Subject: Re: Medieval cookbooks

From: [email-masked] (Russ Dennison)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 20:05:04 GMT

Someone asked about a medieval cookbook by someone named Black.  I
looked it up in _Books_In_Print_.  It is _The_Medieval_Cookbook_ by
Maggie Black, 1992, 144p., $24.95, published by Thames Hudson.
Is it good?  I'm looking for good medieval cookbooks.
When I got divorced, the biggest argument was who got what cookbooks.  I
regret to have to tell this, but I got mad and told her to take
everything.  I was stupid.  Now I have only _Pleyn_Delite_, _Sallets,
Humbles, and Shrewsbury Cakes_, _Fabulous Feast_(Please forgive me, but
I was desperate), and a couple SCA cookbooks.  I miss _Dining with Wm.
Shakespeare_, _To the King's Taste_, etc.  Does anyone have a good list
(or would Dr. Friedman please post his list again).  Thank you.
                                       Russ

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From: [email-masked] (marian walke)
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 1994 23:42:33 GMT

[email-masked] (Russ Dennison) writes:

>Is it good? 

>  I miss _Dining with Wm.

Maggie Black's cookbook has lovely pictures.  Some of the reconstructions 
seem good (I haven't actually checked them all out).  However, in the 
recipe for Pine Nut Candy, she says "This recipe contains a 'mystery' 
ingredient, the _thriddendele_...".  Not knowing what a "thriddendele" 
is, she proposes adding breadcrumbs.  She took the recipe from _Curye on 
Inglysch_ which explains in its glossary that thriddendele is not an 
ingredient at all, but "a third part." OED gives the same definition, so 
it's not much of a mystery. This indicates (to me) a lack of thorough 
research...

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 05:22:28 GMT

I am wanting to cook a medieval Easter cake known as Cimnel (Simnel?).  What I

know about the cake is that it consists of fruit and marzipan.  Does anyone
have the recipe for this cake?  If so I would appreciate it if you could send
it to me.

  Bye for now,                          !     This passage is solely my own
  Wendy                                 !     interpretation of the facts,
  C/- [email-masked]               !     but I feel they are good ones!