Kildonan Times issue 31 October 2002

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MEDIEVAL FOODS

TO STEW FILLETS OF BEEF

This is very similar to the popular German dish, sauerbraten.

1/2 lb of beef per person
burgundy wine
fresh parsley (1 bunch for every 5 lbs of beef)
fresh rosemary (1 stem for every 5 lbs of beef)
mace (1 tsp for every 3 lbs of beef)
salt (to taste)
1 sliced lemon for every 3 lbs of beef (this can really vary depending on taste)

1. Brown the beef in butter.
2 . Layer beef, parsley, rosemary, mace, and lemons in roasting pan.
3. Pour enough heavy (burgundy, merlot) red wine into pan to cover meat.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 3-4 hours, or until liquid is half gone or beef is to desired tenderness.
5. Serve hot

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GLOSSARY

I have had requests for definitions of some of the words I use in the text. The identification behind each word in parentheses indicates either the word is derived from a similar word in an older language, or that the word is used today in that language. Also, there are some words in the book that I just plain made up out of my head- (identified as "mine.") If you want to know about a certain word, please email me at clovenstone@aol.com, or look it up in your dictionary.

cailleach: (Scottish/Irish) an old woman, a crone, In mythology, the cailleach is an old woman with various qualities such as a corn witch or the maker of weather.

caudle (Old French) A hot drink made with thin gruel, wine or ale, sweetened and spiced, sometimes with an egg yolk stirred in. A "comfort food," given in hospitality, as a sleeping draught, to the sick and women in child bed, or to visitors of the sick.

caul: a close-fitting women’s cap of lace or netting, sometimes heavily ornamented

crowdie: Lowland Scots for a mix of coarse oatmeal with milk or water and served hot or cold.

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NOTES

GOBLINS

"Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out! "

The goblins, the Bogeyman, Bogy, Boogerman, Booman, Bog, Bogiebeast are English nursery supernaturals used to frighten children into good behavior. Americans often call them "Boogymen." Traditionally, the Bogies are a type of goblin. They are usually pictured as grotesque creatures with swollen bodies and stick-like arms and legs. Often they are black and hairy. If a child is bad, a Bogeyman might steal him out of his bed at night, never to be seen again. Bogies inhabit dark corners, dark yards, and dark woods. They are usually more mischievous than demonic, though there are some that are reputed to skin children, scatter their bones, and hang their skins from trees. Bogie goblins have also been known to eat bad children.

"Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers, --
An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!
An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,
An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout: --
An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;
An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,
She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away, --
You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,
Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!"

(This poem, "Little Orphant Annie" was originally published by James Whitcomb Riley in the Indianapolis Journal in 1885 with the title "The Elf Child.")

Have YOU been good today??? If not, you'd better not go to bed tonight. Especially if it's Hallowe'en!!!

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HERBS

In my discussions of herbs in all the issues of Kildonan Times, I present only general information. It is not intended to be a guide for the use of the herbs. If you wish to use any of the herbs described in Kildonan Times, consult an herbalist or a definitive guide book to using herbs.

caraway: Evidence has been found that caraway seeds were used more than 5,000 years ago. They appear in Egyptian texts in 1500 B.C., in European medicinal texts very early on, and in Form of Cury, written by Richard II's cook in 1390. I have used several translated recipes from Form of Cury in the Kildonan Times.

The seeds can be crushed and steeped in water or milk to make a drink that is favored for gas, indigestion, and baby colic. Chewing caraway seeds after a meal promotes digestion and freshens the breath.

In the kitchen, caraway can be used everywhere. Rye bread comes to mind first when a person thinks of caraway seed. My grandmother used to get a rye bread that was not only full of caraway seeds, but had a crust of them on the top of the loaf. It was wonderful. Caraway seeds are popular in cabbage salads and sauerkraut. I have a recipe for cabbage soup that calls for caraway seeds, and I put lots in. Caraway is also a popular spice for fish dishes. It is good with meats, beans, eggs, all vegetables, and in soups and salads.

The whole plant is edible. The leaves are used in salads, particularly fruit salads. Caraway has a long tap root, something like burdock (July, 2002). Treat the root as you do parsnip. It can be eaten raw, sauteed, steamed, or added to casseroles, stews, soups.

**************
daisy: Though there are many flowers that look like daisies, I'm talking here of the plain old ubiquitous lawn daisy, or English daisy, Bellis perennis.

The leaves and white petals can be tossed in salads, or the leaves can be cooked for greens.

Daisies are better known for their medicinal qualities. Traditionally, daisies were used in ointments for wounds and bruises. If, on the battlefield, an ointment was not available, ever-present fresh daisy leaves and flowers were applied to the wound. A flower tea has been used to treat eczema, and also in the bath to revive tired skin.

Daisies are best known, though, by lovers. They sit under trees and make daisy chains for each other. The lonely lover seeks comfort by pulling the petals off the daisy, one by one. "She loves me, she loves me not."

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

My basic herb reference books for the herbs I use either for food or medicine in Clovenstone and Stones Seven are: The Herb Book by John Lust (Bantam Books), Brother Cadfael's Herb Garden by Robin Whitman (Bullfinch Press) and Herbs by Lesley Bremness (DK Publishing).

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A FEW THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR (me, Ruth)

We traveled along the Mackenzie River in Oregon in August, following its path through the Cascade Mountains. Mountain peaks, some snow-covered, and forests of fir trees that touched the sky bordered our route. The tumbling river went with us. We came into the town of Sisters, a little town of 900 permanent residents, and lots of tourists. Picturesque touristy shops with billowy hanging baskets and mounded beds of flowers decorating them lined the route.

We drove out of Sisters — into high desert. Gone were the towering pines and firs. Sagebrush and bitterbrush gave a low bushy texture to a land suddenly gone dry. The snow-covered peaks receded to the horizon to be replaced by dun-colored arid hills. We went to a natural history museum to learn about the high desert regions. It was a different world, a different natural beauty.

On this four month trip, we've been buffeted by winds along the ocean bluffs of the Pacific coast, lulled by the peaceful miles of wheat and corn in Iowa and Nebraska, intimidated by the narrow road along steep canyon walls of Fraser Canyon in the rain, awed by the many cacti and the endless expanse of the southwestern desert. On a smaller scale, we've passed, noted, and remarked a thousand styles of homes and farms; fields of goats, sheep, or llamas; bridges covered and uncovered; straw baled, rolled, or in mows; picturesque villages and trashy towns. We've met friendly people, unique people, and rude people. An almost infinite variety of what makes our world has enriched our days.

Variety truly is the spice of life. Being in unfamiliar places or situations forces one to cope, to think, to react. Gone is the lethargy of routine. Not everyone is going to climb into a van and drive all over the countryside, not everyone even wants to get in a van and drive all over the country. But any time you put yourself in a new situation - different place, new people - even if it's just volunteering at the local hospital, you add variety to your life. You learn. You have fun. You enlarge your world.

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WEBSITES TO EXPLORE

Here's a really fun website to browse around in. It answered one question for me right away. I had read that Cornelian Cherry was grown in medieval herb gardens. Never heard of it. This website had the answer. I'll let you look it up for yourself. :)

Food Reference Site: Cooking & Kitchen Facts & …

http://www.foodreference.com/html/triviatips.html
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Happy Hallowe'en! This is the greatest website! It's for the whole family. There's the histories of Hallowe'en and of Mexico's Days of the Dead. There's pictures to print and color. There's recipes, decoration ideas, music, crafts, stories, greeting cards, and books, all about Hallowe'en.

Halloween on the Net (Days of the Dead - Los Di…

http://www.holidays.net/halloween/

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And, as always, tell your aunts, uncles, cousins and friends about Clovenstone. Give them an adventure!

Good Fate Be Yours —
Ruth

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