Subject: Re: Provisions

From: [email-masked] (David L. Tallan)
Date: 20 Apr 1993 22:31:37 GMT

It would seem to me that on a sailing trip, eating fresh fish
makes more sense than eating dried salted fish, but then, I've
never been on a medieval sailing trip.

-- 
David Tallan
aj 406  OR
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 21 Apr 93 10:08:19 PST

Greetings all.

I have recieved a number of requests for period recipes suitable for the trail.
Rather than e-mail all ten of you, I post them here. I include my justification
for calling them period as well. I welcome all comments (via e-mail please),
but must warn you that I am a proponent of modern dishes in keeping with
medieval ingredients and styles. If I think it tastes bad, I don't make it, no
matter how period it is! :)

The main criteria, as I understand it , it to come up with recipes containing
ingredients that will not spoil onthe trail.

1. Pottage: The Bible mentions that Esau sold his birthright for a "mess of
pottage". I understand that lentils are mentioned in there somewhere, as well.
Here is a simple recipe for a lentil pottage. It can be made without meat, or
sausage added (like Kielbasa) if you can keep the meat from spoiling. The rice
and lentils make a complete protein, so no meat is required.

--2T butter
--2T olive oil
--2 c. sliced onions (I use more)
Melt the butter, and cook the onions (slowly, stirring occassionally) fro about
20 min. At the end, increase the heat a little to brown them.

Meanwhile, cook 1 c. rinsed lentils in about 5 c. water. Bring to a boil, cover
and simmer for about 20 min.

Drain the lentils and add:
--3 c. stock (a couple of boullion cubes works well, plus some water)
--1/2 c. long grain rice (I rinse it first to keep the pottage from getting
gummy)
--3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
[I like to add lemon, and a shot of Tabasco, if I'm not trying to be period]

Bring all to a boil, cover and simmer for 25 min till the rice is done. If you
are to add sausage, add it at this time.

This is especially good after reheating, and I serve it with yoghurt.

2. Rapas: from Apicius. I forgot to bring the recipe with me to work, but I
think I can remember it to post it here.

--1 lb turnips (or rutebagas, or both), peeled, cubed and steamed till tender.
Serve with the following sauce:
--2 c. white wine, boiled till 1/4 c. in volume
--2.c turnip stock
--1 T. cumin
1-2T. ginger
--1 tsp rosemary (original calls for rue, but I don't like the idea of
worm-medicine in my food...:))
--1+T honey
salt and pepper to taste
Adjust the seasoning of the sauce to suit your own tastes. I like mine with a
kick! It will be sweet-sour, with a bite. Thanks to Master Eduardo for teaching
us this recipe in his Ithra class.

Again, both of these can be done on a fire, and the ingredients won't spoil.

I was also asked about drying meat. I don't think it's possible here! :) (I
live in Seattle. Any meat left out to dry would probably come back to life and
walk away)

With regards to meat spoiling, it is important to realize that bacteria approx.
double their population every day. Refridgeration will slow this, freezing
essentially stops it, but only thorough cooking can kill most (NOT ALL) of the
charming bugs. The bacteria, when brought to room temperature will start to
grow where they left off. So, if you get hamburger (for example), let it sit in
the fridge for a week, freeze it, then thaw it, it will walk off the counter
under its own volition. If, however, you get hamburger, cook it throughly,
freeze it immediately, *then* thaw, you're safer. Putting something in an
airtight package (which pastry is *not*) does not limit bacterial growth, as
most ziplock baggies contain enough air to support a toxic population. BUt it
does limit further contamination. Even if you vacuum packed it (by sucking all
the air out with your mouth) there are still a number of bugs that thrive in
anaerobic environs (like your friend and mine, Corynebacterium, the botulism
bug. Of course, Corynebacterium is an intoxication, and not an infection, but
that's a whole separate topic...).

Take home message: (thank god, you say) You can eat just fine without putting
yourself at risk. If you must have meat, keep it at room temp as little as
possible, and frozen or cold as much as possible. Thorough cooking will destroy
most toxins, and most bugs, but does not guarentee sterility.

Thanks for your patience:
Anne-Marie
e-mail: [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan E. Quist)
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 16:29:50 GMT

>From what I've heard of early maritime service, the main difference between
sailors and (rowing) galley slaves is the chains.  The commander
probably wouldn't allow the time required to fish for the entire crew,
when they had perfectly good salted boot soles to eat.  That, and
depending on the mission of the ship (e.g., to seek out new civilizations...)
they may have had no guarantee of being in waters where they could
catch fish.  (If you happen to be fleeing the enemy armada, dragging
a net is right out.)
-- 
Jonathan E. Quist        [email-masked]       Lachman Technology, Incorporated
DoD #094, KotPP, KotCF '71 CL450-K4 "Gleep"                 Naperville, IL
 __       There's nothing quite like the pitter-patter of little feet,
 \/                   followed by the words "Daddy!  Yay!"

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From: [email-masked] (S. Kleinman)
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 20:29:32 GMT

The most basic and easy to travel provision of all has been forgotten:

Porridge! (Or oatmeal as it is mostly known in America)

Just carry some oats with you and cook with boiling water.  Flavour
it with whatever non spoilable things you like.  It may not be the
most appetising meal suggested recently, but I bet it's what a lot
of mediaeval travellers ate.  

To be authentically mediaeval, you might try frumenty, mediaeval
porridge.  There is a recipe in the recently published 'Medieval
Cookbook'.  I can't rember the name of the author or publisher,
but I have seen it in a lot of bookstores both here and in the
States.

-- 
    Scott Kleinman                                     [email-masked]

                   Tu le connais, lecteur, ce monstre delicat,
                    - Hypocrite lecteur, - mon semblable, - mon frere!