Re-think... on sauces

(Jan. 2nd, 2010)

After trying to categorize sauces, I have concluded that it would be too difficult as even sauces baring the same name can have too many differences to find a reason to call it that and not by another name to which it may resemble more.

Look at Cameline for instance, I have seen nice and tidy descriptions for it yet it seems to range from hot and sour to almost a sweet and sour, both notably with cinnamon, some ginger and sometime cloves and peppery spices as well as some salt. 'Sweeter' versions including some sugar, sometimes fruit.
And yes, I tried variations of the hot/sour and it is certainly hot/sour, but not in the way I am used to.

Also, white, black, red and yellow sauces... seem to be as much about the colour as the flavour... on reading many of them, it seems the creator wanted a certain colour and then had to find a way to make it work.

It's like I just read that recipe... book after book, from 14th century up to the end of the 16th, it was like I was reading the same thing over and over... and only really skimmed through half my pile at this point!
What I'd like to do on getting them charted (already begun with notes) is simply country/date/recipe name then with stuff such as egg (some just say egg *shrugs*), egg yolk, egg yolk-hard, white bread, crust, toast, blackened bread, syrup thickened, almond crushed (blanched, toasted, skin on), almond milk, dairy milk, broth, wine, must 'syrup', verjuice, vinegar... any fruit or vegetable base, proteins... stuff like that.

I'd like to first do up an initial list in order of date (look for trends, comparisons etc.) and then copy/paste items in another list by name (for comparison).

Seeing making sauces in your future?... you will possibly be doing a lot of making bread crumbs and slices... and toast... as well as straining lots of soggy bread. Also expect to be hard-boiling eggs, grinding almonds, making almond milk... obtaining broth (that isn't too salty), mixing and grinding spices, making sugar syrups, chopping lots of onions, roasting poultry livers and straining veggies and fruit... have fun ;)

woops: note for myself... and not to forget what sauce is suggested for what, or if it has no suggestion (there is a large enough number that doesn't)