A Hymn to Human Resourcefulness: Poor Student Pie

Simple kefir pie with jam

You can make a pie for tea with jam according to this recipe using acidified kefir, and add any jam to your liking.

Required Products:

• two eggs;
• 2 cups of flour;
• 120 grams of sugar;
• 0.25 liters of kefir;
• 250 grams of jam;
• 0.4 kg flour;
• spoon of soda.

Cooking process:

1. Mix the eggs with sugar well, pour in jam and kefir, and then add flour and soda, bringing everything until smooth.
2. Transfer to a baking dish and keep in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees.

Watch this video on YouTube

Recipe for lush baked goods in the oven

Another option for making a lush kefir pie. It also turns out to be very crumbly and aromatic.

Required Products:

• a pinch of salt;
• 0.2 liters of kefir;
• three eggs;
• 200 grams of sugar;
• a glass of jam;
• one and a half spoons of baking powder;
• a large spoon of starch;
• 0.45 kg flour;
• 0.1 liters of vegetable oil.

Cooking process:

1. Place eggs, salt, sugar in a bowl and bring to foam with a mixer.
2. Add vegetable oil, then kefir and mix well.
3. Add flour, baking powder, and lightly whisk until fluffy.
4. We put part of the dough in the mold, coat it with jam, sprinkle it with starch to make it a little thicker, and put the remaining dough on top again.
5. Cook the pie in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Decoration of the finished dish

When the cake has cooled completely, you can sprinkle it generously with powdered sugar, living up to the name. If you have thick jam (orange or strawberry) in stock, you can spread it in a thin layer on top of the pie. The “poor student” can become richer if the cake is cut lengthwise into two layers and sandwiched with sour cream.

It’s also simple to prepare: beat one glass of sour cream or heavy cream with a mixer into a fluffy foam, gradually adding 1/2 cup of powdered sugar mixed with a pinch of vanilla. Cover the top of the pie with the remaining cream and lightly sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Not a pie, but a treat!

Pie “Rotten Stump”

The “Rotten Stump” pie with kefir jam got its name because of its appearance: dark on top, but porous inside, as if someone had drilled holes.

Required Products:

• 0.35 kg flour;
• 200 grams of kefir;
• 0.2 kg sugar;
• spoon of soda;
• two eggs;
• 0.2 kg jam.

Cooking process:

1. Mix the sugar and eggs well to form a foam, and pour kefir into them.
2. Add jam, soda and flour there. Knead again until smooth - the mass should come out thick.
3. Transfer the dough into the mold and cook for 40 minutes at 200 degrees in a preheated oven.

Watch this video on YouTube

History of the name

According to an unspoken version, this simple pastry was named so because during the difficult days of perestroika, it was difficult for students of higher educational institutions (especially those from other cities) to buy food. Nutrition problems were very acute. But if you consider that student resourcefulness and optimism are limitless, then sometimes amazing ideas were born in the dorm hallways, even in the kitchen, and the “Poor Student” pie with jam is proof of this.

From simple and frankly cheap products, resourceful experimenters created a pie that is amazing in taste and simplicity, which can easily turn into a cake if additional cream is used.

How to prepare dessert for tea in a slow cooker?

A pie in a slow cooker according to this recipe is in no way inferior to one cooked in the oven; on the contrary, it turns out more tender.

Required Products:

• spoon of soda;
• one egg;
• 0.4 kg flour;
• 0.3 liters of kefir;
• a glass of jam;
• 160 grams of sugar.

Cooking process:

1. Mix kefir and jam, beat with a mixer, add soda to them.
2. In another container, combine the egg with sugar and pour this mixture into the kefir mixture.
3. Carefully begin to introduce flour, bringing the dough to the desired thickness.
4. We put what we got into a bowl. We turn on the device in the “Baking” mode for 60 minutes, after which you can enjoy dessert.

Watch this video on YouTube

Do not remove this cake from the bowl immediately. Let it cool slightly, otherwise it may crumble.

A few secrets of delicious baking

1. The flour should be sifted, so it will be saturated with oxygen, and the dough will be airy and homogeneous.
2. Baking soda mixed with flour will allow the baked goods to rise better.
3. All products used must be at room temperature. This will help the dough rise better in the oven, and the resulting pies will be airy, soft and tender.
4. For the same purpose, it is advisable to let the dough stand in a warm place for about a quarter of an hour.
5. Do not open the oven door during the first 20 minutes after the start of baking.
6. If the cake is baked in a deep pan and turns out high, the heat in the oven should be low. This will allow the dessert to bake well.
7. Store the finished pie covered with cling film or a kitchen towel. This will keep it fresh longer.

Bon appetit!

Pie "Poor Student"

A simple recipe for making delicious baked goods out of nothing. You will need only the most affordable ingredients, which can be found even in the refrigerator of a poor student.

Required Products:

• three spoons of jam;
• 0.2 liters of kefir;
• spoon of soda;
• 0.15 kg sugar;
• one egg;
• 0.26 kg flour;
• two tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Cooking process:

1. Combine the indicated amount of flour first with soda, and then with sugar, mix everything well.
2. Separately, lightly beat the egg, add kefir to this mixture and use a whisk to bring the mixture until smooth.
3. Pour in the butter and the chosen jam, combine both prepared masses, not forgetting to mix.
4. Cook for at least 45 minutes at 180 degrees in the oven. It may take longer - up to 60 minutes.

Watch this video on YouTube

Preparing the dough

Mix jam with sugar in a wide bowl, add soda and mix well. Literally immediately the mass will begin to foam and rise, this is an indication that the acidic environment of the jam has reacted with the alkaline soda, thanks to which the cake becomes fluffy when baking.

Let the mixture sit for five minutes, then pour in the milk product and mix again. It is with kefir that the “Poor Student” pie turns out to be the most fluffy and airy, matching the sponge cake. Beat the eggs in a small bowl with a fork until they have a uniform consistency, add to the dough, and then add the sifted flour there: 1/2 of the entire portion, and then little by little the rest. This is done so that the dough does not turn out too thick or, on the contrary, liquid, because its condition depends on the thickness of the jam and dairy product. Ideally, the dough for the “Poor Student” pie should resemble thick sour cream: float slightly, but not be liquid like jelly.

Mannik on kefir with jam

This pie is not only suitable for breakfast, but also quite suitable for lunch. It has the advantage of using less flour than other recipes.

This means, albeit with a stretch, it can be considered almost dietary.

Required Products:

• 50 grams of butter;
• 100 grams of jam;
• 0.1 kg semolina;
• a third of a small spoon of soda;
• 150 grams of flour;
• half a glass of kefir;
• egg.

Cooking process:

1. Lightly heat the kefir and pour the specified amount of semolina into it. Leave for 30 minutes to allow the mass to swell.
2. Separately, beat the egg and combine it with jam, melted butter, flour and soda. Stir until smooth.
3. Here we add the already brewed cereal with kefir and the resulting dough, fill out the baking form.
4. Place it in the oven for 50 minutes, setting the heat level to 190 degrees.

Watch this video on YouTube

Pie “Negritenok” with kefir jam

A recipe for those who are lazy, even when they really want something sweet. No desire to do anything? So you won't have to do anything!

Required Products:

• a glass of dark jam;
• 0.25 liters of kefir;
• 0.35 kg flour;
• spoon of soda;
• two eggs;
• 120 grams of sugar.

Cooking process:

1. Combine eggs with sugar, pour jam, kefir and soda into this mixture, stir until smooth.
2. Now add flour, but not too much as the dough should not be very thick.
3. Transfer the mixture to your chosen baking dish and cook for about 25 minutes at 180 degrees.

Watch this video on YouTube

Required Ingredients

The recipe for the “Poor Student” pie is absolutely universal, since its main components can be replaced with similar ones.

• 1 glass of any seedless jam, jam and marmalade will also work. Also, the type of jam will determine the color of the future pie: plum, blueberry, currant will give a darker shade, and raspberry, apple or cherry will give a lighter shade. Fans of this simple pastry claim that apricot jam produces the most delicious results.
• 1 glass of kefir, if not, you can replace it with fermented baked milk, yogurt and even sour milk. Some users tried to prepare the dough even with fresh milk: the pie seemed good, but not as fluffy as with kefir.
• about 3 cups wheat flour. The amount depends not only on the gluten in the wheat grain, but also on the thickness of the jam.
• 1-2 eggs.
• 120-150 grams of granulated sugar.
• 1 tsp. without top soda.

Cooking with oatmeal

The pie is not only tasty, but also healthy. An excellent option for a sweet breakfast.

Take quick-cooking flakes, they will quickly reach the desired state.

Required Products:

• 120 grams of jam;
• 0.25 liters of kefir;
• a pinch of salt;
• a glass of flour and the same amount of oatmeal;
• 100 grams of sugar;
• half a small spoon of soda;
• 70 milliliters of vegetable oil.

Cooking process:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together, except baking soda.
2. In another container, combine kefir and soda, add vegetable oil, and then combine this mixture with the dry mixture. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes so that the oatmeal swells slightly.
3. Send part of the resulting mass into the mold, cover it with the chosen jam on top and fill it again with the remaining dough.
4. Place in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Don't be alarmed if cracks appear on the surface of the pie - this is normal and will not affect the taste in any way.

As you can see, a couple of spoons of jam and the day before yesterday’s kefir are not candidates for a trip to the trash can. These are very suitable ingredients for a very decent pie. And if there is also a handful of nuts lying around somewhere, it will turn out to be a whole culinary masterpiece!

Source

How much did students in the Middle Ages spend on study and living?

The first universities in Europe arose more than 900 years ago. And soon a new type of person was born - a poor, always hungry student who lives in a dormitory, works part-time, takes out loans and writes tearful letters home asking for money.

Christian Singles Club

The main difference between medieval student life and modern life is that in the old days there was no concept of “student”. Higher education became available to women only in the era of developed capitalism. And in the Middle Ages, there were only students at universities - young men, teenagers and even boys. Each university set its own minimum age for admission. In Toulouse, for example, you could become a student at the age of 10. At Oxford - from 16. The professors were also only men.

Another mandatory requirement was religion. Universities were closely associated with the church, so all students and teachers had to be Christians. A Jew who wanted to go to university in one capacity or another had one way - to be baptized. The first baptized Jewish professor at Oxford was John of Bristol, who began teaching Hebrew and Greek in 1321.

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Students from the same country stuck together as national communities. The national composition of students depended on the specific university. At Oxford, 94% of students were English by nationality. The first foreigner in Oxford was Emo of Friesland, who sailed from Holland in 1191. Students from four “nations” studied at the University of Paris: Gallic, Norman, Picardy and English. The latter also included Germans and representatives of the northern peoples of Europe.

The average training period was five to six years. After this, it was possible to take the exam for a bachelor's degree. Or not taking the exam and not getting a degree - many students chose this option. To obtain a bachelor's degree, it was necessary to write nine papers and present each of them in a separate lecture. To obtain a master's degree, another 15 papers and 15 lectures were required. It was also necessary to participate in a large number of debates before the dean allowed the student to take the final exam.

Only one in three of those entering the university managed to obtain a bachelor's degree, and one in twenty received a master's degree. On the way to degrees, not only exams stood in the way, but also money expenses. It was necessary to give gifts to the examiners, pay for a celebratory banquet for the remaining bachelors and masters, and pay for the degree exam itself.

The official language of higher education was Latin. Lectures were given there, debates were held, and exams were taken. In German universities, a special minister called lupus ("wolf") ensured that students spoke only Latin. Violators were fined. Due to the fact that Latin was taught in all European universities, students could change their place of study, as well as choose a city where it was cheaper to study and live. But in everyday life, naturally, students also used other languages.

To pay or not to pay

Soon after the emergence of the first universities, the question arose: who should pay teachers and how? Should students pay tuition or should someone else pay professors? In the 12th and 13th centuries, the prevailing view was that those who teach should be paid by the Pope, the parish, the king or the local feudal lord, but not by the students.

Oxford student's budget in the 15th century

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Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (12th century) considered teaching for money a shameful way of earning money. Lawyers of that era declared that true philosophers should follow the example of Socrates, since knowledge is a gift from God and cannot be traded.

But that's how it was in theory. In practice, the situation looked different. If a university professor did not receive money from the church or local government, he was allowed to collect fees from students. And if the professor was already paid a salary, he could not demand money from the students. But he could accept it. The lawyer Geoffroy from Poitiers (13th century) believed that professors could receive money from students, but with reservations.

You cannot accept money from someone whose father is a thief or a usurer. You cannot charge a fee for a lecture on moral issues.

It was also believed that education should be free for the poorest students. Even those professors whose salaries were paid by the church or feudal lord could charge the richest. The professor whose salary was high enough could not charge anyone, but could accept gifts from time to time. Master Terrisio of Atina, who taught at the University of Naples and received a salary from the king, spoke positively about gifts during Lent.

But there was a small snag. Who should decide whether a student is poor enough not to pay tuition? Is a professor's salary high enough to prevent him from collecting money from students? In practice, these theoretical problems were easily solved. All students had to pay. The rich have more, the poor have less.

From each - according to ability

Lectures on anatomy already in the Middle Ages were impossible without visual aids

Photo: Alamy / DIOMEDIA

At the University of Coimbra, the oldest in Portugal, according to the decree of King João I of Portugal, issued in 1392, at the Faculty of Law, rich students had to pay the professor 40 libras for a year's course of lectures, middle-income students - 20, and poor students - 10. Ten libras corresponded 9 grams of silver. The daily wage of a skilled worker in that era was approximately 5–6 libras.

Tuition fees in Germany had to be paid twice a year - in summer and winter. The size of the fee here also depended on the student’s welfare and ranged from 2 to 10 and a half pennies. The “poorest” were exempt from tuition fees. Some students received financial assistance from their church parishes. In those years you could buy a pair of shoes for 2 groschen, a chicken for half a groschen, a large fish for a groschen, and a sheep for 4 groschen. A day laborer earned 6–8 groschen a week, an experienced worker earned up to 15.

The daily expenses of a poor Oxford student at the beginning of the 15th century ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 pence. It's not a lot of money. A laborer at a construction site earned 3-4 pence a day, a roofer - 4.5. If we take into account only the cost of food, it did not exceed one penny a day for the students.

Over the course of a century, these numbers have changed little. The English philologist Robert Whittinton, who studied at Oxford at the end of the 15th century, recalled in adulthood that during his student years he lived well on 7 pence a week.

A year of study at Oxford, together with trips home for the holidays, cost the student (or his parents) 2.5–3.5 pounds. However, not for every student. Those who studied at the Faculty of Law paid more for tuition and living expenses than those who studied at the Faculty of Liberal Arts. The wealthy London silk and velvet merchant Robert of Brinkelay paid from 9 to 10 pounds for the stay of a certain Thomas (most likely his son) in Oxford for 13 years.

Don't walk on lawns

Most professors and students lived in dormitories. In England, such houses were called colleges (colleges). In Germany and Austria - bursa (from the Latin purse - wallet). Many universities required permission to live outside the university.

In theory, the colleges were supposed to be something like a monastery (in reality, of course, this was not the case). Strict regime with early rise and bedtime, shared meals. Next - long and hard work: lectures, debates, independent studies.

For various violations, students could face expulsion, arrest, or inadmissibility to take an academic degree exam, but the most common punishment was a fine. For example, an Oxford student could be fined if he interfered with other students' studies, created disorder in the dormitory, insulted any nation or class of society, expressed heretical views, undermined the authority of the dormitory, communicated with suspicious individuals, played forbidden games, entered the dormitory, or left him at night, slept outside the hostel without permission, left Oxford without permission. It was forbidden to sit at the table with a dagger not hidden in its sheath. Carrying weapons was prohibited in all cases, except for trips outside the city. The fine was for injuring another student with a stone or fist. If the victim was bleeding, the fine was doubled. For a repeated violation of this kind, the offender was expelled from the university. Students also had to compensate for damage to the dormitory building, as well as for broken dishes and stains on the tablecloth. Those who walk on lawns, trample the grass, or wash their hands in a bucket of drinking water could also be fined. Students were prohibited from keeping hunting dogs and birds of prey.

At the University of Vienna, a student could be punished for violating the daily routine, laughing and whistling during lectures, or visiting “suspicious places” in the city (for example, taverns). Women were not allowed to be brought into the dormitory.

At the University of Leipzig, students were forbidden to fight, spend time with prostitutes, gamble, or walk around the city at night. Caught violators faced a fine or arrest for a day or two. More serious offenses, such as theft and murder, resulted in expulsion from the university.

For younger students (up to 18–20 years old, depending on the educational institution), the fine could be replaced by flogging. Corporal punishment was most widespread in English universities.

“Dad, the money is out”

Despite the very high value of handwritten books, the works of “wrong” authors could be destroyed

Photo: Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Boncompagno da Signa, who taught rhetoric at the University of Bologna and then at the University of Padua, wrote with obvious knowledge of the matter: “Primum carmen scolarium est petitio expensarum nec unquam erit epistola, que non requirat argentum” (“A student’s favorite song is a request for payment of expenses. There is not a letter that does not contain a request for money." These words were written almost 800 years ago. Most of the letters from medieval students preserved in the archives confirm this statement.

The standard of writing has not changed much over the past centuries: “I am now in such and such an educational institution, alive and well, but I really need money for books and other educational supplies.” The addressees of the student letter could be parents, wealthy relatives, or clergy patrons.

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There were sample templates of such letters asking for financial assistance. Since the 12th century, an exercise has been known: write 22 versions of a letter to the archdeacon asking for financial assistance. In the same century, an Oxford student sent the following letter: “Greetings, Honorable Mr. A.! I want to inform you that I am studying at Oxford with the greatest diligence, but the money issue is preventing me from moving forward, since it has been two months since I spent the rest of the funds that you sent me. The city is very expensive and requires many expenses. I need to rent a house, buy everything I need, and also spend money on many other things, I won’t go into details. Therefore, I respectfully ask you, parent, out of motives of divine pity, to help me so that I can complete what I began well. After all, you should know that without Ceres and Bacchus, Apollo grows cold.”

The last sentence is a reworked aphorism from the ancient Roman playwright Terence. The original, instead of Apollo, the patron of the arts and muses, speaks of the goddess of love, Venus, and the entire Latin phrase is usually translated into Russian as “Without bread and wine, love is cold,” which suggests exactly what expenses the student was silent about.

Some students in their letters home asked not for money (or not just money), but for things necessary in everyday life. So, two brothers who studied philosophy at the Chartres school asked their mother to send them sheepskins for winter clothes, parchment, good quality chalk and their father’s boots.

There were a number of convincing arguments that should have an emotional impact on the most tight-fisted parents. Everything is expensive in a university town because: a) the winter was cold; b) there was a bad harvest in the fall; c) war can interrupt postal communications; d) there are a lot of students at the university; e) a messenger with money was robbed on the way; f) the messenger ran away with the money; g) the writer owes money to friends and Jewish moneylenders.

Someone painted terrible pictures of their student life in a letter. A student at the University of Bologna reported that he was forced to beg, walking from door to door through impassable mud, but still rarely managed to bring anything home. Another student wrote to his sister that he had to sleep on straw, had nothing to cover himself with, he went out into the street barefoot and without a shirt, and it was a shame to say what he had to eat. It worked. My sister sent me money, two sheets and a piece of expensive fabric.

License to beg

Magdalen College, when founded in 1458, was the richest and largest in Oxford.

Photo: Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Medieval students had opportunities to earn extra money on the university grounds and beyond. The archives of Trinity College Cambridge contain documents on payments to students who worked in the university garden. At Oxford's Merton College, poor students helped build a new library building in 1373–1378. You could get a job as a servant to a rich student or professor. By working in the cafeteria or cleaning the college, it was possible to reduce the cost of living. The most qualified type of income available to students was the work of a census taker, which was always in demand. In addition, at Oxford, Cambridge and the University of Paris, a student could obtain a license to collect alms, which freed him from possible criminal liability. Because of this, universities had problems with professional beggars trying to enroll as students.

Some universities made life easier for poor students by reducing their tuition fees (Bologna, Avignon, Provence) or offering them a place in special hostels with low fees (Freiburg, Erfurt, Vienna).

Loan from chest

In the two oldest English universities, needy poor students and teachers could borrow from the “common” money chest in case of financial problems. Such chests usually appeared thanks to benefactors. For example, in Cambridge College Trinity Hall, a chest containing 100 pounds was “founded” by Bishop William Bateman of Norwich, the founder of the college itself.

To avoid abuse, the chest was locked with three locks, the keys of which were held by three guardians, so they could open the chest only by getting together.

The loan was interest-free. Those whose income exceeded a certain amount could not take money from the chest. It was necessary to leave something valuable as collateral. The value of the collateral must exceed the amount borrowed. In case of non-return, the deposit was sold. Teachers and students studying for a master's degree could borrow up to 4 pounds from the chest. Holder of a bachelor's degree - up to 30 shillings. A simple student or university minister - up to 20 shillings. In 1480, a ban was passed on accepting books, both handwritten and printed, as collateral. Later the ban was lifted, but a rule was established according to which the price of a pawned book had to be twice the amount borrowed. From some chests it was not allowed to lend money to students who had studied for less than two years.

However, if a student was left without money, he could, in modern terms, take an academic leave. Simply put, leave the university and return to it when he can afford it.

Alexey Alekseev