If I have to eat one more sweetmeat I'll scream!

[lior_shapira]

I've just been reading Shemeska's excellent Planescape story hour, and reached a part where the heroes get to rest for a bit (06-09-04) and eat. I had a feeling it was going to happen and then... it did. The familiar of one of the characters started eating a plate of sweetmeats. What is sweetmeats? who invented this food? In countless fantasy novels I've read the heroes go to a fair and start chewing on sweetened meat like there's no tommorow! (see Recluce series by L.E.Modesitt, The wheel of time by Robert "57,000 books in the series and counting" jordan, and almost any other fantasy novel you can get your hands on).
I for one, don't like sweet meat, give me a good steak, some fried chicken, some good stew, just don't make it taste like candy!

So what do you think? do your characters like sweetmeat or have they vowed to hunt down this culinary disaster?

lior

 

[whydirt]

I always thought sweetmeat was polite shorthand for a Halfling steak

 

[Arkhandus]

LOL.......but no.

Sweatmeats is a term used to describe pastries and such, possibly including pie.

Sweatbreads is used to describe delectable meat dishes.

Odd huh? But true.

And yeah, Shemeska's Planescape Storyhour is great. {:^D Tristol's familiar is a silly one too......

 

[Bagpuss]

Yeah, sweetmeats aren't even meats at all, they are confectionary or sweet food.

They really should be eating sweetbread which is the thymus gland (or occasionally the pancreas) of an animal cooked as food.

Here's some Sweetbread recipes.

A SWEETBREAD is the thymus gland of lamb or calf, but in cookery, veal sweetbreads only are considered. It is prenatally developed, of unknown function, and as soon as calf is taken from liquid food it gradually disappears. Pancreas, stomach sweetbread, is sold in some sections of the country, but in our markets (Boston) this custom is not practised. Sweetbreads are a reputed table delicacy, and a valuable addition to the menu of the convalescent.
A sweetbread consists of two parts, connected by tubing and membranes. The round, compact part is called the heart sweetbread, as its position is nearer the heart; the other part is called the throat sweetbread. When sweetbread is found in market separated, avoid buying two of the throat sweetbreads, as the heart sweetbread is more desirable.
Sweetbreads spoil very quickly. They should be removed from paper as soon as received from market, plunged into cold water and allowed to stand one hour, drained, and put into acidulated salted boiling water then allowed to cook slowly twenty minutes; again drained, and plunged into cold water, that they may be kept white and firm. Sweetbreads are always parboiled in this manner for subsequent cooking.

Broiled Sweetbread
Parboil a sweetbread, split cross-wise, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil five minutes. Serve with Lemon Butter.

Creamed Sweetbread
Parboil a sweetbread, and cut in one-half inch cubes, or separate in small pieces. Reheat in one cup White Sauce II. Creamed Sweetbread may be served on toast, or used as filling for patty cases or Swedish Timbales.

Creamed Sweetbread and Chicken
Reheat equal parts of cold cooked chicken, and sweetbread cut in dice, in White Sauce II.

Sweetbread à la Poulette
Reheat sweetbread, cut in cubes, in one cup Béchamel Sauce.

Sweetbreads, Country Style
Parboil sweetbreads, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dredge with flour. Arrange in baking-dish, brush over with melted butter, allowing two tablespoons to each pair of sweetbreads, and cover with thin slices fat salt pork. Bake in a hot oven over twenty-five minutes, basting twice during the cooking, and remove pork during the last five minutes of the cooking.

 

[Torm]

Not that odd, when you consider that the insides of any given fruit or vegetable can also be called the "meat" of it.

I'll admit, though, that I always thought this referred to actual animal meat that had been prepared in a candy-like sauce - pineapple chicken, cherry beef, etc. type stuff. Stuff I actually like in the real world, now and then.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Never really thought about it, I took it for granted that everyone knew it was "finger food" pastries, cookies, candy and such. It was always part of my culture, old southern family.

 

[Gentlegamer]

"Meat" actually means "food." So anything that can be eaten is meat. It is usually mistaken for a synonym for "flesh."

 

[Shemeska]

I'm flattered

And yes, I find the term 'sweetmeats' to be odd and almost out of place (considering I mostly grew up in the southern US). I've usually heard it used in British English, or older American English writing, and as such it fits neatly into the pseudo victorian style of portions of Sigil's culture.

Mixing sugar and meat for a literal translation of the phrase strikes me as icky. Blech...

 

[Krieg]

Perhaps I can interest you in some Turkish Delight?

 

[Shemeska]

They really should be eating sweetbread which is the thymus gland (or occasionally the pancreas) of an animal cooked as food.

Hey, Bagpuss, where did you find those recipies and details on what sweetbread was? I'm just curious as to how old it was since it mentioned "of unknown function" regarding the thymus. We know very much what it does, at least now.