Study up the test is coming… No it’s not, but this is sort of interesting.

I just bought the Winter 2007 issue of Gastronomica. There is a funny piece by Mark Morton entitled “Cockeram’s Cookery.” Cockeram seems to have been a crazy fellow, long on words. In 1623 (7 years after Shakespeare’s death), this Cockeram fellow published an English dictionary (the title is something in itself with over 50 words in it!). The food words mentioned are a great hoot, or at least I thought so– I shared them with D (aka Mr. Latin these days) who pooh poohed each word with a cutting: “Whatever! these people just took their Latin dictionaries and combined words to form new ones.”

Yes, this might be true. Admitted by Cockeram himself who acknowledges that these words may have been used by “too many who study rather to bee heard speake, than to understand themselves.” Regardless, I think some are humorous. Here’s a start to to get you all studying, more to come…

exenterate- “to take out the bowels of beasts”

ingluvious- “gluttonous”

voracitie- “excessive eating”

poliphage- “an extraorinarie eater”

goliardize “he that hath a large mouth” derived from goliard, the name of a kind of medieval court jester.

My own dentist told me that I am goliardized, and as such, do not need my wisdom teeth removed. I responded that it’s true, many people tell me I have a big mouth– I get into a lot of trouble, quite the goliard of sorts.

Can you use these terms in extraordinarie ways??? I’m a real fan of ingluvious. I think it sounds best when said with a British accent with stress on “in.”

The City Gardener is back this year and better than ever– well, we’ll see about that. I am hoping the last freeze has past– a wicked hail storm last week makes me glad I didn’t go out planting when it was 70 degrees F the week before. What a way to kill the greens. It’s a mild 54 today so I did some preliminary indoor work: thyme, lettuce leaf basil, lavender and a little cat nip. We’ll see how it develops in the kitchen window (above).

Seeds from Baker Creek arrived a few weeks back: Oriole Orange Swiss Chard, Sugar Snap Peas, Curly Endive and Rocket Arugula. No tomatoes since I don’t really get enough sun and the squirrels and old women tend to be a nuisance. I also threw in some Sunchokes that my uncle in California sent over. They look pretty undesirable from above ground so I shouldn’t have a problem.

A local composting friend is so kind as to donate me a bucket of compost. Once it gets granny carted over… let the gardening begin!

Cookies are a relaxing thing to cook for me. They are comforting and delicious and can usually be made fairly quickly. The bonus is that you know they will be delicious.

To make myself feel better I called these, “healthy cookies.” They are full of almonds and egg whites and have very little flour– the dessert version of ordering an egg white omelette I’d say. They are delicate yet filling and go nicely with an afternoon tea or coffee. Another plus, they are another winner from The Cook’s Book.

Tuiles means tile in French and refers to the old curved roof tiles that are layered on homes.

Almond Tuiles Cookies
Serving Size= 25 large cookies. Active time= about 8 minutes. Inactive time= about 12 hours
* 1-1/3 cups sliced almonds
* 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 drops of vanilla extract or 2 pinches vanilla powder
* drop of bitter almond extract
* 2 egg whites
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2-1/2 tablespoons cake or pastry flour

1) Using a rubber spatula, mix the almonds, sugar, vanilla extract or powder, bitter almond extract, and egg whites together in a bowl.
2) Melt the butter gently and, while it is still warm, pour it into the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3) The next day, sift the flour into the bowl and mix in thoroughly. Place teaspoonfulls of the dough on a nonstick baking sheet, spaced well apart.
4) Preheat the oven to 300F. Flatten each cookie with the back of a large spoon dipped in cold water, then bake for 15-18 minutes. The cookies should be an even golden color with no white in the center.
5) Remove the cookies from the baking sheet using a metal spatula and slide into a sheet of parchment paper. Let cool.
Note on Shaped Tuiles: For the traditional roof-tile shape, lift each cookie off the baking sheet with a metal spatula and, while still hot, drape it over a [clean] wine bottle or rolling pin. Let cool and set.