On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:50:57 +0200, Martin S
> wrote:

>Richard Wright wrote:
>
>> By this the OED author means that it was only in the 18th century that
>> crushed, stewed fruit appears in the description of a fool. Before
>> that a fool was described as a sort of clotted cream or custard.
>
>The Compleat Cook, 1658:
>Take your Gooseberries, and put them in a pot, and set it in a skillet of
>boiling water, and when they are coddled enough strain them. Reheat them
>and when they are scalding hot, beat them very well with a good piece of
>fresh butter, rose-water and sugar, and put in the yolks of two or three
>eggs; you may put rose-water into them, and so mix it altogether, and serve
>it cold.
>
>Shouldn't that be interpreted as "crushed, stewed fruit"?
>
>--
>Old time cookery and brewing:
>theoldecookerybook.com


Yes, of course it is, and I see that it is called a 'foole' in the
text and a 'fool' in the table of contents.

Well done. The OED is always wanting to revise its earliest citations.
They took one from me for the earliest use in English of "tom yam
kung" for the famous Thai soup (1952).

Perhaps you could refer this to them for their next revision..