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Showing posts with label Comfit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comfit. Show all posts

Kitchen Adventures – Nucato from Anonimo Toscano (Comfits and Candies: & Del mele bullito co le noci, detto nucato)


Nucato Recipe: A 14th-Century Italian Honey & Nut Confection

The Anonimo Toscano, also known as the Libro della cucina del secolo XIV, is a significant 14th-century manuscript that provides a remarkable window into the culinary traditions of medieval Tuscany. This collection of 184 recipes showcases the ingenuity and artistry of Italian cuisine during this period. Among these, Nucato stands out as a particularly noteworthy confection, crafted from honey and nuts and recorded under the title Del mele bullito co le noci, detto nucato. This delicacy, made by boiling honey with nuts and aromatic spices, has long been associated with festive gatherings and celebrations.

Honey: A Culinary Staple in Medieval Italy

In medieval Italy, honey was more than just a sweetener—it was a prized ingredient valued for both its rich flavor and medicinal properties. Before sugar became widely available, honey played a crucial role in both sweet and savory dishes. Monastic communities were instrumental in beekeeping, producing honey that would be used in everything from pastries to meat glazes. Trade cities like Venice and Florence further expanded access to honey, allowing it to become a staple in households across different social classes.

Nucato exemplifies how honey was combined with warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to create a complex, satisfying confection. The natural sweetness of honey enhances the depth of roasted nuts, while the spices introduce layers of flavor that balance the dish beautifully.

Recreating Nucato: A Taste of the Past

For those interested in bringing a piece of medieval Italy into their kitchen, here is a detailed recipe to follow:

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups high-quality honey
  • 4 cups chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts)
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, gently simmer the honey over low heat, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface. This ensures a smooth and pure base.
  2. Stir in the chopped nuts, making sure they are evenly coated with honey.
  3. Add half of the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper, allowing the spices to infuse into the mixture.
  4. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent burning. The mixture should thicken and develop a glossy sheen.
  5. Once ready, spread the mixture evenly onto a lightly greased surface. Sprinkle the remaining spices over the top and gently dab the surface with lemon juice to enhance the flavor.
  6. Allow the Nucato to cool completely before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.

Savoring a Medieval Delight

The final result is a rich, chewy confection with a nutty crunch and warm spice undertones, perfect for pairing with spiced wine or a strong espresso. Beyond its delightful taste, Nucato serves as a connection to Italy’s culinary heritage, offering a tangible way to experience the flavors of the past.

🦚 Curious about the full feast?
Explore the complete menu from the Flaming Gryphon 12th Night Feast 2024 to see all the dishes and historical inspirations behind this event.

Exploring recipes like Nucato not only enriches our understanding of medieval cuisine but also allows us to appreciate the timeless appeal of simple, high-quality ingredients. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply looking for a unique homemade treat, this traditional Italian confection brings a touch of the past into the present—one delicious bite at a time.


I got help from Grammarly to create this blog post. 


Italian (Medieval) – Finnocchio dolce verde- Sweet Green Fennel (Candied Fennel Stalks) (Comfits and Candies)

 

Plates of Candies and Comfits waiting to be served 


Domenico Romoli's "La Singolare Dottrina," published in 1560, is a comprehensive guide for cooks and maîtres d'hôtel, offering insights into the selection, preparation, and service of various foods and wines. In its fourth book, Romoli presents detailed menus for each month, including the "Banquet of January." This banquet showcases a variety of dishes suitable for the winter season, reflecting the culinary traditions of 16th-century Italy.


Sweet Green Fennel from Domenico Romoli's Banquet of January


Domenico Romoli's La Singolare Dottrina (1560) offers a fascinating glimpse into Renaissance cuisine for those who love diving into historical recipes. This culinary guide, written by Romoli—nicknamed Panunto—details elaborate feasts for every month of the year. Among the dishes featured in the Banquet of the Month of January is Finnocchio Dolce Verde, or Sweet Green Fennel, a unique Renaissance treat that transforms humble fennel stalks into candied delights.


A Taste of 16th-Century Italy


Fennel was a staple in Italian Renaissance kitchens, prized for its digestive properties and aromatic qualities. This particular preparation, which candies the fennel stalks in sugar syrup, reflects the era's fascination with preserving flavors and enhancing natural sweetness. The result is a delicately flavored confection, perfect for pairing with cheeses and wine or simply enjoying as a sweet snack.


The Recipe: Sweet Green Fennel (Candied Fennel Stalks)


Yield: About 3/4 cup candied fennel and 1 cup syrup


Ingredients:


  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 5 to 6 ounces of fennel stalks, cut on the diagonal into thin sticks (about 1 1/2 cups)

Instructions:


  1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
  2. Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Candy the fennel: Add the sliced fennel stalks to the syrup and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the fennel stalks become translucent.
  4. Strain and bake: Strain the fennel stalks, reserving the syrup for future use (it's great for cocktails or drizzling over desserts). Spread the syrup-coated fennel slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Dry the fennel: Bake for about 30 minutes, then separate any sticking slices. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the fennel is dry yet slightly sticky.
  6. Cool and serve: Allow the fennel to cool completely before serving or storing.

Bringing History to Your Table


The candied fennel from Romoli's Banquet of January offers a glimpse into the refined tastes of Renaissance Italy. Its delicate sweetness and herbal notes make it a versatile addition to modern dishes—try it as a garnish for cheese boards, an elegant topping for desserts, or even infused into a winter tea.

By recreating historical recipes like this one, we can appreciate how Renaissance chefs balanced sweetness, texture, and aromatic flavors. Next time you're in the kitchen, why not step back and savor the flavors of a 16th-century banquet?

🦚 Curious about the full feast?
Explore the complete menu from the Flaming Gryphon 12th Night Feast 2024 to see all the dishes and historical inspirations behind this event.

Gilding (Medieval Basics)

 Koekerye (1570)





33 Gilding Make a little honey water, brush the almonds with it, then put the gold or silver on them, and push it down with cottonwool where it does not lie straight. You can also gild gingerbread and other things this way. Prepare a broad stick to lift up the gold with. Do not touch it with the bare hand or it will spoil. Printed in Luebeck by Johan Balhorn, 1570

This is not a recipe. It is a how to gild items that you may wish to present with edible gold. This is something I learned how to do through trial and error. It was an expensive lesson and I hope to spare someone else the expense based on my experiences.

What is edible gold leaf?

Gold leaf is actual gold that is a high enough quality that it can be safely consumed. Make sure that when you are purchasing gold leaf that it is marked as "edible", otherwise, you are risking the consumption of things that can make you ill. Gold leaf will not enter your digestive system, but will pass through your body without being absorbed. It is tasteless, and for the most part, it goes unnoticed while eating.

Is gold leaf expensive?

Edible gold leaf is expensive. Edible gold leaf is made from 24 karat.

What is the best use for gold leaf?

The best usage for gold leaf is as an accent to your presentation, rather than using it to completely cover an item. Regardless of how you use it, the use of it will lend a very luxurious look to your presentations.

What does it look like?

Gold leaf can be purchased as either loose leaf sheets, or transfer sheets. It is usually found in small booklets that are approximately 2" x 4". My preference are loose leaf sheets.

What tools will I need?

  • Gloves - to prevent the gold leaf from sticking to the oils on your skin and messing up your work

  • At least two very fine bristled brushes- one to transfer the gold from the sheet to your presentation and one to dampen the surface of your presentation so the gold has something to stick to (I use a paintbrush)

  • An area that is free of drafts - the sheets that you purchase are extremely thin and very sensitive to airflow.

How do you apply gold leaf?

For loose gold leaf:

To use gold leaf, the surface that you will be attaching it to must be moist. You can moisten the area with a brush that has been dipped in water and then pressed onto a bit of paper towel to remove excess moisture before painting the surface of the object you will be gilding. You can also use egg whites, or a solution of gum Arabic.

Carefully fold back the paper of the booklet before lifting the leaf from between the paper with a clean, dry, brush and then move it onto the area you want to apply it. The gold will want to adhere to *everything* so you will need to be very careful when handling it that you use only a small amount at a time.

The sheets of gold are ultra thin and will fold over on themselves as soon as they are lifted from the paper.

I prefer a more rustic look when gilding. The Spanish Wedges pictured above are an example of that. The gold leaf does not adhere to the entire surface of the item.

For transfer gold leaf:

Using transfer gold leaf is not always advisable. If your project is smaller, loose leaf gold leaf is the better option. For large areas (such as an entire cake), transfer may be best.

As above, the area that will be covered should be moist. Unlike above, you will want to lift the transfer sheet and place it face down on the surface. You will want to smooth the leaf down using very light pressure to ensure that the sheet is stuck to the surface. A large make up brush would be best.

Once you have gone over the whole of the backing sheet, gently pull the backing away from the object starting from one corner. It is not unusual to find that small pieces of gold leaf may remain attached to the backing sheet. Repeat the above steps to adhere it to the object you are gilding.

Note: Gold Leaf will never have a 100% smooth finish and that is it's beauty, it will always be imperfectly perfect, so don't stress if it you see imperfections--whatever you have gilded will be absolutely stunning!

Source

Culina-Vetus.De, 2022, https://www.culina-vetus.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Koekerye-1570.pdf. Accessed 21 Sept 2022.

Kitchen Adventures – 17th Century Dessert (Spanish Wedges)


Spanish Candy Wedges from A Book of Fruits and Flowers, 1653

Originally published:  Jul 2, 2022

https://giveitforth.wixsite.com/giveitforth/post/medieval-desserts-spanish-wedges

To Preserve all kinde of Flowers in the Spanish Candy in Wedges.


Take Violets, Cowslips, or any other kinde of Flowers, pick them, and temper them with the pap of two roasted Apples, and a drop or two of Verjuice, and a graine of Muske, then take halfe a pound of fine hard Sugar, boyle it to the height of Manus Christi, then mix them together, and pour it on a wet Pye plate, then cut it it in Wedges before it be through cold, gild it, and so you may box it, and keep it all the year. It is a fine sort of Banquetting stuffe, and newly used, your Manus Christi must boyle a good while and be kept with good stirring.

Download Recipe Here

Ingredients

2 apples (I used granny smith)
1-2 drops white wine vinegar (to replace verjuice)
1 grain of musk *opt.
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
Pinch of dried edible flowers

Directions

1. Peel and core your apples, cut into wedges, and roast in a 400-degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until apples have started to brown.

2. While apples are roasting bring your sugar and water and boil it until it reaches 245 degrees.

3. Add sugar syrup, roasted apples, white wine vinegar, or verjuice to a blender and blend until smooth. Opt. Add a drop or two of food-grade musk flavoring at this point.

4. Prepare a mold by spraying it with a little bit of oil and lining it with parchment paper.

5. Sprinkle flowers on the bottom of the tin, add the apple mixture. Be sure to sprinkle more flowers on top.

6. Allow drying until no longer sticky to the touch, cut as desired.When completely dry this candy has the texture of maple sugar candy, otherwise, it is very similar to fruit leather. Store in air tight container

NOTES:

There are two different ways this recipe can be read. The first is the method that I used where the pureed apple is added to the boiled sugar syrup and allowed to dry. The second is that the pureed apple is added to the sugar and water and that mixture is then brought to a boil before being poured into your mold.

It took several days for this beauty to dry completely. When it had dried became a crystalized sugar candy. I did allow it to dry overnight in the oven before removing it from the mold. I veered from the recipe by using a 6" tart pan instead of an 8" pie pan, and I believe this made the candy thicker than originally intended.

I also believe that this very thick candy should have been allowed to dry two or three days before I removed it from the mold and cut it into wedges. The thing that I would do differently in the future would be to make a thinner candy by using a larger plate.

I believe this is a very luxurious treat, that would enhance any dessert course at an event. The taste is a very sweet apple, with just a touch of floral note at the end of the bite. I cut this 6" tart-shaped treat into 12 wedges and I would not want to make it any bigger. At this size, it creates a two to three-bite candy.

TOA Documentation


Source

"The Project Gutenberg Ebook Of A Book Of Fruits And Flowers". Gutenberg.Org, 2022, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/13265/13265-h/13265-h.htm?fbclid=IwAR1UD2bx6I7bO97kplgubSC10fQE05PsXq0GMT8gFpH9C-xvmtRwouCh_x8.

Kitchen Adventures – Of assorted sugar comfits

 Originally published on Patreon Oct 5, 2022


Thomas Dawson lists comfets (comfits) as one of the "necessaries appertaining to a banquet". Comfits were often served at the end of the feast to freshen the breath, act as a digestive, as decoration, and sometimes used in the treatment of specific illnesses.

Aromatic seeds such as anise, fennel, or caraway were coated with sugar and colored using beet, spinach, or saffron. They can also be made using almonds or ginger. Comfits can still be purchased today, for example, Jordan almonds or pastilles. They are a bit time-consuming to make but oh so much tastier than the ones you purchase!

The easier comfits to make are the ones with seeds such as caraway, fennel, or anise. Making cinnamon comfits is a bit of a process. To start I will walk you through the process of candying seeds such as anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, or other seeds or nuts.

Many of the cookbooks that were published in the 1700s and after suggest coating the seeds with a solution of gum arabic. To create your solution use 1 tsp. of gum arabic, to 3 tsp. rosewater. I let mine sit overnight and it becomes a thick, honey-colored gel. If you are going to use gum arabic to coat your seeds, the first few coats (charges) will need to use this solution. Then you can move on to your sugar.

For more information on making these historic treats, please visit Historic Comfits Using Modern Equipment by Dame Alys Katharine (Elise Fleming).

Original Recipe

CLXXIX

Von allerley Zucker Confect

Ausz der Apotecken.

Of assorted sugar comfits

(as) from the apothecary

I. Almonds coated.

2. Anise coated.

3. Cinnamon-bark coated.

4. Cloves coated.

5. Coriander coated.

6. Caraway coated.

7. Fennel coated.

8. Pinion nut coated

9. Walnuts coated

10. Hazelnut (Filbert) kernels coated.

11. Peach kernel coated (I assume only the soft kernel inside the pit)

12. Citron peel coated.

13. Apricot kernel coated.

14. Assorted plum kernel(s) coated.

15. Assorted cherry kernels coated (is there a soft center to a cherry pit?)

16. Chestnuts coated.

17. (Sauer) Orange peel coated.

18. Lime peel coated (there is debate if Limonien were limes or lemons)

19. Eichorium (unsure what this is... perhaps oak???) root coated.

20. Pimpernell (Pimpinella saxifraga L) root coated. (greater Burnett???)

21. Glockenwurtz or Helmenkraut (Inula helenium L) root coated. (Elecampane is an expectorant, root also dyes blue)

22. Sugar root coated (sugar beet root)

23. Violet (or pansy) (Viola odorata L, Viola tricolor L) root coated.

24. Ginger coated.

25. Of assorted roots/ that have a well tasting scent/smell.

If you wish such comfits to coat with sugar/ so take a clean copper vessel/ that has two handholds/ hang it in the height on a rope at both handholds/ set a glow kettle with glowing coals thereunder/ put the comfits into the vessel/ and make it fine warm/ pour nice clarified (clean) sugar thereto/ and stir it often therewith/ till the confits the sugar takes to it/ so it becomes nice white and dry. Also coats one assorted grains (do they really mean wheat, rye, etc? or are they talking about kernels as in individual anise seeds?) with sugar/ and assorted spices/ so it becomes good and also welltasting.

Original Recipe How to cover all kinds of Seeds, or little pieces of Spices, or Orange or Limon Pill, with Sugar for Comfits. First of all you must have a deep bottomed Basin of Brass or Latin, with two ears of Iron to hang it with two Cords over some hot Coals. You must also have a broad Pan to put Ashes in, and hot Coals upon them. You must have a Brass Ladle to let run the Sugar upon the Seeds. You must have a Slice of Brass to scrape away the Sugar from the sides of the hanging Basin if need be. Having all these things in readiness, do as followeth; Take fine white Sugar beaten, and let your Seeds and Spice be dry, then dry them again in your hanging Basin: Take to every two pounds of Sugar one quarter of a pound of Spices or Seeds, or such like.  If it be Aniseeds, two pounds of Sugar to half a pound of Aniseeds, will be enough. Melt your Sugar in this manner, put in three Pounds of Sugar into the Basin, and one Pint of Water, stir it well till it be wet, then melt it very well and boil it very softly until it will stream from the Ladle like Turpentine, and not drop, then let it seeth no more, but keep it upon warm Embers, that it may run from the Ladle upon the seeds.  Move the Seeds in the hanging Basin so fast as you can or may, and with one hand, cast on half a Ladle full at a time of the hot Sugar, and rub the Seeds with your other hand a pretty while, for that will make them take the Sugar the better, and dry them well after every Coat. Do thus at every Coat, not only in moving the Basin, but also with stirring of the Comfits with the one hand, and drying the same: in every hour you may make three pounds of Comfits; as the Comfits do increase in bigness, so you may take more Sugar in your Ladle to cast on: But for plain Comfits, let your Sugar be of a light decoction last, and of a high decoction first, and not too hot.  For crisp and ragged Comfits make your decoction so high, as that it may run from the Ladle, and let it fall a foot high or more from the Ladle, and the hotter you cast on your sugar, the more ragged will your Comfits be; also the Comfits will not take so much of the sugar, as upon a light decoction, and they will keep their raggedness long; this high decoction must serve for eight or ten Coats, and put on at every time but one Ladle full. A quarter of a pound of Coriander seeds, and three pounds of sugar, will serve for very great Comfits. See that you keep your Sugar in the Basin always in good temper, that it burn not in Lumps, and if at any time it be too high boiled, put in a spoonful or two of water, and keep it warily with your Ladle, and let your fire be always very clear, when your Comfits be made, set them in Dishes upon Paper in the Sun or before the Fire, or in the Oven after Bread is drawn, for the space of one hour or two, and that will make them look very white. 

 Comfits 

1 tbsp. seed of choice (anise, fennel, caraway, etc.) 

1 cup sugar 

1/3 cup water

Instructions 1. If you choose to coat your seeds with gum arabic you will need to do that in the first few charges of syrup. The ratio that most of the later confectionary books used was 6:1 - 6 parts sugar syrup to 1 part gum arabic solution. It has an odd smell when you "cook" it, but that does not affect the taste  2. Heat the sugar and the water until it reaches 170 degrees for a smooth coat, or  225 degrees for a jagged coat.  3. While the sugar syrup is heating, you will want to heat your seeds or nuts in a large flat pan such as a wok or frying pan in order to release its essential oils.  If you cannot use your fingers to stir the seeds as they heat it is too hot.   4. Once the syrup has reached the temperature you want, take a teaspoon of it and pour it over the seeds in the pan. I shake the pan until the syrup has cooled enough I can smooth the seeds around with my fingers. However, you can use the back of a wooden spoon, and stir the seeds until the sugar dries.

  • If the seeds stick together, you have used too much syrup.
  • If the sugar forms pellets in the bottom of the pan then you have used too much syrup.

NOTE: In the first few charges (coats) of the syrup the seed will look grayish, and then they will gradually begin to turn white.   5. After about 12 charges, you are done for the day. I prefer my comfits smaller, so I usually do not do this process a second day. However, you can, if you wish, make another solution of syrup and coat your seeds again after they have had time to dry out overnight. The larger the comfits get, the more you will need to divide your batch. You need to be able to work with the pan.

NOTE: Beet juice, spinach juice, and saffron can be used to color your comfits in the last several charges of syrup, or, you can add a few drops of food coloring if you wish.  

To Make Cinnamon Comfits

 Cinnamon comfits require an extra step. First,  you need to make sure that you are using "true" cinnamon, that is Ceylon Cinnamon, which is soft, crumbly, and brittle. When you look at it, it is "compact" and consists of many layers. Cassia cinnamon is what you normally find in the store, and it is thick, and darker in color than Ceylon cinnamon which is a light rusty brown in color. Once you have obtained Ceylon cinnamon you will need to soak it overnight in water. This is so that you can shave it down into the needle-like strips that are needed to make the comfit. Then you will need to let your cinnamon dry thoroughly.  Once the cinnamon has dried completely, proceed as above, being careful to coat the cinnamon with the gum arabic/syrup solution in the first three charges (coats). You will need to stop coating your comfits after about eight charges of syrup and let them dry overnight. Then you can make another solution of syrup and continue the next day.  Enjoy! 

 Update: Regarding cinnamon comfits,  I have been able to make these successfully without soaking ahead of time. 

 Sources

"Deutsches Textarchiv – Rumpolt, Marx: Ein New Kochbuch. Frankfurt (Main), 1581.". Deutschestextarchiv.De, 2022, https://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/rumpolt_kochbuch_1581/?p=418&hl=Rote. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

Palmer, Sharon. "Ein New Kochbuch". Academia.Edu, 2022, https://www.academia.edu/6272538/Ein_New_Kochbuch. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

Baronial 12th Night (To Make Muscadines, Commonly called Kissing Comfits)




To Make Muscadines, Commonly called Kissing Comfits, Delightfull daily exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen, 1621 - Take halfe a pound of double refined Sugar beaten and cearsed [sieved], put into the beating thereof, two graines of Muske, 3 grains of ambergreese, & a dram of orris powder: beat all these together with gum Dragogon steeped in damaske-rose-water, in an aliblaster [marble] mortar to a perfect paste, then slicke a sheete of white paper, slicked with a slick-stone very smooth, and rowle your sugar pate upon it, then cut it like lozenges with a rowel, & so dry them upon a stone, and when they bee dry they will serve to garnish a marchpaine, or other dishes, tarts, custards, or whatsoever else, if you will have any red you must mingle it with Rosa Paris, if blew, with blew bottles growing in the corne.

Kissing Comfits

3 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon gum arabic powder
3 eyedropper drops essence of ambergris
2 eyedropper drops essence of musk
4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon powered orris root
2 drops yellow food color (optional)
2 drops blue food color (optional)

Pour rose water into a saucer, add gum arabic and stir until the gum is dissolved. Add the ambergris and musk, set aside until needed. Sift two cups of the sugar and the orris root into a bowl, Add the gum arabic mixture, a tablespoonful at a time and work into the sugar until the paste is smooth.

For white pastilles, sprinkle the third cup of sugar on a large plate and, with your fingers, work the paste into the sugar until it is smooth. For colored pastilles, divide the white paste into two equal parts, add a drop of food color to each part. Blend in each of the colors and set one aside covered (they dry out very quickly) while you work with the other.

Sprinkle half the remanning sugar on a clean plate and work in until smooth. Pat the paste into a square and cover it with a piece of wax paper. Roll it out gently to a sheet about 3/8 inch thick. Mark and cut off small squares, triangles and rectangles with a knife. Sprinkle a cookie sheet with the remanning sugar and place the pastilles on it about an inch apart.

When the pastilles have hardened, loosen them gently with a spatula (they break easily) and store them in an airtight container. You should be able to get about four dozen pastilles from this recipe. They will keep for six to eight weeks.-- "Dining with William Shakespeare" by Madge Lorwin

Kitchen Adventures – Baronial 12th Night (How to cover all kinds of Seeds, or little pieces of Spices, or Orange or Limon Pill, with Sugar for Comfits. The queen-like closet (1670))


How to cover all kinds of Seeds, or little pieces of Spices, or Orange or Limon Pill, with Sugar for Comfits. The queen-like closet (1670)

Thomas Dawson lists comfets (comfits) as one of the "necessaries appertaining to a banquet".

How to cover all kinds of Seeds, or little pieces of Spices, or Orange or Limon Pill, with Sugar for Comfits. First of all you must have a deep bottomed Basin of Brass or Latin, with two ears of Iron to hang it with two Cords over some hot Coals. You must also have a broad Pan to put Ashes in, and hot Coals upon them. You must have a Brass Ladle to let run the Sugar upon the Seeds. You must have a Slice of Brass to scrape away the Sugar from the sides of the hanging Basin if need be. Having all these things in readiness, do as followeth; Take fine white Sugar beaten, and let your Seeds and Spice be dry, then dry them again in your hanging Basin: Take to every two pounds of Sugar one quarter of a pound of Spices or Seeds, or such like.

If it be Aniseeds, two pounds of Sugar to half a pound of Aniseeds, will be enough. Melt your Sugar in this manner, put in three Pounds of Sugar into the Basin, and one Pint of Water, stir it well till it be wet, then melt it very well and boil it very softly until it will stream from the Ladle like Turpentine, and not drop, then let it seeth no more, but keep it upon warm Embers, that it may run from the Ladle upon the seeds.

Move the Seeds in the hanging Basin so fast as you can or may, and with one hand, cast on half a Ladle full at a time of the hot Sugar, and rub the Seeds with your other hand a pretty while, for that will make them take the Sugar the better, and dry them well after every Coat. Do thus at every Coat, not only in moving the Basin, but also with stirring of the Comfits with the one hand, and drying the same: in every hour you may make three pounds of Comfits; as the Comfits do increase in bigness, so you may take more Sugar in your Ladle to cast on: But for plain Comfits, let your Sugar be of a light decoction last, and of a high decoction first, and not too hot.

For crisp and ragged Comfits make your decoction so high, as that it may run from the Ladle, and let it fall a foot high or more from the Ladle, and the hotter you cast on your sugar, the more ragged will your Comfits be; also the Comfits will not take so much of the sugar, as upon a light decoction, and they will keep their raggedness long; this high decoction must serve for eight or ten Coats, and put on at every time but one Ladle full. A quarter of a pound of Coriander seeds, and three pounds of sugar, will serve for very great Comfits. See that you keep your Sugar in the Basin always in good temper, that it burn not in Lumps, and if at any time it be too high boiled, put in a spoonful or two of water, and keep it warily with your Ladle, and let your fire be always very clear, when your Comfits be made, set them in Dishes upon Paper in the Sun or before the Fire, or in the Oven after Bread is drawn, for the space of one hour or two, and that will make them look very white.

Comfits

1 tbsp. seed of choice (anise, fennel, caraway)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

To make smooth comfits you will want your sugar syrup heated to a lower heat, while jagged comfits you will need to heat your sugar to a higher heat. To make smooth comfits, I put the sugar and the water into a pot and then I heat it on low until the sugar has melted. At this point I heat the seeds in a large flat pan, similar to a wok or frying pan on low heat. If you can't comfortably reach into the pan and stir the seeds with your hand, then the pan is too hot.

Once the seeds are fragrant, and your syrup is heated take a teaspoon of it and pour it over the seeds in the pan. Using the back of a wooden spoon, (or your hand) stir the seeds until the sugar dries. If the seeds stick together, you have used too much syrup. If the sugar forms pellets in the bottom of the pan then you have used too much syrup.

The first few charges (coats) of the syrup the seed will look grayish, and then they will gradually begin to turn white. Continue to add syrup to your seeds until your comfits reach the size you want. They will lighten and whiten as they cool. If you wish to add color to your comfits add it to the syrup a few charges before your comfits reach the size you want.

Kitchen Adventures – Comfits (Candied Anise, Fennel and Caraway Seeds)


Please note, that this post has been edited to correct a mistake.  I had originally stated that Gum Arabic and Gum Tragacanth were the same things.  This is untrue as they are two different substances.  Mea culpa! My apologies to anyone who was misled by my mistake. Thank you to the individual who advised me on this. 

Comfits were often served at the end of the feast to freshen the breath, act as a digestive, as decoration and sometimes used in the treatment of specific illness. Aromatic seeds such as anise (pictured in foreground), fennel or caraway were coated with sugar and colored using beet, spinach or saffron. They can also be made using almonds or ginger. Comfits can still be purchased today, for example Jordan almonds or pastilles. They are a bit time consuming to make but ohhhh sooo much tastier then the ones you purchase!

The easier comfits to make are the ones with seeds such as caraway, fennel or anise. Making cinnamon comfits is a bit of a process. To start I will walk you through the process of candying seeds such as anise, caraway or fennel. Many of the cookbooks that were published 1700's and after call for coating the seeds with a solution of gum arabic. This is a necessity if you are going to be making cinnamon comfits. To create your solution use 1 tsp. of gum arabic (if you can't get gum arabic you can also use tragacanth powder), to 3 tsp. rosewater. I let mine sit overnight and it becomes a thick, honey colored gel.

For more information on making these historic treats, please visitRead Dame Alys' Comfit Guide (Wayback Machine)

Recipe

1 tbsp. seed of choice (anise, fennel, caraway)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Heat the sugar and the water until it reaches 225 degrees. Heat the seeds in a large flat pan, similar to a wok or frying pan. I use a setting of 3 on my stove. If you can't comfortably reach into the pan and stir the seeds with your hand, then the pan is too hot.

Once the syrup has reached 225 degrees (for a smoother comfit, you need only heat the syrup to about 170 degrees), take a teaspoon of it and pour it over the seeds in the pan. Using the back of a wooden spoon, stir the seeds until the sugar dries. If the seeds stick together, you have used too much syrup. If the sugar forms pellets in the bottom of the pan then you have used too much syrup. The first few charges (coats) of the syrup the seed will look grayish, and then they will gradually begin to turn white. After about 12 charges, you are done for the day. I prefer my comfits smaller, so I usually do not do this process a second day. However, you can, if you wish, make another solution of syrup and coat your seeds again after they have had time to dry out overnight. The larger the comfits get, the more you will need to divide your batch. You need to be able to work with the pan.

If you choose to coat your seeds with gum arabic you will need to do that in the first few charges of syrup. The ratio that most of the later confectionary books used was 6:1 - 6 parts sugar syrup to 1 part gum arabic solution. It has an odd smell when you "cook" it, but that does not affect the taste.

To Make Cinnamon Comfits

Cinnamon comfits require an extra step. First you need to make sure that you are using "true" cinnamon, that is Ceylon Cinnamon, which is soft, crumbly and brittle. When you look at it, it is "compact" and consists of many layers. Cassia cinnamon is what you normally find in the store, and it is thick, and darker in color then ceylon cinnamon which is a light rusty brown in color. Once you have obtained ceylon cinnamon you will need to soak it overnight in water. This is so that you can shave it down into the needle like strips that are needed to make the comfit. Then you will need to let your cinnamon dry thoroughly.

Once the cinnamon has dried completely, proceed as above, being careful to coat the cinnamon with the gum arabic/syrup solution in the first three charges (coats). You will need to stop coating your comfits after about eight charges of syrup and let them dry overnight. Then you can make another solution of syrup and continue the next day.

Beet juice, spinach juice and saffron can be used to color your comfits in the last several charges of syrup, or, you can add a few drops of food coloring if you wish.

Enjoy!

Update: Regarding cinnamon comfits,  I have been able to make these successfully without soaking ahead of time.












Kitchen Adventures – SCA Feast (Coronation Feast of Cadogan and AnnMarie September 27, 2014)

This feast marked my return to cooking in the SCA.  It was the most comprehensive of the banquets I have put together, and the one I am proudest of.  I would not have been able to pull this off it were not for those who volunteered to help, including those who helped prepare ahead of time, the day of, and the many individuals who helped with cleaning up afterwords (and who got to take home prizes of their own).

Unfortunately, there is only one photo saved from the feast itself, and that is the partially assembled subteltie.  However, as I experimented and perfected several of the recipes, I did take pictures and will include them where appropriate. The subteltie was a hollow fondant dragon egg, surrounded by rondels of sugar paste painted in baronial colors.  When the egg was lifted, inside were dragons made of milk chocolate. It was surrounded by fresh herbs and flowers from my garden.



Recipes From the Coronation Feast of Cadogan and AnnMarie
September 27, 2014
Bronwyn Ni Mhathon
Conor Maclellan

The First Remove


Mushroom Pasty

Olio Podrida
Bolonia Sausages with Mustard and CaperBerries
Buttered Onions Otherways
A Diverse Sallet
Taffety Tarts

The Second Remove


Stewed Collops and Balls

Buttered Rice
Gourds Otherways with Orange-Butter Sauce
To Boyle Garden Beans
A Made Dish of Elizabethan Sweets


  • Perys in Compost
  • Boyled Crème
  • Marchpane
  • Sugar Paste
  • Candied Fruit
Alternate Dishes

First Remove


Chick Peas with Herbs


Second Remove


Stuffed Eggplant



Mushroom Pasty


Mushrooms one night are the best, and are small and ruddy inside, closed above: and should peel and wash hot and pourboulir nor water; which veult to paste, if there starts tothe rust of chees and pouldre. Put them between two dishes on coals, and put a little of salt, chees and pouldre. The treuve in by the end of May and in June.

(Power, 1928)

Redaction

1 ½ to 2 pounds of mushrooms, cleaned, sliced and quartered
1 to 2 tbs. olive oil
1 to 1 ½ cups grated or shredded cheese (Mozzarella)
1 9” pie shell – Lid is optional
1 tsp. “Good Powder” (See Below)
Parboil the mushrooms and drain them well. Excess moisture will leave the pie crust “wet” after baking. Add oil, cheese and spices to the mushrooms and place into the pie shell. If you wish, add a lid, but the pies are delicious with a little bit of extra cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees until pie crust is golden, and cheese has melted.

Note: The pies were par-baked at coronation for approximately 20 minutes and then set aside to be returned to the oven 15 minutes prior to being served. Excess moisture did collect and was drained off before the second baking.


“Good Powder”


The ratios for the “good powder” that I used were as below: 3:3:2:2:1:1

Ginger
Pepper
Grains of Paradise
Cinnamon
Clove
Sugar


To make an Olio Podrida


Take a Pipkin or Pot of some three Gallons, fill it with fair water, and set it over a Fire of Charcoals, and put in first your hardest meats, a rump of Beef, _Bolonia_ sausages, neats tongues two dry, and two green, boiled and larded, about two hours after the Pot is boil'd and scummed: but put in more presently after your Beef is scum'd, Mutton, Venison, Pork, Bacon, all the aforesaid in Gubbins,as big as a Ducks Egg, in equal pieces; put in also Carrots, Turnips, Onions, Cabbidge, in good big pieces, as big as your meat, a faggot of sweet herbs, well bound up, and some whole Spinage, Sorrel, Burrage, Endive, Marigolds, and other good Pot-Herbs a little chopped; and sometimes _French_ Barley, or Lupins green or dry.


Then a little before you dish out your Olio; put to your pot, Cloves, Mace, Saffron, _&c._

Then next have divers Fowls; as first _A Goose, or Turkey, two Capons, two Ducks, two Pheasants, two Widgeons, four Partridges, four stock Doves, four Teals, eight Snites, twenty four Quails, forty eight Larks._

Boil these foresaid Fowls in water and salt in a pan, pipkin, or pot, _&c._


Then have _Bread_, _Marrow_, _Bottoms of Artichocks_, _Yolks of hard Eggs_, _Large Mace_, Chesnuts boil'd and blancht_, _two Colliflowers_, _Saffron_.


And stew these in a pipkin together, being ready clenged with some good sweet butter, a little white wine and strong broth.


Some other times for variety you may use Beets, Potato's, Skirrets, Pistaches, PineApple seed, or Almonds, Poungarnet, and Lemons.


Now to dish your Olio, dish first your Beef, Veal or Pork; then your Venison, and Mutton, Tongues, Sausage, and Roots over all.


Then next your largest Fowl, Land-Fowl, or Sea-Fowl, as first, a Goose, or Turkey, two Capons, two Pheasants, four Ducks, four Widgeons, four Stock-Doves, four Partridges, eight Teals, twelve Snites, twenty four Quailes, forty eight Larks, _&c._


Then broth it, and put on your pipkin of Colliflowers Artichocks, Chesnuts, some sweet-breads fried, Yolks of hard Eggs, then Marrow boil'd in strong broth or water, large Mace, Saffron, Pistaches, and all the aforesaid things being finely stewed up, and some red Beets over all, slic't Lemons, and Lemon peels whole, and run it over with beaten butter.


(Hope, 2007)


Redaction


Ingredients:

1/2 pound stew beef
¼ pound sausages
¼ pound lamb
¼ pound venison
1/3 pound pork
½ pound slab bacon
¼ pound turkey
¼ pound chicken
2 Onions diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 turnip peeled and diced
1 parsnip peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
Approximately 2 ½ to 3 cups chopped greens including cabbage, spinach, kale, beet greens, chard, mustard greens
½ tsp each dried. thyme, marjoram
1 tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. clove, mace and saffron
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

For the vegetarian version: Roasted red beets and pistachios to garnish over the top along with a slice of lemon.


The meat version will be garnished with pistachios and lemon slices and eggs chopped.


Note: For the Olio served at feast, we added rabbit and goose, and did not include bacon. The instructions indicate that this is to be a “made dish”, but we cooked all the items together and served it as a stew. Because the stew was not brought to table as originally planned the garnish was not included.


The meat was cooked prior to the event. The meat was added to the pot along with onions, carrots, parsley and herbs. Water was added to cover the meat and it was brought to a boil to cook. After the meat was cooked the spent vegetables and herbs were removed. On the day of the event, the vegetables were cooked in the “stock”, the meat was cut into bite sized pieces (and it shredded up during the day) and was added along with more seasoning. The greens were the last items that were added. I used a mixture of cabbage, spinach, kale, beet, collard and mustard greens.



Bolonia Sausages with Mustard and CaperBerries


The best way and time of the year is to make them in _September_.


Take four stone of pork, of the legs the leanest, and take away all the skins, sinews, and fat from it; mince it fine and stamp it: then add to it three ounces of whole pepper, two ounces of pepper moregrosly cracked or beaten, whole cloves an ounce, nutmegs an ounce finely beaten, salt, spanish, or peter-salt, an ounce of coriander-seed finely beaten, or carraway-seed, cinamon an ounce fine beaten, lard cut an inch long, as big as your little finger, and clean without rust; mingle all the foresaid together; and fill beef guts as full as you can possibly, and as the wind gathers in the gut, prick them with a pin, and shake them well down with your hands; for if they be not well filled, they will be rusty.


These aforesaid Bolonia Sausages are most excellent of pork only: but some use buttock beef, with pork, half one and as much of the other. Beef and pork are very good.


Some do use pork of a weeks powder for this use beforesaid, and no more salt at all.


Some put a little sack in the beating of these sausages, and put in place of coriander-seed, carraway-seed.


This is the most excellent way to make Bolonia Sausages, being carefully filled, and tied fast with a packthred, and smoaked or smothered three or four days, that will turn them red; then hang them in some cool cellar or higher room to take the air.

(Hope, 2007)

Other Sausages._


Sausages of pork with some of the fat of a chine of bacon or pork, some sage chopped fine and small, salt, and pepper: and fill them into porkets guts, or hogs, or sheeps guts, or no guts, and let them dry in the chimney leisurely, _&c._

(Hope, 2007)

Redaction


4 ½ pounds of pork

1 tsp. each cracked black pepper, whole peppercorns, cubebs and longpepper
½ tsp each. cloves, nutmeg, salt, coriander
1 tsp. sage, salt, marjoram and thyme

The pork was ground, cased, cured and smoked by the meat market. The day of the event, the pork was first boiled, and then crisped in the pizza ovens.


Mustard of Dijon, or French Mustard


The seed being cleansed, stamp it in a mortar, with vinegar and honey, then take eight ounces of seed, two ounces of cinamon, two of honey, and vinegar as much as will serve, good mustard not too thick, and keep it close covered in little oyster-barrels.


To make dry Mustard very pleasant in little Loaves or Cakes to carry in ones Pocket, or to keep dry for use at any time._


Take two ounces of seamy, half an ounce of cinamon, and beat them in a mortar very fine with a little vinegar, and honey, make a perfect paste of it, and make it into little cakes or loaves, dry them in the sun or in an oven, and when you would use them, dissolve half a loaf or cake with some vinegar, wine, or verjuyce.


(Hope, 2007)


Redaction


Makes approximately 3 cups


1 Cup Mustard Seeds

1 ½ Cups Mustard Powder
¼ cup cinnamon
¼ cup honey
½ cup vinegar
1 ½ cups water

Grind the whole mustard seeds for a few seconds in a spice or coffee grinder, or by hand with a mortar and pestle just enough to crack. Pour the seeds, mustard powder, honey and cinnamon into a bowl and then add COLD vinegar and water. Wait at least 12 hours before using. Seeds can be a mix of brown, black or white. Black offers the most “heat”.


Note: I purchased prepared whole grain mustard and stone ground mustard mix in lieu of making the mustard. To these I added the cinnamon and honey. This dish was prepared almost a month in advance of the feast.


The caperberries were purchased through Amazon.


Buttered Onions Otherways


Being peeled, put them into boiling liquor, and when they are boil’d, drain them in a cullender, and butter them whole with some boil’d currans, butter, sugar, and beaten cinamon, serve them on fine sippets, scrape on sugar, and run them over with beaten butter.


(The Second part of the good Hus-wiues Iewell., 2009)


To boile onions


Take a good many onions and cut them in four quarters, set them on the fire in as much water as you think will boile them tender, and when they be clean skimmed, put in a good many raisons, halfe a grose pepper, a good peece of sugar, and a little salte, and when the onions be through boiled, beat the yolke of an Egge with Vergious, and put into your pot and so serve it upon soppes. If you will, poch Egges and lay upon them.


(The Second part of the good Hus-wiues Iewell., 2009)


Redaction


1 ½ to 2 pounds small boiling onions -or- a mix of onions (spanish, boiling, red, Vidalia, leeks or scallions)

3 tbsp. butter or oil (optional)
¼ to ½ cup currants or raisins
2 tbsp. sugar or honey
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup or more as needed to cover the onions water, vegetable or other stock
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar or verjuice

Note: Butter and oil were not included in the feast for this dish. The onions were covered with water and the vinegar, sugar and cinnamon were added and a good handful or two of currants were added.



A Diverse Sallet Otherways


Boil'd parsnips in quarters laid round the dish, and in the midst some small sallet, or water cresses finely washed and picked, on the water-cresses some little small lettice finely picked and washed also, and some elicksander-buds in halves, and some in quarters, and between the quarters of the parsnips, some small lettice, some water-cresses and elicksander-buds, oyl and vinegar, and round the dish some slices of parsnips.


(Hope, 2007)


Redaction


4 parsnips and 4 carrots, peeled and sliced in half longway’s. If they are larger (and woodier) cut in quarters along the length

Watercress, parsley and or mint leaves
Endive (cut in quarters)
¾ cup Oil
2 tbsp. wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil (or roast) the vegetables. If roasting, place on a buttered sheet for 15 to 20 minutes and cook until tender. Place the carrots and parsnips on the serving dish so that ends meet in the middle and they form spokes as if spokes on a wheel.


Place a handful of the watercress, parsley and mint leaves mixed in the center of the serving platter. In between the spokes of the wheel place the endive leaves.


Note: Carrots of diverse colors were used for the salad at feast. Many of the parsnips I was able to locate were large and woody and would not have made a very good salad, but were suitable for the Olio. The carrots were roasted to bring out their best flavor.


Capers were placed inside the endive leaves and pickled mushrooms (recipe to follow) decorated the plate the salad was served on.


The salads were prepared early in the day and dressing was poured on them as they were being served.



Pickled Mushrooms


Take a bushel of mushrooms, blanch them over the crown, barm them beneath; if they are new, they look read as a Cherry; if old, black; this being done, throw them into a pan oif boyling water, then take them forth and let them drain; when they are cold, put them up into your Pot or Glass, put thereto Cloves, Mace, Ginger, Nutmeggs, whole Pepper; Then take white wine, a little Vinegar, with a llittle quantity of salt, so pour the Liquor into your Mushrooms, and stop them close for your use all the year.


(Rabisha, 2011)


Redaction


1 pound small mushrooms

½ cup water
1 ½ - 2 tsp. salt
1 tsp peppercorns
5 cloves
1/2 tsp. mace and nutmeg
1 slice of fresh root ginger
1 ½ Cups white wine
2 tbsp vinegar

Clean the mushrooms and slice or quarter as you desire. Place mushrooms in a pan and cover with the water. Add salt. Bring mushrooms to a boil; boil for approximately two minutes and then drain. Place the mushrooms in your jar, add remainder of spices, wine and vinegar. If you find that you do not have enough liquid to cover the mushrooms, add more wine. Once a day invert the jar.

Note: The mushrooms were made several weeks prior to the event. I canned them. I did reheat the mushrooms to remove the alcohol content prior to serving. This was a very good make ahead dish. 1 pound of the mushrooms made 2 jars of pickles.


Taffety Tarts


First wet the paste with butter and cold water, roul it very thin, then lay apples in the lays, and between every lay of apples, strew some fine sugar, and some lemon-peel cut very small, you may also put some fennil-seed to them; let them bake an hour or more, then ice them with rose-water, sugar, and butter beaten together, and wash them over with the same, strew more fine sugar on them, and put them into the oven again, being enough serve them hot or cold.
(Hope, 2007)

To make the best Taffaty Tarts


To make Tarts called Taffaty Tarts. First wet your Past with Butter and cold Water, and rowle it very thin, also then lay them in layes, and between every lay of Apples strew some Sugar, and some Lemon Pill, cut very small, if you please put some Fennell-seed to them; then put them into a stoak hot Oven, and let them stand an hour in or more, then take them out, and take Rose-water and Butter beaten together, and wash them over with the same, and strew fine Sugar upon them; then put them into the Oven again, let them stand a little while and take them out.


(The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Compleat Cook, by Nath. Brook, 2003)


Redaction


3-4 apples cored, and sliced paper thin

½ cup apple cider (not juice)
1/2 c sugar
1 Lemon or Orange Zested
1 to 2 tsp. fennel seed roughly cracked (optional)
Puff pastry tart shells
2 tsp. rosewater

Note: Orange Marmalade was substituted for the lemon, sugar, rosewater and fennel mixture called for in the recipe. If you wish to make the same substitution thin out orange marmalade with a little bit of water and add honey to taste, cook apple tarts for half the time required on the puff pastry directions, remove from oven, spoon orange marmalade over apples and return to oven.


Stewed Collops


Take some of the buttock of beef, and cut it into thin slices cross the grain of the meat, then hack them and fry them in sweet butter, and being fryed fine and brown put them in a pipkin with some strong broth, a little claret wine, and some nutmeg, stew it very tender; and half an hour before you dish it, put to it some good gravy, elder-vinegar, and a clove or two; when you serve it, put some juyce of orange, and three or four slices on it, stew down the gravy somewhat thick, and put into it when you dish it some beaten butter.


One may add sometimes some of the minced meat made up into balls, and stewed amongst the broth,

_&c._

(Hope, 2007)


Stewyd colops.


Take colops of venison rostyd; do hem yn a pott. Do wyn therto, hole spycez & poudyr of pepyr & canell. Boyle hit up weth a perty of swete brothe. Sesyn hit up with poudyr of gunger & vyneger, & serve it forth.


(Hieatt, 1988 )


Redaction


2 pounds of beef or venison sliced fairly thick

6 each peppercorn, clove, cubeb
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 cup beef broth
1 tbs. red wine vinegar

Arrange the meat in the pan and add in the spices, vinegar and broth. Bake in a 400 degree oven until the meat has been cooked fully through.



Other manner of Balls


Mince a leg of Veal very small, yolks of hard eggs, and the yolks of seven or eight raw eggs, some salt, make them into balls as big as a walnut, and stew them in a pipkin with some mutton broth, mace, cloves, and slic't ginger, stew them an hour, and put some marrow to them, and serve them on sippets, _&c._

(Hope, 2007)

Redaction


1 pound ground meat preferably 50/50 blend pork and beef (veal)

12 hardboiled egg finely chopped (Optional)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup currants (optional)
2 large eggs
For the broth:
2 cups beef broth
½ tsp. each cinnamon and salt
¼ tsp. each. Pepper and mace
2-4 cloves
1 tbsp. red wine
¼ cup currants

Bring the broth to a boil. Form the meat mixture into approximately 12 small sized meatballs. Drop the meatballs into the broth and simmer gently for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked.

Note: The meatballs were made before feast. The broth was saved and added to the collops. The meatballs are a great make ahead dish. Because they had been previously cooked, they were added to the collops about an hour prior to serving.


Buttered Rice


Pick the rice and sift it, and when the liquor boils, put it in and scum it, boil it not too much, then drain it, butter it, and serve it on fine carved sippets, and scraping sugar only, or sugar and cinamon.

Butter wheat, and French barley, as you do rice, but hull your wheat and barley, wet the wheat and beat it in a sack with a wash-beetle, fan it, and being clean hulled, boil it all night on a soft fire very tender.
(Hope, 2007)

Redaction


1 bag frozen rice

½ cup cream
2 tbsp. butter
Dash of salt

Combine rice, cream, butter and salt together and heat until butter is melted and cream has been absorbed. This can be done in the oven.



Gourds Otherways with Orange-Butter Sauce


Fry them in slices, being cleans'd & peel'd, either floured or in batter; being fried, serve them with beaten butter, and vinegar, or beaten butter and juyce of orange, or butter beaten with a little water, and served in a clean dish with fryed parsley, elliksanders, apples, slic't onions fryed, or sweet herbs
(Hope, 2007)

Redaction


Zucchini

Flour
Salt
Oil to fry with

Dredge the zucchini in the flour and fry until golden brown. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and serve with orange butter sauce (Recipe Below)


Redaction


Zest from 3 Oranges

1/2 gallons orange juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Pounds Butter

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a nonaluminum saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat 25 minutes or until mixture is reduces by 1/4. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk butter into orange juice mixture. Serve immediately.


Note: The orange butter sauce did not go out with the gourds at feast


*Medieval gourds were most likely “bottle gourds” of the genus Lagenaria. The closest representation that we have is the zucchini.


To boyle Garden Beans


Being shelled and cleansed, put them into boiling liquor with some salt, boil them up quick, and being boiled drain away the liquor and butter them, dish them in a dish like a cross, and serve them with pepper and salt on the dish side.


Thus also green pease, haslers, broom-buds, or any kind of pulse.


(Hope, 2007)


To boil French Beans or Lupins.


First take away the tops of the cods and the strings, then have a pan or skillet of fair water boiling on the fire, when it boils put them in with some salt, and boil them up quick; being boil’d serve them with beaten butter in a fair scowred dish, and salt about it.

(Hope, 2007)

Redaction


1 pound frozen green beans

Heat the beans, salt and butter

Note: The beans served at feast were a combination of Dragons Tongue wax beans and green beans purchased at the farmers market. The common green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) purportedly reached England in 1594 and was considered a novelty food (Seeds of trade: Product: Beans, 2013).


A Made Dish of Elizabethan Sweets




  • Pears in Compost: pears, red wine, cinnamon, sugar, dates, salt
  • Boiled Cream Custard: cream, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, saffron, salt, ginger
  • Marchpane: almonds, sugar, rosewater, powdered sugar
  • Sugar Paste: gum tragacanth, rosewater, lemon juice, powdered sugar, cinnamon oil
  • Candied Fruit: Fruit, sugar, water, honey
  • Apple Paste
  • Spanish Marmalade
  • Orange Marmalade
  • Comfits of anise and caraway
  • Manus Christi
  • Clove Electuaries



Peeres In Confyt.


Take peeres and pare hem clene. take gode rede wyne & mulberes oþer saundres and seeþ þe peeres þerin & whan þei buth ysode, take hem up, make a syryp of wyne greke. oþer vernage with blaunche powdour oþer white sugur and powdour gyngur & do the peres þerin. seeþ it a lytel & messe it forth

(The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Forme of Cury, by Samuel Pegge, 2013)

Perys en Composte.


Take Wyne an Canel, & a gret dele of Whyte Sugre, an set it on þe fyre & hete it hote, but let it nowt boyle, an draw it þorwe a straynoure; þan take fayre Datys, an pyke owt þe stonys, an leche hem alle þinne, an caste þer-to; þanne take Wardonys, an pare hem and sethe hem, an leche hem alle þinne, & caste þer-to in-to þe Syryppe; þanne take a lytil Sawnderys, and caste þer-to, an sette it on þe fyre; an yif þow hast charde quynce, caste þer-to in þe boyling, an loke þat it stonde wyl with Sugre, an wyl lyid wyth Canel, an caste Salt þer-to, an let it boyle; an þan caste yt on a treen vessel, & lat it kele, and serue forth.


(Austin, 1888)


Redaction


4 Pears, peeled, cored and sliced

2 cups red wine (I used Apothica Red)
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Tbsp. sugar
6 dates

Boil the pears in water until they are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Drain the pears and in the same pan, heat wine, cinnamon, dates and sugar together. Add the pears and cook for approximately five minutes more.


If you are planning on serving that day, allow to cool slightly and remove the cinnamon sticks.


Note: The pears were canned approximately two weeks prior to Coronation. Before canning I removed the cinnamon stick and filled the jar with wine. I canned according to directions. This is a good make ahead dish.



Crème boyled


Take swete crème of melke; do hit in a pott. Do therto buttur claryfyed. Set hit on the fyre; stere hit. When hit boyles, have yolkes of eyron drawyn thorowgh a streynour into a bole, & put boylyng crem thereto| with a ladyl. Styr hit well for quallyng, & put hit in the pott ayen; & yf be nede, yeve hit a lytyl more of the fyre. Loke hit have white sygure ynowghe, & of the bature also loke hit be standing as mortruys; & coloure hit with safron. Loke hit be salt. Messe hit forth, and strew on poudur of ginger.


(Hieatt, 1988 )


Redaction


2 Cups whipping cream

4 ounces cream cheese
3 whole eggs
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of saffron
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger

Blend the cream with softened cream cheese, put this mixture in a large saucepan and heat it over a low heat, stirring. Beat the eggs separately with the sugar, saffron and salt, and gradually add the hot cream mixture.


Continue to beat until smoothly blended. Return to stove and cook very gently until it has thickened. Pour into serving dishes and allow to cool


Before serving decorate with ginger and sugar, edible or candied flowers, berries or pomegranate seeds.


NOTE: The easy way to ‘boil cream’ is in a microwave oven. The quantity of cream should be 1 ½ cups only. To microwave custard heat the cream in a large glass dish for 2 minutes at full power. While cream is heating, beat the eggs, sugar, saffron and salt together. Mix the cheese and egg mixture with the heated cream and microwave on low power for 6 minutes. Rotate dish and microwave for 6 more minutes. DO NOT STIR during this process. Allow to cool and serve.



To make Marzipan.


Lancelot de Casteau: Ouverture de Cuisine. Liège 1604.


Take almonds appointed as above, & flatten the paste as for making a tart, then form the marzipan as fancy as you want, then take sifted sugar & mix with rose water, & beat it together that it is like a thick batter, cast there a little on the marzipan, & flatten with a well held knife until the marzipan is all covered, then put it into the oven on paper: when you see that it boils thereon & that it does like ice, tear apart from the oven, when it doesn't boil, & sprinkle on nutmeg: if you want it golden, make it so

(Myers, 2014)

Redaction


2 Cups Almond Meal Flour

Rosewater
2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar

Mix the almond meal flour (I used Hodgson Mill) with the confectioners’ sugar and add enough water to make a dough the consistency of play dough. Shape your marzipan and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for approximately 15 minutes at 300 degrees. Turn off the heat and continue to “bake” another 15 minutes. The paler the marzipan, the prettier it is.


Note: I colored half the dough yellow using food coloring and left the other half natural colored. I’m not sure what happened, but the marzipan puffed up like little pillows. These were made about a week in advance.



Sugar Paste


Take some fine sugar well-sifted through a fine sieve, then have gum tragacanth well soaked in rose water strained through a sieve as thick as you can strain it, then put your gum in a copper or other mortar & grind your gum well, constantly putting in a little sugar so that you make a kneadable dough. Note the more it is beaten the whiter it becomes: from this dough you can form what you want, such as making in hollow molds, or some trenchers, or plates, or cups whatever you want, & put it to sweat in an oven that is not too hot, you can also gild it as much as you want to have it: take care that the oven is not so hot that it raises the dough in bubbles, this would be worth nothing, because it is necessary that the dough remain firm.


(Myers, 2014)


Redaction


1 teaspoon gum tragacanth

1 tablespoon rosewater
2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1 egg white beaten if the paste is to be non-edible
up to 1 lb. powdered sugar

Combine the gum tragacanth and rosewater in a bowl and mix until it becomes a runny paste. Add the lemon juice or egg white (for non-edible dough) and then gradually add as much sugar as needed to make a smooth, kneadable dough.


If you want to flavor the gum paste add a few drops of food grade oil for candy (I used cinnamon). You can also color the gum paste at this time. Shape as desired and allow to dry.


Note: The sugar paste dragons were made with egg white and had about a tablespoon of cinnamon added to the dough. The coins were made using cinnamon flavored oil and lemon juice.



Candied Fruit


Take a pound of the smallest cherries, but let them be well coloured, boil them tender in a pint of fair water, then strain the liquor from the cherries and take two pound of other fair cherries, stone them, and put them in your preserving-pan, with a laying of cherries and a laying of sugar, then pour the sirrup of the other strained cherries over them, and let them boil as fast as maybe with a blazing fire, that the sirrup may boil over them; when you see that the sirrup is of a good colour, something thick, and begins to jelly, set them a cooling, and being cold pot them; and so keep them all the year.


(Hope, 2007)


Redaction


1 pound of fruit

Sugar

The process I used to preserve the cherries was known as “Glace”. To glace fruit you must cook it in water until it is tender. Once the fruit has been made tender, drain the water and add an equal weight of sugar to your fruit. Heat it to dissolve into syrup and bring to a boil, placed in an airtight container and leave it to sit overnight.


Days 2 through 7 – each day you will drain the syrup off of the fruit and add a ½ cup of sugar for every cup of syrup (i.e. if you have 2 cups syrup, you would add one cup of sugar). Bring this mixture to a boil, pour over the fruit and let sit overnight.


Day 8 – pour fruit and syrup into a pan, add a half cup sugar for every cup of syrup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook gently for three minutes. Return fruit and syrup to airtight container and let soak for two days.


Day 10: Repeat step 8. At this point your syrup should have the consistency of honey. Let the fruit soak for 10 or more days. The longer it soaks the better it will be. Watch for sugar crystalizing on bottom of container.


At the end of your soaking period, remove the fruit from the syrup and let dry on a wire rack. This process can take a bit depending on humidity. You can speed the process up by leaving fruit in an oven heated to the lowest setting and then turned off overnight.


When the surface of the fruit is no longer sticky you can roll it in sugar and store it in an airtight container.


Note: The Cherries for feast were created in this fashion. The remaining dried fruit was purchased (plums, apricots, apple rings and pears). The fruit was dipped in a simple syrup made up of two cups sugar to one cup water, allowed to dry and then sugared.

23

Apple Or Pippin Paste


Take any quantity of good dressing apples, pare, core and put them into a preserving pan with a little water, or just sufficient to cover them. Boil until they are reduced to a marmalade, stirring them to prevent burning. To every pound of reduced pulp add half or three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, clarified and boiled to the blow; pass the pulp through a hair sieve before you mix the sugar with it; put it on the fire and let it boil for three or four minutes, keeping it constantly stirred from the bottom, when it will be sufficiently evaporated. If it be required coloured, add liquid colour sufficient to give the desired tint when you mix the sugar. Spread the paste on small tin or pewter sheets (these should be about a foot wide, by a foot and a-half long, and perfectly level) with a thin knife, about the eighth of an inch in thickness; put them in the stove for a day; take them out, and cut the paste into long narrow strips, about a quarter of an inch in width; if the paste is dry enough, the strips can be easily pulled off; form them into rings or knots, or cut into diamonds to form leaves, or any other device your fancy may suggest. Put them in boxes with sheet paper between each layer.


(Sanderson, 1846)


To make paste of Genua of Quinces.


Take Quinces, and pare them, and cut them in slices, and bake them in an oven dry in an earthen pot without any other juice than their own, then take one pound thereof; strain it, and put it into a stone mortar with half a pound of sugar; and when you have beaten it up to a paste, print it in your moulds, and dry it three or four times in an oven after you have drawn bread. And when it is thoroughly dry and hardened, you may box it, and it will keep all the year.


(Plat, 1609)


Redaction


1 40 ounce jar organic applesauce

6 cups granulated sugar

Note: Quinces were out of season so I substituted apples for this recipe. This recipe can also be made with pears or apricots or oranges. The process is the same for all fruits.


The first batch of paste I made was a terribly time consuming process with very little yield from the 8 apples I cored, sliced and then cooked to a mush. I got a little over a cup of useable paste when I was done. It occurred to me at the end of the process I had just made applesauce. For feast, I skipped this part and started by adding equal weight sugar to applesauce and then cooking it on the stovetop until it became thick and started to pull away from the sides of the pan. When it hit this stage, I poured the mixture onto a baking sheet that I had lined with parchment paper which had been lightly oiled. I then set it in my oven to dry. This was made approximately a month prior to coronation. Once dried, I wrapped it in wax paper and put it into an airtight container. This became very sticky when exposed to the humidity of the kitchen. What I would do differently would be to cut the paste into squares, prior to serving and then roll in white sugar directly before serving so as to minimize exposure to humidity


This was a very time consuming dish to put together at the last minute. Do early in the day if possible and keep refrigerated. You can “color’ your apple paste by adding apple peels; this will make a red paste, or removing the peels to make the golden (white?) paste.


Spanish Marmalade


Take five sponfulls of rose water and seaven sponfulls of sugar finely beaten, make yt boyle you must have redy by you two handfulls of almondes blanches and finely grownd, wth 15 or 16 dates ye stones and whights taken out, and yor dates cut smale and beaten in a morter, then mixe yor dates and almondes well together, then put yt in your Sirrope stirring yt well together, then take on sponfull of pouder of sinamond, halfe a sponfull of ye pouder of pearles, three sheets of Golde, stirr all theise well, but you must take yt first from the fire or else yt will bee to stiffe that you can-not mingell yt, before yt bee through cold put yt upp into a marmalad boxe.


(Spurling, 1994)


Redaction


1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons rosewater 12 oz. slivered almonds
16 dates
13 ounces baking date paste
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper that has been greased or wax paper. In a food processor grind dates, date paste and slivered almonds and cinnamon together. Combine sugar and rosewater in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar mixture hits softball stage. If you are afraid the sugar will crystallize on you add a small amount of lemon juice in place of rosewater. Mix the syrup and the date-almond paste together and cook until the mixture thickens and begins to pull away from the side of the pan. Pour into your mold and let dry.


Shape and roll in sugar prior to serving.


Orange Marmalade


Prepare as for apple paste, using equal weight of oranges and sugar. I processed my oranges in a food processor.



Comfits of anise and caraway


The Seeds which we generally make Comfitts of, are Carraways, Coriander and Anise-Seeds; these, when they are cover'd with Sugar, are call'd Comfits, ( Confects ).


The Instruments to be employ'd for this Use, are first a deep-bottom'd Bason of Bell-Metal, or Brass, well tinn'd, to be hung over some hot Coals.


Secondly, You must have a broad Pan to put hot Coals in.


Thirdly, Provide a Brass Ladle to pour the Sugar upon the Seeds.


Fourthly, You must have a Brass Slice to scrape off the Sugar that may chance to hang upon the side of the hanging Bason.


Then take care that your Seeds are dry, or dry them well in your hanging Pan. To every quarter of a Pound of Seeds use two Pounds of fine Sugar beaten; unless to Anise-Seeds, use two Pounds of Sugar to half a Pound of Seeds.


To begin the Work, put three Pounds of fine Sugar into the Bason with one Pint of Water, to be stirr'd well together till the Sugar is wet; and boil it gently, till the Sugar will rope from the Ladle like Turpentine, and it is enough. Keep this however warm, upon warm Embers, that it may run. freely in a ropy Way from the Ladle upon the Seeds.


When this is ready, move the Seeds briskly in the Bason, and fling on them half a ladle-full at a time of the hot Sugar, keeping the Seeds moving for some time; which will make them take the Sugar the better, and be sure to dry them well after every covering, by moving the Bason, and stirring the Comfits. In an Hour, you may make three Pounds of Comfits: you will know when they are coated enough with Sugar, by their becoming as large as you would have them. There is no certain Rule, but our own Fancies, for the Size of them. Note, Till they are as you would have them, cast on more melted Sugar, as at first, and keep them stirring and shaking in the Pan, drying them well after every Coat of Sugar.


If you would have ragged or rough Comfits, make your Sugar so liquid, that it will run from the Ladle; and let it fall upon the Seeds about a Foot and a half high. Let it be very hot, for the hotter it is, the rougher will be your Comfits; and for all that, the Comfits will not take so much Sugar as one may imagine from their Appearance. Put on at each time only one Ladle-full, and in ten times repeating it your Comfits will be perfectly well coated.


For plain Comfits; let not your melted Sugar be too hot at first, nor too thick; neither pour it on the Seeds too high: but the last two or three Coverings may be thicker and hotter.


As for Coriander-Seeds, which are large, three Pounds of Sugar will only cover a quarter of a Pound of them.


While you are at work, you should keep your melted Sugar in good Temper, that it may not gather into Lumps, or burn to the bottom of the Pan; and to prevent its growing too thick at any time, put to it a spoonful or two of Water, gently stirring it now and then with your Ladle, keeping your Fire very clear under your Pan. When your Comfits are made, put them upon Papers in Dishes, and set them before the Fire, or in a declining Oven, which will make them look of a Snow white; when they are cool, put them in Boxes, or in crystal Bottles.


To make Comfits of various Colours. From the same.


If you would have your Comfits of a red Colour, infuse some red Saunders in the Water till it is deep colour'd enough; or else take some Cochineel, and infuse it till the Liquor is red enough; or put some Syrup of Mulberries with Water to the Sugar.


If of a yellow Colour; use Saffron in Water, which you are to mix with the Sugar.


If Green; take the Juice of Spinach, and boil it with the Sugar: so will your Comfits be of the several Colours above-mention'd.


(Bradley, 1728)


Note: This is the best instructions I have been able to find regarding the making of comfits and although the instructions fall outside of period. Candied seeds of caraway and anise were known in our period.


Redaction


1 Ounce seed of choice

1 Cup water
1 Cup sugar

Heat the sugar and water mixture together until it forms a thin syrup. Place the seeds into a shallow pan and place over low heat on the stove. Spoon a teaspoon of the syrup mixture over the seeds and stir, being sure to separate the seeds as much as possible. It will take at least ten coats of the syrup to create a good layer of coating on the seeds. If the syrup becomes too hot, the coating of the seeds will be “jagged” and rough.


If you want, you can dissolve some gum Arabic in hot water to make a thick paste, and place the seeds in it first. This will allow the sugar mixture to adhere better.


Manus Christi


Take halfe a pound of refined Suger, and some Rose water, and boyle them together, till it come to sugar again, then stirre it about while it be somewhat cold, then take your leaf gould, and mingle with it, then cast it according to art, That is in round gobbetts, and so keep them.


(Johnson, 1608)


Redaction


1 cup Confectioner Sugar

3 tbsp. +2 tsp. rosewater
1 tsp. lemon juice
-or- 4 tbsp. rosewater
Gold leaf (optional)

Combine sugar and rosewater in a pan and heat to 245 degree’s and remove from the stove. At this point you can stir the sugar syrup until it becomes cloudy, or, drop it into your molds. You can also add goldleaf once the syrup has cooled a bit.


Note: I used luster dust in gold and copper in a hexagonal candy mold to make the candies for feast. I preferred adding the lemon juice to the sugar, although the recipe did not call for it because I think it improved the flavor.



Clove Electuaries


Electuary of Cloves. Take two ûqiyas of its flowers and two ratls of sugar dissolved in rosewater; thicken it until it takes the form of a paste and make an electuary, in the form of fingers and tablets. Eat half an ûqiya of it at meals. Its benefits: it excites the appetite, dissolves phlegm, greatly gladdens, increases the force of coitus, and restrains the temperament.


(Perry, 2000)


Redaction


½ oz cloves

1 cup sugar
Enough Rosewater to wet into a paste

Grind cloves. Add them to the sugar. Dissolve the mixture in rosewater to make a paste. Shape into pyramids or pills, or roll into long rolls and then cut one end to resemble a clove.


Note: I did not have enough cloves so I used pumpkin pie spice to make up the difference. I wish I had measured these were really good!



Alternate Dishes


Stuffed Aubergines - serves 3-4


Redaction


3 small aubergines

1 small onion
olive oil
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. chopped mint
salt and ground pepper
*note- original recipe uses 1 egg and parmesan cheese

Parboil eggplants for about 10 minutes, or until skin begins to crinkle. Drain, halve and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving ⅛ inch around the skim. Reserve skins and transfer flesh to food processor.

Chop onion and fry lightly in oil, add to the food processor, along with herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon puree into reserved skins. Place in shallow heatproof dish, drizzle with olive oil and grill under a preheated grill, until heated through and slightly browned on top.

(Santich, 1995)


Chickpeas with Herbs - serves 3-4


Redaction


Soak ⅔ cup chickpeas overnight in cold water, drain and cook in fresh water with a sliced onions for approximately 30 minutes, or until just cooked. Make almond milk using 2 tbsp. ground almonds blended with ½ cup hot water, strain. Drain chickpeas and onions and return to saucepan with almond milk. Cover and simmer gently for five minutes, until chickpeas are soft and liquid has been absorbed. The onion and almond milk will combine to make a thick sauce. Season with Salt, fresh pepper, and ¼ tsp. ground ginger, blend in 1 tbsp. verjuice, and chopped herbs: parsley, basil, mint and marjoram.

(Santich, 1995)



Drinks


Spiced Pomegranate Drink


...then leave the bath and partake of a brew prepared with pomegranate seeds, sugar, many spices, and a touch of hot spices like clove and mace, or a syrup of rose or sorrel, with water of oxtongue,...

(Perry, 2000)

Redaction


1 quart of Pomegranate juice

4 cups white sugar (or honey)
Possible additions include: clove, mace, borage, mint, citron leaves,
spikenard, lemon peel, and canel or cinnamon.

Warm the pomegranate juice over medium heat. Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve completely. Keep the mixture at a simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When it is suitably thickened, allow to cool before bottling. Dilute about one part syrup to five parts water. The resulting drink will be more brownish than the original red of pomegranate.


Cariadoc’s Sekanjabin


Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 2 1/2 cups of water; when it comes to a boil add 1 cup wine vinegar. Simmer 1/2 hour. Add a handful of mint, remove from fire, let cool. Dilute the resulting syrup to taste with ice water (5 to 10 parts water to 1 part syrup). The syrup stores without refrigeration.

(Friedman, 1992)


The table decor included tussy-mussy's of silk flowers, pomander beads and tea candles.



Works Cited 

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Compleat Cook, by Nath. Brook. (2003, December 23). Retrieved June 14, 2014, from The Compleat Cook Expertly Prescribing The Most Ready Wayes, Whether Italian,Spanish Or French, For Dressing Of Flesh And Fish, Ordering Of Sauces Or Making Of Pastry: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/10520/pg10520.txt
The Second part of the good Hus-wiues Iewell. (2009, April 19). Retrieved June 6, 2014, from Information for Members of the Carolingian Cooks' Guild: http://home.comcast.net/~morwenna/Cooks/dawson2.html
Seeds of trade: Product: Beans. (2013, March 22). Retrieved June 12, 2014, from Natural History Museum: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/seeds-of-trade/page.dsml?section=crops&ref=beans
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Forme of Cury, by Samuel Pegge. (2013, April 2). Retrieved June 3, 2014, from The Forme of Cury, by Samuel Pegge (1390): http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8102/pg8102.txt
Austin, T. (1888). Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 & Harl. MS. 4016, with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS 55. London: N. Trübner & Co.
Bradley, R. P. (1728). The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the management of a House and the delights and profits of a farm. London.
Friedman, D. a. (1992). Cariadoc's Miscellany: Drinks. Retrieved June 24, 2014, from PBM.Com: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/miscellany.html
Hieatt, C. B. (1988 ). The Ordinance of Pottage. London: Prospect Books.
Hope, L. D. (2007, September 28). The Project Gutenberg EBook of The accomplisht cook, by Robert May. Retrieved June 2, 2014, from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/22790/pg22790.txt
Johnson, A. (1608). A Closet for Ladies and Gentlevvomen, Or, The Art of Preseruing, Conseruing, and Candying: With the Manner how to Make Diuers Kindes of Syrups, and All Kinde of Banqueting Stuffes : Also Diuers Soveraigne Medicines and Salues for Sundry Diseases. London: F. Kingston.
Myers, D. (2014). Ouverture de Cuisine. Retrieved June 14, 2014, from Medieval Cookery: http://www.medievalcookery.com/notes/ouverture.html
Perry, C. (200, September 4). An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century. Retrieved June 23, 2014, from DavidFriedman.Com: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Andalusian/andalusian_contents.htm
Plat, H. (1609). Delights for Ladies (or the Delightes for Ladies, To adorne their persons, tables, closets, and distillatories: with Beauties, Banquets, Perfumes & Waters. London: Humphrey Lownes.
Power, E. (1928). The Goodman of Paris (Le Ménagier de Paris). A Treatise on Moral and Domestic Economy by A Citizen of Paris. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company.
Rabisha, W. (. (2011). The whole body of cookery dissected, taught, and fully manifested, methodically, artificially, and according to the best tradition of the English, French, Italian, Dutch, &c., or, A sympathie of all varieties in naturall compounds in that mysterie wherein. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Digital Library Production Service.
Sanderson, J. M. (1846). The Complete Cook. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1864.
Santich, B. (1995). The Original Mediteranean Cuisine; Medieval Recipes for Today. Chicago: Wakefield Press.
Spurling, H. a. (1994). Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book: Elizabethan Country House Cooking. Penguin Group (Canada).

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