hsifeng: (www.crackafuckingbook.com)
hsifeng ([personal profile] hsifeng) wrote2009-08-09 10:02 am
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Fun Idea for Food Workshop

From "Dining With William Shakespeare" by Madge Lorwin, page 401:

"At Christmas bread bakers sometimes added sugar and currants to bread dough and made little roly-poly figures, with currants for eyes, for the children of their customers. They were not supposed to do this sort of thing, for, according to the statues governing the various baking crafts, anything made with sugar and fruit was the preserve of the pastry cooks. There were numerous complaints against bread bakers who made the little 'Yulebabies' by pastry cooks, who, like all craftsmen, jealously defended their own jurisdictional rights."

I just love the idea of making 'Yulebabies' for an upcoming Yule event - or to hand out as samples at a food workshop. So cute! :)

EDIT: Another fun notion for Elizabethan and earlier feasting from 'Fabulous Feasts' by Madeleine Pelner Cosman, page 18:

"Sometimes small flat platters called roundels, made of porcelaine or stiff paper, were served with the last course of the feast. When the food was eaten, each guest turned over his roundel to find written on the reverse a text or poem of bawdy phrase which required an improvised setting and singing."

Apparently there is a 'delightful set' of these roundel that were created for Queen Elizabeth which are discussed by Curt Buhler in 'Renaissance News 9' (1956), 146f

[identity profile] kimikosews.livejournal.com 2009-08-10 12:08 am (UTC)(link)
*snerk* I tried a period recipe once, and no one wanted to find out what was under the nice pie crust but me. Delicious meat dish, but a waste of good food.

[identity profile] hsifeng.livejournal.com 2009-08-10 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
That is why we host OUR friends at OUR table. The people I am thinking of are food pussies...*grin*

[identity profile] kimikosews.livejournal.com 2009-08-10 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
Sure then. 12th Night it is, with a period dish (now to find a period dish I want to cook).

And I will bring home made soap balls to properly wash our hands before and after our meal. Something I learned from Bess at CoCo. And she's graciously allowing me to teach about the Unwashed Tudors myths at RenSymp!

[identity profile] hsifeng.livejournal.com 2009-08-10 12:30 am (UTC)(link)
Excellent! I have table clothes and wash towels as well as salt cellars and olive oil & vinegar dispensers.