cup parsley, minced

olive oil

1 lb fettuccine cooked, al dente

Saute the pork in the tiniest amount of olive oil. Add the onions and continue to saute until onions are translucent and pork is browned. Add the wine and vinegar (if the wine is dry, you may want to omit the vinegar) and the spices (I tend to use a heavy hand with the cinnamon). Simmer 10 minutes - enough to evaporate the alcohol and cook the onion. { if making this fresh, start the fettuccine now} Add parsley last, simmer enough to wilt, but not to make it bitter (no more than another 5 -10 minutes)

Serve over fettuccine. Serves 4 hungry people.

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Another easy recipe is Gyngerbrede. It is easily made, stores well, and travels beautifully. It is that essential piece de resistance when passing around a tray of fruits and sweets. Made from honey, but has a bite from the ginger and long pepper. When I first made this, I used regular black and white pepper for the long pepper. It was good, but those who knew the taste of long pepper, knew the difference. But don't let that little tidbit stop you from trying a small batch.

Gyngerbrede

I found the recipe in Curye on Inglysch, Part V: Goud Kokery #19.

Take goode honye and clarefie it on the fere, and take fayre paynemayn or wastel bread and grate it, and caste it into the boylenge hony and stere it togyder faste with a sklyse that bren not the vessell. And thanne take it doun and put therin ginger, longe pepere and saunders, and tempre it up with thin handel; and than put hem to a flatt boyste and strawe thereon sugar and pick therin clowes round about by the egge and in the myudes if it plece you &c.

My Redaction:

1 cup honey

1 cup stale breadcrumbs, finely grate (possibly more)

1 tsp ginger freshly grated

1 tsp long pepper

whole cloves for decoration

sugar to sprinkle

Heat honey to boiling in a heavy pot. Skim off any foam that forms. Add ginger and the peppers ( I am unfamiliar with saunders, so I left it out) Once the spices are mixed in thoroughly, start adding the breadcrumbs slowly, all the while stirring vigorously (think of cream of wheat -- avoid the lumps). Once the crumbs are all absorbed the mixture will be very thick pulling away from the sides of the pot (if it's not that thick, add more crumbs until it is). Pour and pat the mixture into a square dish lined with wax paper. Sprinkle on sugar as desired, score the top and use cloves to decorate.

Cut and serve once it has cooled.

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As I have shown, cooking for your household in these Current Middle Ages is as easy as pie (or tart); and as simple as sautéing meat and veggies and boiling water for pasta. Most recipes are recognizable foods, and very scrumptious as well. So, re-think your usual camp fare for Medieval recipes: Be brave, read, redact and enjoy!

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If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in

the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also

appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being

reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.