First Recipe from Libro di cucina/ Libro per cuoco, in parts

[raffaellasworld]

Cross posted from dreamwidth

I've actually started on the process of recreating this first recipe, but I've already hit a slight bump in the road. In this first recipe, there's an ingrediant I need to make before I can continue on, a recipe within a recipe if you will.

It mentions amido/starch, one pound of it to be exact. Fiamma was nice enough to find reference to it in Cindy Renfrow's glossery, http://www.thousandeggs.com/glossary.html:
* Amydone, amidon , amidum= Starch from wheat or rye. Basically, wheat (or rye, rice) is soaked in water for several days; the water must be changed several times. Then the wheat is pounded and put into water again. This mash is filtered somehow and dried in the sun. The result seems to be starch that must be powdered again before it is put to use.

As rice was one of the options listed, I decided to use an arborio rice and measured out 2 cups rice to 2 cups water in a clear airtight container. Over the course of a week I changed the water 4 times, trying to drain it as completely as possible and replacing the same amount of water.

The issue is, it seems to have fermented. When I took it out and started to grind it in my mortar and pestle it smelled so off to me I just tossed it all. I'm not sure if it was a factor of the container being airtight, or that I should have been changing the water morning and night and not gone for a full week. I'll definitely be experimenting further, perhaps with a clay pot, and/ or for a shorter time.

Comments

Amido

[lapioggia.livejournal.com]

Note that Amido could also be made from almonds for this time & place per Giambonino da Cremona. I'll send you an email later with a quick translation...

Re: Amido

[ayeshadream.livejournal.com]

As always, you rock harder than a porn star's bedsprings!!

You are made of awesome! :)

[ursula]

You can buy wheat starch from Middle Eastern grocery stores, if you don't want to make your own.

[ayeshadream.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of that, there's an awesome middle easter/east indian/asian/mexican/eastern european grocery store up by Eduardo's house, where I stock up on pomagranite molassas. Next time I'm up there I'll see if they've got any wheat starch.

Thank you!!

[fittzwm.livejournal.com]

Metropolitan Market also has pom molasses. Saar's has on occasion, too.

[ayeshadream.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check them out, especially if I can get it for a good price at Saar's! I see an ethnic food field trip in my future!

[countess-e.livejournal.com]

Is commercial rice flour just out of the question?

[ayeshadream.livejournal.com]

I think I'll try that too, in addition to wheat starch. I was just hoping to follow the recipe within a recipe as I had it, but I'd like to try different variations to see how it effects the final result.

[dame-eleanor.livejournal.com]

Fermented? Whee...you're half-way to sake...a fermented rice beer! Hurrr. I have directions in the event you should ever actually like to intentionally *make* sake... Just sayin'... ;>

Rice starch can be purchased from several sources, if you don't wish to go the whole soaking route. Artist supply houses carry it...probably the moste expensive option...and the Italians I believe use it as baby powder. :) Of course (we) Elizabethans use(d) it for stiffen ruffs, because of it's whiteness and the fact that it does not yellow as corn starch will.

All seriousness toward one side...aside from the smell, I wonder if the fermenting actually hurt the rice in any way. *looks thoughtful* It could be that the fermenting was breaking it down, and perhaps the smell would go with subsequent changes of water, and drying...?? Whatch think?

[ayeshadream.livejournal.com]

It was pretty whiffy (at least to me) as far as it was, but I'd imagine like any firmentation process it would eventually mellow. :)

I think I'll also be working with Sabin once she's past the mad rush of preparing for Kingdom A&S. I hadn't realized it but one of the big things she's been working on is a starch for book binding that sounds exactly like the preparation recommended here!

I'll definately be trying this again, both with pre-processed starch of wheat and rice, and some that I make myself using the historical method (or as close as I can get).

Ironically I think the final product will be fairly simple, like a gruel or porrage like you'd give a small child or invalid. :)

[j-i-m-r.livejournal.com]

You might want to also cross post this to left coast food to see if you get more helpful hints. Sounds like an interesting experiment. Please post more results as you progress with this.

[ayeshadream.livejournal.com]

Oooh, Good idea I don't know why I it didn't occur to me. :)