Pyegate!

[tartysuz]

Recently, a for-profit food website used a blogger's copyrighted recipe and article without permission. The blogger informed the publication that her work was posted without permission and was asked what she would like in restitution. She requested an apology and a $130 donation to the Columbia School of Journalism. She got a scathing reply from the editor who claimed that the Internet is public domain and that they were doing the blogger a favour by correcting the atrocious spelling.

Um, the recipes are from medieval cookbooks -- apparently, they couldn't spell for shit back then!

Anyway, prepare to be amused and horrified and terribly temped to bake these two apple pies!

Start with the CBC News piece, follow the links to illadore's blog, and check out the recipes in her original article.

Comments

[baker-kitty.livejournal.com]

I've been following the whole train-wreck since the beginning. It's amusing in a horrifying sort of way.

On the up side, it brought to my attention the pie recipes. Now while I used a modern crust (had leftover dough in the freezer), I made the filling for the 16th century tart and it's fabulous. :)

[tartysuz.livejournal.com]

They both interest me, but I'm glad to hear that at least one of them is tasty!

It's interesting that saffron was used in both. I guess it would have come from native gardens rather than international trade. I do like that the original article takes a kind of Marxist look at the development of the apple pie!

[baker-kitty.livejournal.com]

Saffron was rare and precious, and _only_ imported. The thing is, a tiny tiny amount of it made a huge difference. Given how expensive other spices were at the time, it was probably proportionately much less expensive than it is now. (i.e. now: out of sight expensive. Then: same price as any other spice)

[tartysuz.livejournal.com]

Good point about the spices pricing. Saffron is just really labour intensive, so it can't be less than a certain amount, but mass production of other spices, like salt and sugar, makes them really, really cheap in comparison.

[baker-kitty.livejournal.com]

And I love it: "Marxist look." So true!