Books on Medieval Cooking
Paul DeGory
The
ideal way to learn about medieval cooking is to hire a
period manor house, with the kitchens intact, clasp your
reproduction cauldron in one hand and your coy of a period
cookery manual in the other and set to work (if only we
could...)! However, for those of us labouring under slightly
less than ideal conditions here is a selection of books to
be going on with...
1. Books for Recipies
"Pleyn Delit, Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks'
Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler, University of Toronto
Press, Paperback 1979.
Excellent book on 14/15th century cooking. Details 127
period recipies adapted for the modern kitchen along with
lots of hints and alternatives. Why can't all modern books
on medieval cooking be like this? If I had to recommend a
single cook book, this would be it.
"An Ordinance of Pottage' An edition of the
Fifteenth Century Recipes in Yale University's MS Beinecke
163 with a commentary on the recipies and adapted versions
for the modern kitchen", Constance B. Hieatt, Prospect Books
London, 1988.
The first section of the book gives the 189 dishes from the
manuscript and the second a selection of the more practical
recipes with copious notes on how to understand and adapt
the original text. It thus makes the perfect introduction to
interpreting period cookbooks for oneself (which I recon is
half the fun of modern medieval cooking).
"In a Caliph's Kitchen" David Waines, Riad
El-Rayyes Books, London, 1989.
An interesting description of Arabic cooking in the middle
ages, translations of ninth to thirteenth century recipes
from a variety of sources along with a modern adaptation of
each dish. What more could you want? Well, an index would
have been nice! A superb book none the less.
"The Medieval Cookbook" Maggie Black, British
Museum, 1992.
Well illustrated and researched selection of fourteenth and
fifteenth century recipes.
"Medieval Cooking Today" Moria Buxton, Kylin
Press 1983.
Fourteenth and fifteenth century recipes with clear modern
adaptation.
"Seven Hundred Years of English Cooking" Maxime
McKendry (Edited by A. Boxer), Treasure Press
1983.
About half the book is relevant to our period and contains
some very tasty recipes.
"Food & Cooking in Britain", English Heritage
Cook Book Series 1985.
A series of seven booklets giving short accounts of cookery
during various periods. Maggie Black's 'Food & Cooking
in Medieval Britain' and Peter Brear's 'Food & Cooking
in 16th Century Britain' are the most usefull, althrough the
Prehistoric, Roman and seventeenth century booklets are also
interesting.
"Cooking and Recipes from Rome to the
Renaissance", Richard Border, published by Allen Lane
1973.
Good general history6 of cooking, numerous recipes
(which look fine), including some from Italian manuscripts,
but unfortunately without the originals for comparison.
"To the King's Taste" and "To the Queens's
Taste", Lorna J. Sass, published by John Murray
1977.
Adaptations of recipes from the time of Richard II and
Elizabeth I. The authour has a tendency to 'modernize'
dishes but at least gives you an original recipe to check
against. "To the Queen's Taste" contains some useful pastry
recipes.
"Cooking and Eating" and "Wild Blackberry Cobbler
& Other Old Fashioned Recipes", Kate Stewart &
Pamela Michael, 1975 & 1984.
Roman to nineteenth century food including period Oriental
and Arabic dishes. (The second book is simply the recipes
out of the first!)
"Sallets, Humbles and Shrewsbury Cakes", Ruth Ann
Beebe, published by David R. Godine, Boston 1976.
Sixty plus recipes from the Elizabethan era with good
introduction and glossary.
"Mrs Groundes-Peace's Old Cookery Notebook",
Edited by Robin Howe, International Wine and Food Publishing
Company 1971.
Notes on various aspects of cookery including when foods
came into use. Contains an assortment of recipies.
"The Roman Cookery Book, A Critical Translation
of the Art of Cooking Apicius", Barbara Flower and Elisabeth
Rosenbaum, 1958, reprinted 1980.
Translation of a cookery book from the time of Tiberius.
Some recipies with modern adaptations noted in margins.
"Elinor Fettiplaces Receipt Book, Elizabethan
Country House Cooking", Hillary Spurling, Penguin Books,
1987.
Practical cookery book, social document & Unique glimpse
of Elizabethan England (or so it says on the cover...) Chat
to recipie ratio is rather to high for my liking!
"English Bread and Yeast Cookery", Elizabeth
David, 1977 reprint 1982.
Wonderful book on baking containing, amongst other things, a
number of early bread recipes.
"Food of the Bards, Verse and food from the Welsh
Medieval Feasts of the Poets of the Noblemen", Enid
Roberts.
Welsh medieval poetry linked to period food along with
recipes from various sources.
"Japanese Cookery", Margaret Leeming and Mutsuko
Kohsaka, Rider and Company Ltd. 1984.
Short history, good clear description of Japanese cooking
methods and plenty of recipes. Japanese cookery only changed
in the nineteenth century, so many modern dishes are
"period".
"A Heritage of Gritish Cooking", Maggie Black,
Book Club Associates, 1987.
Book on cookery from the Stuart to Victorian ages. Contains
a few Tudor recipies.
2. Books on Food, Eating, Revels etc.
"Fast and Feast; Food in Medieval Society",
Bridget Ann Henisch, The Pennsylvania State University
Press.
A really good text on who ate what and when - read it!
"Medieval Holidays and Festivals; a Calendar of
Celebrations", Madeline Pelner Cosman, Pub. Piatkus
Books.
Kiddies book that is very useful as a source of ideas for
revels. Has a few recipies at the back.
"Savouring the Past; French Kitchen and Table
from 1300 to 1788", Barbara Ketcham Wheaton, Hogarth Press,
London.
Mainly a discussion on the development of french cuisine but
also contains some interesting recipes from French
sources.
"The Blessings of Bread", Adrian Bailey, 1928
reprinted 1975.
A history of baking. Well written with a couple of period
style recipies given at the back.
"Food in England", Dorothy Hartley, published by
MacDonald 1975.
General history of English eating with a few useful
recipies.
"Consuming Fashions; a History of English Food
and Apetite", Philipa Pullar, published by H. Hamilton,
1971.
Eating habits from Roman to modern times.
"The Chef's Apprentice", Roy Ackerman, Headline
Book Publishing PLC, 1988.
Book based on a television series tracing the development of
western cuisine from Roman times. Has lots of pictures taken
from the seriese, which gives interesting ideas on serving,
and the text makes good reading. The recipies however are "a
brand new set. . . devised to illustrate. . ." oh dear,
tomato puree in Roman cooking?!
3. Where to Find Books
Your local library. If they haven't got the books you want they can order them on interlibrary loan (for a fee...)
Second hand/remaindered book shops - you never know what you will find (and they should be cheap).