tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400689295697249280.post4974394312644068020..comments2024-03-22T13:21:29.168-04:00Comments on I'm Living History: Historical Cooking: The Steep Part of the CurveAlenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653469207935707496noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400689295697249280.post-85479989031063306172010-09-04T22:15:15.892-04:002010-09-04T22:15:15.892-04:00Alana, You write, "Moving forward from now on...Alana, You write, "Moving forward from now on I will not use modern recipes," and yet, you end with, "Do you know any modernization of that recipe" [apple slices in a beer batter]. No, no, no! As someone who does alot of historic cooking, I say STICK to original recipes ONLY! When I first started, I had virtually no experience with modern cooking, either, and I'm convinced that was the BEST preparation for historic cooking, because then I was a blank slate. I had no bad habits to unlearn, no qualms about NOT being able to use modern gadgets, etc. It does take time and practice. But I think it's better to spend time on the originals then to waste it on modern versions, basically duplicating efforts. I now find modern recipes nigh impossible to understand! Anyway...that's my two cents worth. BTW I like your list of dishes. What fun!Carolinahttp://www.historiccookery.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400689295697249280.post-43590996941976039602010-09-02T09:26:58.217-04:002010-09-02T09:26:58.217-04:00Hi David,
You are right that justifying a modern r...Hi David,<br />You are right that justifying a modern recipe is not a great way to go about reenacting history, but when I started I knew all the ingredients were correct. So changing your analogy slightly, it was like knowing there is a pizza place on Main St, then driving up and down Main St until you find it.<br /><br />Moving forward from now on I will not use modern recipes. But last year I was completely new to historical cooking, with not even much experience in modern cooking. I am very glad I started with a recipe with step-by-step directions, where all the processes were explained in an articulate way. Which is more than can be said for most of the modern books containing old recipes, and especially of the original recipes themselves.<br /><br />I will definitely have to try apple slices in a beer batter. Do you know of any modernization of that recipe?Alenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05653469207935707496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400689295697249280.post-29546010506935935592010-09-02T01:36:19.040-04:002010-09-02T01:36:19.040-04:00"While I was tracking down sources I was look..."While I was tracking down sources I was looking in particular for ways to justify the Alton Brown Lamb and Barley stew recipe that I’d made last year, "<br /><br />Let me suggest that that approach, although very common (at least in the SCA) is backwards. It's rather like ordering a pizza by calling a random phone number in the hope it will turn out to be a pizza place. There is, after all, no good reason to assume that a modern recipe, even a very tasty one, is also a period recipes. <br /><br />Better, surely, to do what you also seem to have been doing--look through the period cookbooks to find recipes that you think you would like.<br /><br />On the subject of fritters ... . One of my favorites is Lente Frytoures from _Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books_. Apple slices in a beer batter.David Friedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06543763515095867595noreply@blogger.com