December 2007 #3

Honey glazed Tarsk roasted with cloves nutmeg and molasses and candied tospit

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Quotes from the books:

Tarsk: "Still later that afternoon some groups of small, fat, grunting, bristly, brindled, shaggy-maned, hoofed, flat-snouted, rooting animals had been herded in, also with pointed sticks, and they, too, had been guided into identical cages. We had looked out of our cage, our fingers hooked in the mesh, to the other cages, some of them with girls in them, some with the fat, flat-snouted, grunting, short-legged, brindled quadrupeds. "Those are tarsks," said one of the Gorean girls." (Dancer of Gor, page 108)

Turian Wine: I did not much care for the sweet, syrupy wines of Turia, flavored and sugared to the point where one could almost leave one's fingerprint on their surface."
pages 83-84, Nomads of Gor

Kort: ...and korts, a large brownish-skinned, thick-skinned, sphere shaped vegetable, usually some six inches in width, the interior of which is yellow, fibrous, and heavily seeded. Tribesmen of Gor, p 37

Tospit: The common tospit almost invariably has an odd number of seeds. On the other hand the rare, long-stemmed tospit usually has an even number of seeds. Both fruits are indistinguishable outwardly. I could see that, perhaps by accident, the tospit which Kamchak had thrown me had had the stem twisted off. It must be then, I surmised, the rare, long-stemmed tospit. Nomads of Gor, 12:149

Rence Cloth: The plant has many uses besides serving as a raw product in the manufacture of rence paper. The root, which is woody and heavy, is used for certain wooden tools and utensils, which can be carved from it; also, when dried, it makes a good fuel; from the stem the rence growers can make reed boats, sails, mats, cords and a kind of fibrous cloth; Raiders
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Prepare the hank of Tarsk. Rub the outside of the meat with a thick glaze of crushed cloves, honey, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place the tarsk in a deep roasting pan. Fill the pan with 2 mugs of turian wine, 1 mug of water, a spoonful of thick honey, a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon, a dash of salt and pepper, 2 korts cut into thin wedges, 3 turnips and 1 yellow squash cut into small chunks, 2 mugs each of cut up carrots, sweet peas, and onions, and 1 minced up head of garlic. Place the pan in the oven over low heat and roast until the vegetables are tender and juicy. Baste often keeping the vegetables and meat covered in the thick bubbly sauce.

While the meat is roasting prepare the dessert. Slice 2 tospits into small slices and place them in a bowl. In a shallow bowl add a little sul paga and molasses, and mix well. In another shallow bowl add cinnamon, white sugar, and nutmeg and mix well. On the stove heat a small amount of palm oil in a shallow pan. (Warning: watch this oil carefully; the slightest over heat can cause it to catch flame. Keep a basket of sa tarna flour on hand to douse the flame should this happen.) When the oil is hot dip a slice of tospit in the bowl of sugared paga, and then in the bowl of spices and lay it carefully in the hot oil. Repeat until the pan is full. Allow the tospit to cook for a minute and then flip it over in the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Cook for another minute and remove the tospit from the oil and place on a plate covered with rence cloth. Allow the fruit to cool then arrange the slices neatly on a plate and garnish with mint.

When the tarsk is fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven. After begging permission to use a sharp knife slice several thick pieces of tarsk and lay them on a plate. Add a large scoop of the sweetened vegetables along side the tarsk and garnish the plate with a bed of fresh turpah, a sprig of mint, and a few cloves.