Give it Forth: Adventures in Medieval Cookery

You are missing a treasure trove of information if you have not visited Dan Myer's Medieval Cookery Site.  It is one of my most often used resources when looking for online cookbooks or specific instructions on how to make different recipes.  The search function is phenominal in helping you to locate similar recipes among the varied recipes available.  I urge you to check this site out.  Below is a small peek into the research that I do in order to recreate a reciept from period. The pickled vegetables were delicious.  [ Ein Buch von guter spise, A. Atlas (trans.)]: 48. Ein condimentlin (A condiment). Mal kümel und enis mit pfeffer und mit ezzige und mit honige. und mach ez gel mit saffran. und tu dar zu senf. in disem condimente maht du sulze persilien, bern und clein cumpost oder rüeben, waz du wilt. Flavor caraway seeds and anise with pepper and with vinegar and with honey. And make it gold with saffron. And add thereto mustard. In this condiment you may make sulze (pickled or

Ein condimentlin, Rote Ruben, Man bradet Zwybeln in Bradfeift, Wilthu machenn eynngemacht Crautt UPDATE: The original event this receipt was researched for did not come to pass due to covid.  However, I was able to use this at the Vigil feast.  I'm still working on rounding out the first course. I feel that it needs an onion element, something sweet and sour to serve as an alternative to or in addition to the mustard sauce for the sausages and neat's tongue. It could even serve as an additional topping for the cheese sop if wanted, and I came across this receipt from a book written in 1598, that creates a kind of onion relish.  I have done something similar for another 12th Night feast that was served with roasted chicken called "A Pickle for the Mallard" .  It was a lovely, and I'm looking forward to creating it's German equivalent.  Kunstbuch Von mancherley Essen 6. Item / man bradet Zwybeln in Bradfeift / machtſie abmit groſſem Roſin /Pfeffer und Eſsig / gi

As you can see, I had originally worked on translating this recipe in anticipation of the 12th Night event that did not happen.  I found it such a unique dish, I wanted to bring it to Appolonia's Vigil.  It was quite popular.  And will be making an appearance at a future event.  Slightly disappointed that what I thought was cheese soup (Käeßsuppen does mean cheese soup just ask google!!) but was more of a spread to go on bread, I thought I needed to "round out" the first course of the 12th Night feast with a meat cooked in a broth, or a soup like substance :-/.  To be fair, the cheese sops, the fennel and bacon savory pastries, smoked neat's tongue, various sausages & mustard, pickled vegetables and pears in syrup should be enough! However, I want to offer something for individuals who may not be interested in trying the pork or beef dishes. I really need a "chicken" dish. Fortunately, I don't need to make a lot of this dish to satisfy the nibbley-ap

In order to determine which of the mustard sauces would best with the pork roast that will serve as the main dish of the second course of 12th Night, it has become necessary to interpret the recipe for it. This recipe can be found in the translation by Volker Bach here, The Registrum Coquine of John of Bockenheim . I know I will not be roasting a whole pig, that would be entirely way too much meat for the expected 50ish people. The two proposed sauces with this dish are an apple mustard and a gingerbread sauce. 14 – Thus you must roast a pig. Take its organs, that is to say liver and lung, and chop them with a knife, and temper them with hard-boiled eggs, fat bacon (lardone), and parsley, marjoram, and raisins, and sweet spices. And then cut the pig along the side (per latus), and put it on a spit, and fill it with the mixture, and close up its side well, and draw one foot across the other, so that it stands well, and make it roast all through. And that will be for the rich. Stuffed

Marzipan of Quince and Almond Found in  Recipes from Anna Wecker’s Köstlich New Kochbuch (1598)  this recipe for a marchpane made with quince sounds divine, and so it must be tested.  I have made marchpanes previously for a 12th Night feast, and was eager to try something a little different for this one.  Ein köstlich Marcipan von Quitten und Mandeln in hefftigem Durchlauff von schwachem Magen (p. 49) A delicious marcipan with quinces and almonds for strong diarrhea and weak stomachs Take nice quinces and steam them with quince juice in a tightly closed pot, or if you do it right they can produce the broth themselves (i.e. can be cooked without adding liquid). When they are nicely soft, remove their skin and take the best of their marrow or flesh so that no stone is added to it. Then take finely ground almonds and clean, bolted sugar as much as there are quinces and almonds. Take the half part of this and boil it into a syrup with rosewater or cinnamon water. Add the flesh of the qui

Original Recipe: Nimm ein neuwen Käeß/ der vber Nacht gemacht ist/ vnd rüer jhn ab mit saurem Rahm/ thu frische Butter darein/ vnd laß darmit auffsieden/ so zergehet der Käeß. Vnnd wenn du wilt anrichten/ so nimm gebeht Schnitten Brot/ oder von Weck/ vnd geuß die Brüeh darüeber/ so ist es ein gute Vngerische Käeßsuppen.  46 Take a new cheese/ that (was) made overnight/ and stir it up with soured cream/ put fresh butter therein/ and let (it) come to a boil therewith/ so the cheese breaks down. And when you want to prepare it (serve it)/ so take sliced bread/ or from a loaf. And pour the broth over (it)/ so is a good Hungarian cheese soup.  This recipe reminds me of Sir Kenelm Digby's Savoury Tostyde  which is absolutely out of this world delicious.  We will start with similar proportions as those given by Digby, which creates a very delicious "cheese goo", that can be made ahead and heated day of.   1/2 lb butter  1/2 lb cream cheese - Sub sour cream  1/8 lb new cheese **

Taken from Gent KANTL 15, volume 1: [ Nyeuwen Coock Boeck , C. Muusers (trans.)]: 1.32. Om mosterdsaus te maken Neem wat appelmoes en doe er wat mosterd bij met wat gemalen paradijskorrels. Meng dit samen goed. 1.32. To make mustard sauce  Take some applesauce and add some mustard with ground grains of paradise. Mix this well together. The first recipe to come together is this sweet mustard that will be served alongside the pork.  It reads very simply. I do feel that I should make a period "Apple Sauce" to add  the mustard to, in order to ensure that the flavor is as authentic as I can make it.   Into the rabbit hole.... Ein Buch von guter spise is a logical source. It is dated between 1345 and 1354, a bit early for most of the reciepts that I will be using, but how much could a basic apple sauce change?  The original recipe is located here: Ein Buch von Guter Spice The recipe reads thus:  (69.) Ein apfelmus. Wilt du machen ein apfelmus. so nim schöne epfele und schele s

 I have been asked to try to document my process on creating the recipes I use for a feast.  This is difficult for me to put into words as I have been cooking since I was old enough to stand at a stool at the stove.  Sometimes my mind just *knows* how to put something together to make it work.  That being said...welcome to the Adventure.  I'm excited to be asked to cook for this event.  Our SCA is opening up after the pandemic and I must confess that the loss of the ability to share food which I have researched and prepared with friends had effected me more then I had expected.  I still cooked for family during this time, stretching my boundaries and making new and interesting dishes.  I've discovered that a new family favorite is Navajo Fry-bread.  I have fond memories of fry-bread from my youth and it was exciting to share what I consider a festival treat with my family on a regular basis.  But--these things are for modern day cooks, and not things I could write about in a bl