Strange feeling and looking ahead

I've just deleted my LJ.

I know everything I've posted in the past is here, as are all comments. It just feels very weird nevertheless. It was the blog I started with all those many years ago.

On another note, I am wondering if I should merge the wordpress account I am keeping for my SCA exploits with this journal here (not that the SCA wordpress has many entries anyway) to consolidate, as it were, my internet presence and blogging activity.

Since at the moment I have exactly one reader (Hello!) and am keeping the blog for myself, much in the way of an internal monologue, I think I'll do it. And make a SCA-specific icon too.

In other news, I've already got a bread on the rise, and plan to make some cake later (possibly seedcake unless maybe apple). Man I love having a three-day weekend.

That SCA Thing

Society of Creative Anachronism. The Middle Ages like they were supposed to be (so, minus the wars and plagues and death at an early age etc), from 600 to 1600. Not re-enactment, which is a lot more period specific and a lot more strict, and not, on the other end of the spectrum, LARP, which is, let's face it, fantasy. Both re-enactment and LARP are great, and in another reality I might have ended up in either of those two, but the people who had a booth at the London Worldcon in 2014 were SCA. I put my name and email down on their sign-up sheet, was invited to the next Revel, and the rest, no pun intended, is history.

What being a part of the SCA does for you, apart from meeting cool people (and the occasional oddball), feasting and carousing, is that it not only opens doors, it runs up to them and kicks them so hard that the doors fly off the hinges.

I've cooked and baked medieval food (and on one memorable occasion baked a baker's dozen of bread loaves). I've learned medieval dances and songs. I've started to do embroidery, and am starting to learn illumination and calligraphy. I've spent a week in a tent at a Welsh castle ruin with dozens of others, wearing period clothes and generally being medievally awesome. I've rekindled and relit my interest in history, and (to the delight of my mother) am focussing on Czech medieval history, specifically the early 15th century. I will sew my own dress (Me! Can you imagine.) The SCA isn't just one hobby, it is a space where you can use and transform your hobbies and skills, and learn new things.

Anyway, enough gushing.

I've checked my SCA blog, and the only thing that is worth moving over are the recipes, which I will do in the coming days.

Three-day weekend, huzzah!

Stone Age Flatbread

(originally posted June 2016)

Taken from Jaqui Wood, “Prehistoric Cooking”, The History Press 2011.

100g oatmeal
100g flour (she calls for barley flour, I used plain white for the first try)
20g butter
salt
milk to mix

Mix the flours together, rub in the butter, add the salt. Mix to a soft dough with the milk.
Form into small (and flat!) cakes and cook on a hot griddle until firm and brown.

Has a nice, nutty flavour; goes well with butter and cheese. Also a good addition to a soup or stew.

Addendum: Upon experimentation, the butter is not needed, milk will do fine. The mixture mustn't be too dry. Seeds (nuts, sesame...) and flavourings (coriander, caraway, dried herbs...) can be added for taste variations.

I've been doing these a couple of times now on weekends, and they're really good.

Pork and Ale Stew

(originally posted June 2016)

Basic recipe from “Prehistoric Cooking” by Jaqui Wood, The History Press 2011.

(for 2 people)

2 loin of pork
4 apples
1 bunch of chives
500g peas (I used a can; frozen or fresh would be better)
1 bottle of brown ale (I used Newcastle Brown Ale, other ales are available)
Salt and pepper to taste, a little vinegar or lemon juice

Brown the pork. Add the chopped apples, chives and peas, and cover with the beer. Let it stew until the liquid has halfway evaporated and the pork is tender. Serve with bread.

The combination of apples and ale gives this stew a sweet and slightly bitter taste. I added a little bit of vinegar to soften the sweetness, which depending on the apples used may or may not be needed.

Lenticula: Lentils with lemon and ground coriander

(originally posted June 2016)

taken from from Mark Grant: Roman Cookery, Serif 2008; original recipe by Anthimus in “On Foods”

200g lentils (he uses Puy, I used ordinary lentils)
1 tsp red vine vinegar (I only had white wine vinegar but I added a dash of red wine)
2 tsp sumac
1 slice of lemon
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp ground coriander
salt

Boil the lentils in water for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain off the water, add the seasonings, cover with water and let simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes.

Add more vinegar, sumac and coriander to taste, a pinch of brown sugar to round it.

A nice, sour and spicy lentil dish. For meat eaters, I am sure some sausages on the side would do well. Serve with bread.

Tastes even better the next day.

Henne in Bokenade

(originally posted October 2016)

Original recipe from godecookery.com.

I made it from two chicken thighs (with skin and bones), no added chicken stock; replaced the hyssop (which I didn’t have) with a bit of mint and sumac; took the red wine vinegar option; no saffron. Since I had dried herbs I put them in while cooking, same with the spices because I think it imparts more flavour when herbs and spices are put in while cooking and not at the end.

The bread is half rye half plain flour with black and white sesame seeds and caraway.

Very yummy indeed!