3 cup water
1 lb fruit, dried (mixed, pears, figs, apricots and
1 cup prunes, pitted
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup sweet cherries pitted
2 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, sliced
6 cloves, whole
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange
1/2 cup grapes, pomegranate seeds, or pitte, d plums
3/4 cup brandy
Directions
Combine water, mixed dry fruits, prunes and raisins in
a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients. Bring
to a boil, cover and then simmer for about 20 minutes
(or until the fruit is plump and tender). Add
cherries, apples and cranberries. Stir in sugar, lemon
and spices. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Grate orange peel and set aside. Peel and section the
orange (removing the skin and white membrane). Add to
fruits in kettle. Stir in grapes and brandy. Bring
just to boiling and then remove from heat. Stir in
the orange peel, cover and let stand 15 minutes.
NOTES:
* 12-fruit compote with spirits -- This recipe could
be used as part of a 12- course meal known in Polish
as Wigilia, or on its own. Wigilia is eaten after
sundown on Christmas Eve.
: Difficulty: easy.
: Time: 1 hour.
: Precision: No need to measure.
: Original recipe passed down through the generations
and translated from Polish into English (with a few
mods) by Edward Chrzanowski : MFCF, University of
Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada :
echrzanowski@watmath.waterloo.edu or
{ihnp4,allegra,utzoo}!watmath!echrzanowski
: Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust
Servings: 12 servings
Kompot W Spirytusie Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Polish
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to trace the history of transcribed cooking instructions far back into antiquity, in fact as far as the early Egyptians, and possibly even further. However, sadly, these early recipes were just very simple hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to historians are some tablets in Sumerian which recount the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making people feel blissful. During Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a few documents showing how to cook the recipes enjoyed by wealthy Romans. In his works, he tells us how the roman meals were split into hors d`oeuvres, entrees and afters, something that is very familiar to us today. Additionally, he recounts how the early Romans used a wide range of spices and herbs, including many that are still in use today like basil, mint and asafoetida. Closer to modern times, we find a couple of books which were published in the fourteenth century - one book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary titled `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these books are nothing to do with the spicy food that appears on menues today, but instead accounts of the types of food prepared by the cooks of the rich and wealthy people of that time. Later, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back a variety of foods and herbs from Arab countries, including coriander, parsley, and rosemary. The introduction of these new culinary ideas created a surge in manuscripts on cookery, some of which are kept safe in private libraries. During the succeeding few centuries, the powerful and wealthy strove to serve the most extravagent meals, and as a consequence, the best cooks and their recipes were much in demand. However, it wasn`t until the 1800s that cooking and recipe publications became popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated their lives to assembling, testing, and recording recipes that were common in the better off homes of the day. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cook books were greatly in demand mostly as a result of more people being able to read, more leisure time and having more money. Like it or not, the introduction of TV gave us TV chefs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. Which brings us neatly to the present day and the invention of the internet, permitting everybody to search through thousands of recipes just like those on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Kompot W Spirytusie recipe.
