Recreating a Renaissance Banquet from Domenico Romoli - A Carnivale Feast from 1560

A Carnivale Feast from 1560 - Recreating a Renaissance Banquet from Domenico Romoli

An interpretation of the opening table display described by Domenico Romoli in La Singolare Dottrina (1560), where salads, meats, citrus, and other dishes were arranged together in the French banquet style.

AI Assistance Disclosure: Historical transcription, formatting, and redaction support were provided with the help of AI tools for research and editing. Some images were created or edited with AI tools. All historical interpretation and final text are curated and verified by the editor of Give It Forth.

Carnivale in Renaissance Italy was a season of spectacle. Cities filled with masks, music, parades, and elaborate feasts that stretched long into the evening. It was a moment when kitchens became theaters and cooks became artists, presenting dishes that celebrated abundance before the fasting season of Lent began.

One of the most fascinating glimpses into these celebrations comes from Domenico Romoli’s La Singolare Dottrina (1560). Romoli, sometimes called Panunto, wrote one of the great culinary and household manuals of the Italian Renaissance. His book contains not only recipes, but also advice on hospitality, household management, and the orchestration of grand banquets.

Among its treasures is a Carnivale menu (“Convito del mese di Febbraio per la festa alla francese, per il Carnevale.” A banquet for the month of February, prepared in the French style, for Carnivale), structured in the elegant service style of the period. Each course builds upon the last, moving through a sequence of dishes that balance flavors, textures, and spectacle.

Recently, I set out to recreate this Carnivale feast, cooking through a selection of dishes inspired by Romoli’s menu. Some recipes translated easily to the modern kitchen; others required a bit of interpretation. Measurements had to be estimated, ingredients adapted, and techniques tested.

The result was a delightful culinary journey into the Renaissance table.

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What Makes This Menu So Interesting

When reading through Romoli’s Carnivale banquet, two details immediately stood out to me.

“In the French Style”

Romoli introduces the meal as:

“Convito del mese di Febbraio per la festa alla francese, per il Carnevale.”
A banquet for the month of February, prepared in the French style, for Carnivale.

That phrase is important.

During the Renaissance, there were different styles of banquet service, and Romoli is deliberately telling the reader that this feast follows the French manner of presentation.

In this style of dining, large numbers of dishes were placed on the table at the same time, arranged symmetrically so that guests could see and select from them. Rather than receiving one plate at a time as we do today, diners experienced the table as a visual display of abundance.

The feast unfolded in successive services, each replacing the last:

• First service
• Antipasti
• Boiled dishes (Allesso)
• Roasts (Arrosto)
• Pastry course (Tortaria)
• Fruit course (Frutte)
• Final table offerings after the cloth

Each service created a new arrangement of dishes across the table, almost like resetting the stage between acts of a play.

Explicit Instructions for the Table

Another fascinating detail is that Romoli does not simply list recipes. He gives specific instructions about what should appear on the table.

For example, in the opening service he specifies salads, cured meats, roasted birds, citrus slices dressed with sugar and cinnamon, and capons seasoned with pepper. Later courses include elaborate pies, roasted game, sweet pastries, and preserved fruits.

These are not casual suggestions. They form a carefully balanced arrangement designed to show wealth, hospitality, and the skill of the kitchen. When viewed this way, the menu reads almost like a set of directions for constructing the table itself.

Even the final stage of the meal includes instructions for presentation: flowers, rosewater sticks, and scented herbs placed on the table along with small sweets and wine.

The result is not simply a meal but an experience designed for sight, scent, and conversation.

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Banquet Service Styles in the Renaissance

Romoli’s reference to a feast served alla francese (“in the French style”) refers not only to the food itself but to how the banquet was presented.

During the Renaissance, several different traditions of banquet service existed across Europe.

• Medieval / Italian Service – Dishes were often brought out in sequence or in loosely grouped courses. While multiple foods might appear at once, the emphasis was less on symmetrical table displays and more on the steady presentation of food by servants.
• French Service (Service à la française) – Numerous dishes were placed on the table at the same time and arranged in balanced patterns. Guests selected foods directly from the shared display while servants replaced entire groups of dishes between services.
• Russian Service (Service à la russe) – Introduced much later in the 18th–19th centuries, this is the style most familiar today: dishes are served individually and sequentially to each guest.

Romoli’s Carnivale menu reflects the French display style, where the arrangement of dishes across the table was itself part of the spectacle of the feast.

Why This Menu Feels So Elaborate

One of the first things that struck me when reading Romoli’s Carnivale banquet is just how lavish and unusual many of the dishes are. The menu includes cranes, wild game, elaborate pies filled with birds and sausage, sweet pastries, citrus dressed with sugar and cinnamon, and even dishes made from parts of animals that modern diners might find surprising.

Some ingredients listed in the menu are difficult or even illegal to serve today. Birds such as cranes, thrushes, and other wild species appear frequently in Renaissance cookbooks but are now protected under modern wildlife laws.

The abundance may seem overwhelming to modern readers, but it begins to make sense when we remember what kind of meal this was meant to be.

A Festival Feast Before Lent

This banquet was intended for Carnivale, the festive season leading up to Lent.

Carnivale was traditionally the last opportunity for indulgence before the fasting and dietary restrictions of the Lenten season. For forty days, Christians were expected to abstain from many rich foods, particularly meat.

As a result, the meals just before Lent often became the most extravagant feasts of the year. Tables were filled with meats, sweets, rich sauces, and celebratory dishes designed to showcase abundance.

Romoli’s menu reflects that spirit perfectly.

Seasonal Ingredients

The feast also reflects the late winter season.

Many ingredients listed in the menu would have been available in February:

• preserved meats such as prosciutto and sausages
• stored fruits like apples and quince
• nuts and chestnuts
• winter vegetables such as fennel and chicory
• citrus imported through Mediterranean trade

Game birds and hunted animals also appeared frequently in winter menus, when hunting seasons and cold weather made them easier to preserve.

In other words, this banquet was both festive and seasonal, drawing on the foods available at the end of winter while celebrating the last great indulgence before the austerity of Lent.

A Display of Wealth and Skill

Perhaps most importantly, Renaissance banquets were meant to impress guests.

Large numbers of dishes, unusual ingredients, and elaborate pastry constructions were not simply about feeding people. They were demonstrations of hospitality, wealth, and the skill of the kitchen.

Many dishes would have been served in small portions, and guests might sample only a few items from each service. The goal was not for a single diner to eat everything, but for the table to display variety, abundance, and artistry.

Seen in that light, Romoli’s Carnivale banquet becomes less of a practical dinner menu and more of a carefully staged culinary celebration, where the arrangement of the table itself was part of the experience.

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What to Expect in This Series

Over the next several posts, we’ll explore the dishes that formed this historic feast. Each article will include:

• the original historical recipe or reference
• a modern adaptation suitable for today’s kitchen
• notes on Renaissance cooking techniques and ingredients
• a bit of historical context about the dish and its place in the banquet

Some recipes are familiar cousins to foods we still enjoy today, while others may feel delightfully unusual. Together they help paint a picture of how people celebrated, cooked, and entertained during the height of the Italian Renaissance.

The first dishes we will explore are the ones that opened Romoli’s banquet table: Insalata di Cicoria Bianca and Insalata di Carote. These humble winter salads may seem simple, but they played an important role in balancing the rich meats and elaborate dishes that followed.

Primo servitio posto in tavola

Romoli begins the Carnivale banquet with what he calls the “first service placed on the table.” Unlike modern dining, where individual plates are served one at a time, Renaissance banquets often opened with a display of prepared dishes arranged across the table.

These foods were typically served cold or at room temperature so they could remain on the table while guests arrived and admired the arrangement. Diners could sample dishes freely while conversation began and the feast unfolded.

The original menu reads:

Convito del mese di Febbraio per la festa alla francese, per il Carnevale

Primo servitio posto in tavola

• Insalata di cicoria bianca
• Insalata di carote
• Prosciutto sfilato
• Testa di ruffolatto fredda
• Fette di cedro condite con aceto rosato, zucchero e cannella
• Gru arrosto fredda
• Capperini
• Capponi salpimentati e salsiccioni bolognesi

Translated into modern English, the dishes include chicory salad, carrot salad, shredded prosciutto, citrus slices dressed with vinegar and sugar, roasted birds, capers, and seasoned capons with sausages. When viewed together, the combination reveals a deliberate balance between rich meats and bright, refreshing accompaniments.

Below are the dishes that formed the opening display of the table.

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White Chicory Salad

Insalata di cicoria bianca

Chicory was a common winter vegetable in Renaissance Italy. Its pleasantly bitter flavor made it a natural partner for rich meats and fatty dishes. Salads like this helped balance the heavier elements of the feast while adding freshness to the table.

White chicory, often similar to modern endive or radicchio varieties, would likely have been dressed simply with oil, vinegar, and salt.

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Carrot Salad

Insalata di carote

Carrots appear frequently in Renaissance cookery, often served raw or lightly dressed in salads. Their sweetness offered a pleasant contrast to the bitterness of chicory and the saltiness of cured meats.

In many historical preparations, carrots were sliced thinly and dressed with vinegar, oil, and sometimes spices.

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Shredded Prosciutto

Prosciutto sfilato

Prosciutto was already a celebrated preserved meat in Renaissance Italy. The term sfilato suggests that the ham was pulled or shredded into strands, making it easier to serve and share at the table.

Cured meats like prosciutto were ideal for banquet displays because they could be prepared in advance and served without reheating.

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Cold Head of Ruffolatto

Testa di ruffolatto fredda

This dish likely refers to a preparation made from the head of a pig or similar animal, possibly related to head cheese or other gelatinous meat dishes common in Renaissance kitchens.

Such dishes were often simmered, pressed, and served cold, allowing the natural gelatin in the meat to set into a sliceable form.

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Citron with Rose Vinegar, Sugar, and Cinnamon

Fette di cedro condite con aceto rosato, zucchero e cannella

Citron (cedro) was a luxury citrus fruit widely traded throughout the Mediterranean. It was frequently used in sweet-and-sour dishes that balanced sugar, spices, and vinegar.

Slices of citron dressed with rose vinegar, sugar, and cinnamon would have created a striking combination of bright acidity, floral fragrance, and warm spice.

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Cold Roasted Crane

Gru arrosto fredda

Crane was once a prestigious game bird served at elite European banquets. It appears in several medieval and Renaissance cookbooks as a roasted dish presented cold.

Because cranes are now protected in most regions, modern recreations of this dish typically substitute duck or goose.

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Capers

Capperini

Capers were a popular garnish and flavoring ingredient in Renaissance cooking. Their sharp, salty flavor helped cut through rich meats and added contrast to the banquet table.

Small capers were often served simply pickled in vinegar or brine.

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Peppered Capons and Bologna Sausages

Capponi salpimentati e salsiccioni bolognesi

This final dish combines roasted capons seasoned with pepper and large sausages in the Bolognese style.

Capon, a castrated rooster prized for its tender meat, was considered a luxurious poultry dish. When paired with richly seasoned sausages, it formed one of the more substantial elements of the opening service.

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A Carefully Balanced Opening Table

Although the list may seem eclectic at first glance, the arrangement reveals careful planning. Bitter greens, sweet carrots, citrus, and capers provide sharp and refreshing notes that balance the rich meats and roasted birds.

Many of the dishes are also served cold, allowing them to remain on the table as guests arrived and admired the display.

Seen in this context, Romoli’s first service was not simply a course of food. It was the opening tableau of the banquet—a carefully arranged display meant to welcome guests and set the tone for the feast that followed.

Tudor Mince Pies (1591) – For Pyes of Mutton or Beefe from A Book of Cookrye

For Pyes of Mutton or Beefe (A Book of Cookrye, 1591)

Originally published: December 31, 2020 · Updated: November 15, 2025

🥕 Dietary Notes: Contains gluten, beef, and dried fruit. Suet may be replaced with vegetable shortening for a vegetarian-friendly option (texture and flavor will differ from period practice).

Kitchen Notes: For SCA feasts, I always post an ingredient-based menu on the kitchen door and tables, and I am happy to accommodate dietary needs with advance notice. Medieval dishes often contain ingredients modern diners may not expect, so clear labeling is essential.

A Note on Historical “Mincemeat”

Today, “mincemeat” often refers to a sweet mixture of fruit, spices, and sometimes spirits—but from the Middle Ages through the early modern period, mince pies always contained meat. The traditional mixture blended minced beef, mutton, or veal with suet, dried fruit, warm spices, and sometimes saffron.

These were hearty, savory-sweet hand pies served throughout the winter and were far closer to a spiced meat pastry than a modern dessert.

Original Recipe (1591)

For Pyes of Mutton or Beefe.
Shred your meat and Suet togither fine, season it with cloves, mace, Pepper, and same Saffron, great Raisins, Corance and prunes, and so put it into your Pyes.
~ A Book of Cookrye Very Necessary..., 1591

Modern English

Shred your meat and suet together fine. Season with clove, mace, pepper, and a little saffron. Add large raisins, currants, and chopped prunes, and place the mixture into your pies.

A Quick Story About Mincemeat & Misunderstandings

At one SCA event where I served these pies, a guest came into the kitchen distraught after eating a mince pie “with meat in it.” She had assumed they were vegetarian, not realizing that historical mince pies always contain meat. The menu—with a full ingredient list—was posted at the kitchen door and on the tables, but modern expectations can surprise people.

This experience reinforced why I am meticulous about posting detailed ingredient-based menus and why I encourage diners to share dietary needs in advance. I can always accommodate those needs when I know about them, and it helps everyone enjoy feast day without worry.

Why Medieval Cooks Mixed Meat, Fruit, and Spices

To a modern palate, combining beef with raisins and saffron may seem unusual, but in the 15th and 16th centuries this combination reflected the height of good cookery. Medieval recipes often balanced warm and cold humors using meat, fruit, and spices to keep the body in proper “temperament.”

Dried fruits brought sweetness and moisture; spices like mace, clove, and pepper added warmth and helped “correct” the perceived coldness or dampness of certain foods. Saffron contributed both color and a sense of luxury. A pie like this was not a random flavor mashup, but a carefully considered dish grounded in medieval food philosophy.

Mince Pies at the Medieval Table

Pies were central to medieval and Tudor feasts. A well-made pie demonstrated the cook’s skill, the host’s wealth, and the kitchen’s organization. Small, hand-sized pies like these were easy to portion out in a noisy hall, could be served hot, and traveled well on trenchers or small plates.

Mince pies appear in banquet menus, civic feasts, and household accounts as part of winter and holiday fare. Rich with meat, fat, fruit, and spice, they signaled generosity as much as good taste.

Historical Background

In medieval and Tudor England, mince pies were part of a long tradition of mixing meat with fruit and warm spices. This blend of savory and sweet flavors created a rich, festive pie that was especially popular during winter months and holidays. The dried fruit added subtle sweetness, the suet added richness, and the spices—clove, mace, pepper, and saffron—brought warmth and luxury.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, mince pies evolved into the sweet-only versions we know today, but in 1591, they were still very much a savory meat dish with a delicate sweet note.

How Mince Pies Changed Over Time

In the 16th century, mince pies were hearty, savory dishes that happened to include fruit. Over the 17th century, the amount of sugar and dried fruit increased, and the spice blends became more elaborate. By the 18th and 19th centuries, many “mincemeat” recipes had lost the meat entirely, relying instead on suet, fruit, sugar, and alcohol.

This 1591 recipe belongs to that earlier, meat-forward tradition. If your only experience of mince pies involves modern Christmas desserts, these will be a completely different—and delightfully historical—experience.

What These Pies Taste Like

These pies are savory first, with gentle sweetness from the dried fruits. The spices and saffron provide warmth and fragrance without overpowering the meat. They’re rich, filling, and wonderfully medieval—best enjoyed warm, and very much a hand pie rather than a dessert.

Why Saffron?

Saffron was one of the most prized spices in Tudor England. It added not only a golden hue, but also warmth and gentle floral notes. Its presence in a pie signaled celebration, hospitality, and expense—saffron was never used casually. A pinch in the filling is a small nod to the luxury this recipe would have represented on a 16th-century table.

What Suet Adds to the Recipe

Suet is the hard, clean fat from around the kidneys of cattle or sheep. It has a higher melting point than butter, which gives medieval pies their characteristic light, crisp bite and keeps the filling rich without becoming greasy.

Rendered suet (tallow) also acted as a preservative fat in winter cookery. When mixed with dried fruit and spices, it produced a filling that stayed good far longer than fresh meat alone. For cooks working with cool pantries and open hearths, this made mince pies both festive and practical.

How to Serve These Mincemeat Pies

These pies are best served warm from the oven and make excellent hand food for feasts, holiday tables, potlucks, or outdoor events. Their rich filling and small size make them ideal for the first or second course of an SCA feast.

If you want to stay close to period service, consider pairing them with:

• a hot spiced drink, ale, or hippocras
• a simple salad of herbs or “sallet” greens
• a pottage or broth as a preceding course

Cook’s Notes

These little pies surprised me with how comforting and deeply flavorful they were. The saffron lifts the filling, the prunes add richness, and the suet gives the mixture the perfect texture. They remind me of other European holiday meat pastries, but with a distinctly medieval soul. If you enjoy this recipe, it pairs beautifully with other late 16th-century dishes and makes a fine addition to a winter or Christmas-themed board.

How to Make Violet Syrup — Medieval to Modern Color-Changing Spring Cordial

Green, Magenta and Lavender Violet Syrup
Originally published 5/15/2015. Updated 11/15/2025.

Violet syrup is one of the oldest and loveliest floral syrups found in European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions. Used historically to ease coughs, cool fevers, soothe sore throats, and delight the eye, violet syrup has remained surprisingly unchanged across the centuries.

To make the best syrup, choose the deepest-colored sweet violets you can find. The infusion pulls its color directly from the petals—so the darker the bloom, the more vivid your syrup will be. Most North American violets lack fragrance, and that’s perfectly fine; the flavor comes from the infusion itself.

And yes—it really does change color! Add lemon juice and it turns a brilliant magenta. Add rosewater or another alkaline ingredient and it becomes green. Historically, violets were even used as a natural pH test long before litmus paper was invented.

Home › Tudor & Stuart Thanksgiving Series › Butter’d French Beans (1660)

Butter’d French Beans (1660) — Robert May’s Table Greens for a Holiday Feast

Part of the Tudor & Stuart Thanksgiving Series — exploring how early modern English cooks transformed simple vegetables into elegant side dishes fit for the season’s most abundant table.

Still Life of Autumn Fruits and Vegetables — shared image for the Tudor & Stuart Thanksgiving Series, evoking abundance and the early-modern feast.

A Gentle Dish for the Early-Modern Table

By the mid-17th century, “French beans” — the New World haricot — had become a fashionable vegetable in England. Robert May includes several recipes for them in The Accomplisht Cook (1660), treating them tenderly with butter, vinegar, and spice. They offer a luminous green note amid the roasts, puddings, pies, and rich sauces of the season — a perfect complement to a modern Thanksgiving table inspired by early modern English cookery.

Historical Context

New World Origins: Haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are native to Central and South America. Long before European contact, Indigenous farmers cultivated dozens of varieties—green beans, kidney beans, and shelling beans—across Mesoamerica and the Andes. They formed part of the “Three Sisters” agricultural system alongside maize and squash.

Arrival in Europe: Spanish explorers brought these New World beans to Europe in the early 1500s. By the 1530s they appear in Mediterranean gardens; by the 1550s they were fashionable in Italy and France, where they were prized for their thin, edible pods. England, following French horticultural fashion, adopted them slightly later—thus the English name “French beans.”

Adoption in England: By the late 1500s, green beans were grown in English kitchen gardens, though still considered something of an imported delicacy. Herbalists such as John Gerard (1597) describe “the French bean which cometh from beyond the seas,” distinguishing it from the older Old World broad bean (Vicia faba). These slender beans were more tender, easier to cook, and well suited to the new culinary trend of lightly prepared vegetables.

Why They Appear in May (1660): By Robert May’s time, French beans had become a regular feature in elite kitchens. His recipe aligns with the era’s preference for simple treatments—boiling, buttering, and seasoning—allowing the vegetable’s natural color and delicacy to shine. The touch of vinegar and nutmeg reflects early-modern taste for balancing “cold and moist” foods with warming spices.

From New World to Tudor Thanksgiving: The journey of the French bean—from Indigenous agriculture to Spanish ships, to French gardens, to English cookbooks—mirrors the broader Columbian Exchange that reshaped European foodways. Serving this dish at a modern Thanksgiving connects the contemporary holiday table with the very ingredients that transformed 17th-century English cooking.

Original Recipe 

Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (London: 1660), p. 204.
Public link to the recipe on Archive.org

To stew French Beans.
Take your French beans and string them, then seeth them well in fair water; when they are tender, put them into a pipkin with some sweet butter, a little vinegar, pepper, and salt; and shake them well together. Serve them hot, with grated nutmeg cast upon them.

Still Life of Autumn Fruits and Vegetables — shared image for the Tudor & Stuart Thanksgiving Series, evoking abundance and the early-modern feast.

Home › Tudor & Stuart Thanksgiving Series › Barberry Sauce for Roast Meats (1660)

Barberry Sauce for Roast Meats (1660) — A Tudor & Stuart Alternative to Cranberries

Part of the Tudor & Stuart Thanksgiving Series — exploring how early modern English cooks used tart, jewel-red fruits like barberries to brighten rich feasts in much the same way we use cranberry sauce today.

A Sharp, Scarlet Counterpoint to Roast Meat

Long before cranberries became iconic on American holiday tables, English cooks were using barberries to do a very similar job. These tiny, vivid red berries — the fruit of the shrub Berberis vulgaris — appear in 16th- and 17th-century English recipes as garnishes, pickles, and sharp, “cooling” sauces for goose, pig, pork, and rich pies.

In The Accomplisht Cook (1660), Robert May scatters barberries through pies and dressings, and suggests them in sauces for goose and other roasted fowl. Their bright acidity and ruby colour made them a perfect foil for fatty meats — a role cranberries would come to play later in colonial New England.

Barberries, Cranberries, and the Thanksgiving Table

Barberries in England: Barberries are native to Europe and western Asia. In early modern England they were valued both as a medicine and a culinary ingredient, especially for their sharp taste and striking colour. They were used in pickles, preserves, sauces, and as garnishes on rich dishes, and were common enough to appear repeatedly in British recipe books and household manuscripts.

Cranberries in North America: Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are native to North America. Indigenous peoples in New England and the Canadian Maritimes harvested them for food, dye, and medicine. Seventeenth-century English accounts of New England describe “craneberries” being eaten with meat and as part of pemmican-like preparations.

Parallel Uses, Different Histories: While there is no surviving English recipe that says “use cranberries where you would use barberries,” the two fruits occupy very similar roles:

• Both are small, tart, scarlet berries.
• Both were served with rich meats as a sharp, refreshing contrast.
• Both appear in sauces, relishes, and preserves.

In England, barberries remain the canonical choice in the 17th century; in colonial New England, cranberries fill the local niche. For modern historical cooks in North America, cranberries can be a practical stand-in when barberries are unavailable — as long as we are clear that the substitution is modern, not Tudor or Stuart.

Period Sources: Barberries in Robert May’s Kitchen

Sauce for a Goose — Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (1660)

The following comes from May’s “Sauce for a stubble or fat Goose”, which gives two forms. The second explicitly calls for barberries in a rich apple-based sauce.

Source: Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (London, 1660), “Sauce for a stubble or fat Goose.” The full text is available via Project Gutenberg and early modern facsimiles.

Sauce for a stubble or fat Goose.
1. The Goose being scalded, drawn, and trust, put a handful of salt in the belly of it, roast it, and make sauce with sowr apples slic’t, and boil’d in beer all to mash, then put to it sugar and beaten butter. Sometime for veriety add barberries and the gravy of the fowl.

2. Roast sowr apples or pippins, strain them, and put to them vinegar, sugar, gravy, barberries, grated bread, beaten cinamon, mustard, and boil’d onions strained and put to it.

To Pickle Barberries Red — Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (1660)

May also gives directions for pickling barberries, which provide the preserved fruit used in sauces throughout the year.

Source: Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (London, 1660), section on pickles and preserves (often titled “To pickle Grapes, Gooseberries, Barberries, red and white Currans” and related entries).

To Pickle Barberries Red.
When your Barbaries are picked from the leaves in clusters, about Michaelmas, or when they are ripe, let your water boyl, and give them a half a dozen walms; let your pickle be white-wine and vinegar, not too sharp, so put them up for your use.