Re: conlang cooking

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Cowan" <jcowan@...>

> Sally Caves scripsit:
>
> > So far,
> > however, the last two times I've used it I got terrible intestinal
cramps,
> > which seems odd because I had no symptoms the first two times I used it.
>
> Rue is toxic, although in small doses it can be used for gas pains and
> colickyness,
I suppose by clearing the entire colon out! <G>

> and there is a tradition of using it "to clear the eyesight"
> and "to bring on menstruation", which I suppose means it was (thought to
be)
> an abortifacient.
Exactly.  Everywhere I read about it on-line, this is the word that was
used.  Interestingly, parsley is also supposedly an abortifacient, and I've
heard "wives-tale" instructions about how a pregnant woman should'nt eat it.
But apparently its toxic qualities are far less than that of rue.  What a
pity that rue is toxic!  It really adds a new taste to foods in tiny
qualities.  It's so hard these days to come up with a novel food for your
conlang, given the easy access we have in America to world foods.

> Sources agree: never use more than one leaf.
> Personally I would avoid it altogether.
I used about three, and shredded them up.

> > The rue leaf smells like bitter peach, and has a strange, oily,
> > unclassifiable taste that pleases me.
>
> There are methylketones (which is probably what you taste) and various
> alkaloids known and unknown in it.  Of course, as a natural product,
> the strength varies unpredictably.
I think what happened is that when I was first using rue (I planted it in my
herb garden), I used the tender new spring leaves.  These had no effect on
me.  Later in the summer, though, when the leaves were larger and oilier,
they made me sick.  What other (edible) plants use methylketones?

Sally Caves
Lis teuim, etc.  or rather, etc. lis teuim  (OSV language)

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