books-food-msg - 5/16/10
Books about food. Not cookbooks.
NOTE: See also the files: cookbooks-msg, cookbooks-bib, cookbooks-SCA-msg, cb-rv-Apicius-msg, cb-novices-msg, merch-books-msg, merch-cookbks-msg, online-ckbks-msg.
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This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
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Thank you,
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Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: ferzocog at ere.umontreal.CA (Ferzoco George)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: A must-read on medieval cuisine
Date: 9 Apr 1993 20:02:04 -0400
For all of you interested in the state of the art of research on medieval
cookery, get the book
Carole Lambert, ed., "Du manuscrit a la table. Essais sur la
cuisine au moyen age et repertoire des manuscrits medievaux
contenant des recettes culinaires." Montreal and Paris: Presses
de l'Universite de Montreal and Champion-Slatkine, 1992.
It contains 25 articles in English and French (with abstracts for each in
English and French), an incredibly useful (to scholars) list of manuscripts
containing culinary recipes, a complete bibliography, and indices of:
titles and authors of cookery books
Incipits of culinary texts
titles of isolated recipes
language of the texts
place of production of the manuscripts
Ciao, George Ferzoco ferzocog at ere.umontreal.ca
From: David Schroeder <ds4p+ at andrew.cmu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Sweet Thoughts, etc.
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1993 15:04:25 -0400
Organization: Doctoral student, Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Greetings good gentles --
I have recently been reading an entertaining volume, "Seeds of Change," by
Henry Hobhouse (a journalist, not a professional scholar). The book looks
at the historical import of five key plants or plant products: quinine,
sugar, tea, cotton, and potatoes. [c.1985 ISBN: 0-06-091440-8 (ppbk)].
Some of the more interesting tidbits are worth sharing. For example, here's
a chart of the relative cost of 10 pounds of sugar expressed as a percentage
of 1 ounce of gold (taken as an average of London, Paris, and Amsterdam)...
Period Sugar % Honey %
1350-1400 35.0 3.30
1400-1450 24.5 2.05
1450-1500 19.0 1.50
1500-1550 8.7 1.20
Note that Hobhouse doesn't cite his sources for this table and doesn't
mention that the "value" of an ounce of gold may have changed in the
last period due to the huge captured troves of the Aztecs and Incas,
but it's still an interesting chart, if only to see the relative expense
of sugar and honey. Clearly, using refined sugar in a dish would have
been an expensive proposition during almost all of the Society's scope.
Hobhouse also says:
"The sugar industry survived the gradual expulsion of the Moors from
the Mediterranean littoral, and was carried on by both Moslems and
Christians as a profitable, expanding concern for two hundred years
from about 1300. [Production was centered in Syria, Palestine, the
Dodecanese, Egypt, Cyprus, Crete, Sicily, North Africa, and Southern
Spain. *B*] The trade (as opposed to production) was under the domi-
nance of the merchant bankers of Italy, with Venice ultimately con-
trolling distribution throughout the then known world. The first sugar
reached England in 1319, Denmark in 1374, and Sweden in 1390. It was
an expensive novelty and useful in medicine, being unsurpassed for
making palatable the odious mixtures of therapeutic herbs, entrails,
and other substances of the medieval pharmacopoeia."
Apparently, sugar cultivation in the Caribbean basin was substantial in
the second half of the 16th century leading to cheaper sugar prices and
a shift in leadership in the trade from Venice to Amsterdam.
TEA
On the matter of tea Hobhouse reports that in 1700 England was importing
50 short tons of tea with a wholesale value of 4,000 pounds sterling or
about two pounds of money for one pound of tea. Again, not a cheap item!
He further states (in what is probably a typographical error) that:
"Tea, coffee, and cocoa all arrive in London in the same year, 1652.
[Could it be 1562 or 1552?] The word "tea" occurs in Shakespeare
and "cha," the Canton-Macao form, crops up in Lisbon from about 1550."
It's hard to understand the Bard's use of a term for something introduced
to England years after his death...
I'd best sign off now and return to my reading... I found the book
remaindered for $1.98 at my local Borders Bookstore, so you may have
good luck finding a copy of your own.
My best -- Bertram
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Bertram of Bearington Dave Schroeder
Debatable Lands/AEthelmearc/East Carnegie Mellon University
INTERNET: ds4p at andrew.cmu.edu 412/731-3230 (Home)
+------------------------ PREME * Press On * PREME ---------------------+
Angharad/Terry asks for enough info about that book out of Montreal
that I mentioned to order it. The Following might be helpful.
Title: _Du Manuscrit a` la Table_
Editor: Carole Lambert
Publisher: Les Presses de l'Universite' de Montre'al
2910, boul. E'douard-Montpetit, Montre'al (Qc), Canada
H3T 1J7
tel. (514) 343-6929, facs. (514) 343-2232
Distributer (?): gae[umlaut]tan morin e'diteur
diffuseur exclusif des Presses de l'Universite' de
Montre'al
C.P. 180, Boucherville (QC), Canada, J4B 5E6
tel. (514) 449-7886, facs. (514) 343-2232
ISBN: 2-7606-1564-2
and to whet your appetite:
TABLE DES MATIE`RES
(extraits)
Forward (or preface) by Carole LAMBERT
_I - ESSAIS SUR LA CUISINE AU MOYEN A^GE_
1. SOURCES
Constance B. HIEATT "Listing and Analyzing the Medieval English
Culinary Recipe Collections: a Project and its Problems"
Johanna Maria van WINTER "Une livre de cuisine ne'erlandais du XVIe
sie`cle"
Allen J. GRIECO "From the Cookbook to the Table: a Florentine Table
and Italian Recipes of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries"
Bi SKAARUP "Sources of Medieval Cuisine in Denmark"
Danie`le ALEXANDRE-BIDON "A` la table des miniaturistes: arche'o-
iconographie des gestes et des mets"
2. DIFFUSION DES LIVRES ET DES RECETTES
Philip et Mary HYMAN "Les livres de cuisine et le commerce des
recettes en France au XVe et XVIe sie`cles"
Melitta WEISS-AMER "The Role of Medieval Physicians in the Spread of
Culinary Recipes and Cooking Practices"
Mary Ella MILHAM "Platina and Papal Politics"
3. CUISINE ET DISTINCTIONS SOCIALES
Bruno Laurioux, "Table et hie'rarchie sociale a` la fin du Moyen A^ge"
Odile REDON "La re'glementation des banquets par les lois somptuaires
dans les villes d'Italie (XIVe - XVe sie`cles)
Agathe LAFORTUNE-MARTEL "De l'entremets culinaire aux pie`ces
monte'es d'un menu de propogande"
4. PARTICULARITE'S RE'GIONALES
Barbara SANTICH "les e'le'ments distinctifs de la cuisine me'die'vale
me'diterrane'enne
Rudolf GREWE "Hispano-Arabic Cuisine in the Twelfth Century
Jeanne ALLARD "Nola: rupture ou continuite'?"
Noe[umlaut]l COULET "La cuisine dans la maison aixoise du XVe sie`cle
(1400-1450)
Jean-Louis FLANDRIN "Structure des menus francais et anglais aux XIVe
et XVe sie`cles
Michel BALARD "E'pices et condiments dans quelques livres de cuisine
allemands (XVe-XVIe sie`cles)
5. CUISINE ET CONTRAINTES
Terence SCULLY "Les saisons alimentaires du _Me'nagier de Paris_"
Carole LAMBERT "Astuces et flexibilite' des recettes culinaires
me'die'vales francaises"
Laurier TURGEON et Denis DICKNER "Contraintes et choix alimentaires
d'un groupe d'appartenance: les marins-pe^cheurs francais a' Terre-
Neuve au XVIe sie`cle"
6. LES DOUCEURS ET LE PLAISIR
Liliane PLOUVIER "Le <<letuaire>>, un confiture du bas Moyen A^ge"
Lucie BOLENS "Les sorbets andalous (XIe-XIIIe sie`cles) ou conjurer
la nostalgie par la douceur"
Mary HYMAN "<<Les menues choses qui ne sont pas de ne'cessite'>>: les
confitures et la table"
Bruno ROY "Trois reagards sur les aphrodisiaques"
_II - RE'PERTOIRE DES MANUSCRITS ME'DIE'VAUX CONTENANT DES RECETTES
CULINAIRES_
Pre'sentation
Re'pertoire
Bibliographie
Index
Now doesn't that make your mouth water! If no enterprising Pennsic
merchant offers one for sale, my parents have offered (without too
much arm twisting) to get me it for my birthday. Grad student budget
or not, I cant miss this one. I've just got to start those French
lessons now...
Hoping that helped,
Thomas/David
David Tallan (tallan at flis.utoronto.ca)
or David_Tallan at magic-bbs.corp.apple.com
snail: 42 Camberwell Rd. Toronto ON M6C 3E8
From: "Philip W. Troy" <troy at asan.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 13:49:23 -0400
Subject: Re: SC - Guinea pigs
Christi Redeker wrote:
>
> Also the same I believe with Guinea Pigs. They have Capybara (sp?) in
> most central and south American areas. Which are the largest rodent and
> in the same direct family with the Cavy (guinea pig) that we know today.
> The guinea pigs they eat in those countries are very large,
> comparatively, to what are raised as pet shop $$. They have an average
> weight of 2-3 pounds more than the average pet type guinea pig. (Yes
> ladies and gentlemen, I raised guinea pigs and rabbits as a child and
> actually showed them, there is and an association called the ACBA
> (American Cavy Breeders Association) just for those out there who do.
Have a great book somewhere. It is called "Unmentionable Cuisine," and
concerns all the foods against which taboos exist in various cultures,
i.e. in the continental U.S., that means virtually EVERYTHING. Author
is Charles Schwabe, if I remember correctly. There's a neat chapter on
guinea pigs, among several such. I seem to recall most of the recipes
call for the cavy to be scalded and de-haired, but not skinned.
Yum!
Adamantius, thinking about pies now
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 22:51:40 -0600
From: Bob Angelone <epicurus at epicurus.com>
Subject: Epicurus Online
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing,rec.food.drink.beer,rec.org.sca,alt.beer,ba.food,alt.food.wine
As publisher of 'Epicurus Online', I would like to personally invite all
of you to visit our newest issue.
This month's focus is on Flowers as Food. Articles by Carol Wilson, Bob
Pastorio and others are among the many interesting and recipe filled
tidbits you will find in this issue.
Please join me in thanking Cindy Renfrow, our Editor-in-Chief for a job
well done by visiting the ezine and enjoying it's wonderful, informative
articles. And while you're there, please sign our guestbook.
Epicurus Online - http://www.epicurus.com/ezine1.htm
If you like Epicurus Online, please check out our main site as well:
Thanks and I hope to see you there soon!
Bob Angelone
Publisher
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming )
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 14:21:03 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: SC - PPC and Markham
Greetings! PPC (Petits Propos Culinaires) is published by Prospect
Books and is in English. If you live in the US, one year is $23.50 and
two is $45. Your check should be made payable to PPC North America and
sent to PPC North America, 45 Lamont Road, London SW10 OHU. One year
consists of three issues of a small hand-size treatise. To me it is
well worth the price, for if there is something on the Middle Ages or
Renaissance you can be sure it is documentable. A recent issue had a
brief article on Aphrodisiacs which I meant to send to this list. Ask
for it as a gift from relatives!
Alys Katharine
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 10:19:32 -0500 (CDT)
From: nweders at mail.utexas.edu (ND Wederstrandt)
Subject: Re: SC - Columbus cookbook
Here's the info on the Columbus book plus some of the info in it.
The name of the book is Columbus Menu, Italian Cuisine after the First
Voyage of Christopher Columbus, by Stefano Milioni printed by the Istituto
Italiano per il Commercio Estero (Italian Trade Commission) It came out in
1992.
One of the more entertaining topics he author talks about is the
reason why forks started being used. He states it was the introduction of
the tomato to Italian cooking that caused the fork to be noticed. Milioni
states that the fork was around but that it was regarded as an oddity.
With the use of tomatoes as sauce, Pasta was harder to eat so the fork
started being used and quickly caught on. So thanks to spaghetti with
marinara sauce, forks became hot stuff.
He does have some dates on various food stuffs
Tomato - appeared in Spain early in the 16th century where it was a magical
or medicinal plant. Someone during this time tried eating it and described
the flavor as similar to eggplant but tastless. The book further states
that the tomato while known to Italian botanists in the 16th century was
not introduced until the 17th century. The book also suggests that it was
primarily grown as an ornamental but during a food famine someone succumbed
and cooked one and ate it. No recipes listed in period
Potato - introduced through Spain when it was brought back by the
Conquistadors. Clusius in 1588 described the plant based on tubers he
received from the governor of what is now modern Belguim. He ate them and
compared them to the turnip. During the 16th century, potatoes were being
shipped to the Spanish garrisons in the Flanders area to supplement the
rations of the soldiers there.They are also listed as food items in the
records of the Sangre Hospital in Seville (1573) These are white or
Virginian potatoes. In 1587, Sir Francis Drake sailed into what is now
Columbia and loaded provisions, including potatoes, on his ship. He was
supposed to take them to feed starving colonists in Virginia. When he got
there everyone wanted to go back to England so they and the potatoes went
back. That's the reason they were called Virginian potatoes. No period
recipes listed.
Clare St. John
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 20:49:49 -0600 (MDT)
From: John or Fraya Davis <gameroom at infowest.com>
Subject: SC - Food Book!
Just picked up what I think is the best book for medieval cooks since the
cookbook! It's called "Food" by Waverley Root, Konecky & Konecky, NY ISBN:
1-56852-101-4. It's an authorative and visual history and dictionary of the
foods of the world. It includes much documentation of when foods were eaten
and some on how they were prepared by different cultures. It's amazing
what's in there about the potato! I didn't know that!
Gillian
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 07:27:27 -0600 (MDT)
From: Mary Morman <memorman at oldcolo.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Alphabet pretzels
On Thu, 16 Oct 1997, Ian van Tets wrote:
> doesn't one of the recipes for jumbles recommend cutting them in Ss
> if no other letter springs conveniently to mind?
>
> Cairistiona
I have just gotten a nice little food book called The Dutch Table by
Gillian Riley. It is mostly 16th and 17th century Dutch paintings of food
and kitchens - with some commentary and many undocumented recipes that she
says are from an early 17th century source but does not quote in the
original. there are numerous paintings of bread dough letters both in
homes and in markets and the author talks about them being made for the
Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th. There are also pictures of
traditional, twisted pretzels. It's hard to tell if the letters are
cookies or plain bread - there are some that look like each. Most of the
paintings are slightly out of period, but this is a lovely book.
elaina
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 16:31:27 -0500 (EST)
From: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy at abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>
Subject: Re: SC - Cookbooks
Most of the cookbooks you mention are reviewed in back issues of Serve It
Forth (http://oldcolo.com/~memorman/sif_home.html).
Tibor
Here is my review of Fast and Feast:
Fast and Feast: Food in Medieval Society, by Bridget Ann Henisch. Published
by Pennsylvania State University Press, Copyright 1976, fifth printing. ISBN
0-271-01230-7 (hardcover) 0-271-00424-X (paperback, reviewed).
A book review by Mark Schuldenfrei (Tibor of Rock Valley)
So, should a Society cook read a book that doesn't have recipes? Yes, it
seems we should. "Fast and Feast" is well researched and indexed book
covering everything about food and foodways customs from late period, except
the details of redactions. It is also fun to read (I laughed out loud
several times), well indexed and copiously footnoted, and reasonably
priced (I paid $14.95)
It covers everything about food, except the actual recipes. It covers feast
service, entertainment, the role of food in daily life and the ecumenical
calendar, the role and popular opinion of the professional cook and the
housewife, and their everyday tasks. It covers timing of meals, quantities,
beverages, the commercial infrastructure of the time. It even covers the
tools of cooking, and eating. There are many reproductions of period
illustrations, and the illustrations are well used by the supporting text.
The text is heavily footnoted, with 930 notes in 236 pages of text.
The book does lack a glossary, and it does occasionally use terms that a
truly novice cook might not know. However, the index is good enough to
compensate. The bibliography is totally insufficient. Again, however,
the footnotes provide a wealth of sources. Some of Henisch's citations
are in original languages, and are only lightly modernized or translated:
but that doesn't prevent the reader from understanding her points. A
readersknowledge of some of the generalities of history are quite useful.
(For example, page 38 covers the impact of the Reformation on Lenten
practices, without an explanation of the Reformation.)
Ms. Henisch organizational ability is formidable: I was particularly
impressed with her ability to discuss trends in foodways based upon the
corpus of surviving recipes. I found myself wondering why I hadn't seen
those trends myself. Do be warned: on a purely academic level, she can be
slightly suspect. Many is the time I found her drawing broad conclusions on
slender evidence, or worse, supporting narrow conclusions with references
that span the centuries and nations. Read her footnotes more carefully than
you read the text. (I can't say I know enough to doubt her conclusions: I
quite agree with them. But the academic rigor is spotty.) She also
sometimes compromises by glossing details, in order to keep the flow of her
text. (For example, oversimplifying the definitions of caudle or hypocris).
Certainly, she has done an admirable degree of homework. Foodways-related
quotations come from plays, household manifests, wills, period manuscripts
and receipt books, and more besides. She has also obviously studied
hundreds of period illustrations, and makes many useful deductions based
upon them.
She speaks well on Society shibboleths: are forks period, who sits at high
table, should feast halls be lit or dark. She is an evocative writer:
consider the pain this poor man felt:
"For the Hoccleves of this world, their heads throbbing after the
reresopers of the night before, such aggressive, all-around virtue was
far out of reach. Pale on his pillow, the reveler would murmur instead
'I may noght faste, ne do penauns, ne go to cherch, ne bydde my beddys,
for I have a badde heued ... I shal noght ben wel at ese tyl I have
drunkyn agen.' Straightaway, an affable devil settled himself on the
bed, coaxing the sufferer to eat a morsel just to keep his strength up
to serve God all the more vigorously later in the day: [...]"
This is the sort of book that begs to be shared. I want to loan it to my
friend who does period mumming, another who brews and is interested in
viniculture, my wife who makes sotelties, my friends who study period table
service. And I want to revisit some old recipes with new eyes.
The early student of foodways will find much to benefit them in this book,
although they may not spot some of the places where enthusiasm papers over
lack of evidence. The experienced Society cook will love how this book
completes your knowledge of everything except how many onions to chop. I
would recommend this volume heavily, even at twice the price.
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 1997 22:28:03 -0500 (EST)
From: Carol Thomas <scbooks at neca.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Pumpkins?
I wish I had a copy of "Why We Eat What We Eat" by Sokolov, published by
Summit, long out of print.
It had good information on topics like this. It should be available by ILL.
Lady Carllein
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 18:49:47 EST
From: melc2newton at juno.com (Michael P Newton)
Subject: SC - Children's book
My lord husband found a children's book at the library the other day I
thought that some on this list might find interesting. It's _A Medieval
Feast_ written and illustrated by Aliki. If you have young children {or
whatch pbs alot.} you may have seen it on Reading Rainbow. Anyways, it
goes through what a lord and his manor had to do to get ready and serve a
feast for visiting royalty. The pictures are based off of medieval
illustrations, and even show several subtleteys and a couple of
cockentrice. Being the Shire's MoC, as well as a novice cook, I thought it
was a really good find.
Lady Beatrix of Tanet
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 21:03:11 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Children's book
Michael P Newton wrote:
> My lord husband found a children's book at the library the other day I
> thought that some on this list might find interesting. It's _A Medieval
> Feast_ written and illustrated by Aliki. If you have young children {or
> whatch pbs alot.} you may have seen it on Reading Rainbow. Anyways, it
> goes through what a lord and his manor had to do to get ready and serve a
> feast for visiting royalty. The pictures are based off of medieval
> illustrations, and even show several subtleteys and a couple of
> cockentrice. Being the Shire's MoC, as well as a novice cook,I thought it
> was a really good find.
> Lady Beatrix of Tanet
Yes, that's a pretty good book. I don't recall that Aliki attempts to
perpetuate the myth about rotten meat and spices, which is a Good Thing.
One aspect he does mention, which is quite important and rarely
examined, is the question of cost. For some members of the aristocracy,
it could be quite crippling for the family fortune to find yourself on
the Royal Progress, with nothing to be done but grin, bear it, and go
into hock.
You might also check out Piero Ventura's "Food: Its Evolution through
the Ages", which is for somewhat older kids (maybe ten or so?). It gives
an overview of basic culinary history, from paleolithic man to the
present. It includes references to connections between, say, the
invention of better plows, which contributed to the Viking raids on
Northern Europe, etc. Illustrations aren't as pretty as Aliki's but
better detailed and more informative. All in all, very cool.
Got a copy of each for my son, and our friends look at the bookshelves
and say, "Look, how cuuuute! Brennan's got his own little books of
culinary history, just like Daddy!"
Adamantius
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 16:40:48 -0500
From: "Louise Sugar" <dragonfyr at tycho.com>
Subject: SC - Fw: For the Cooks Among Us....
Here is a goodie from a friend of mine on another list
- -----Original Message-----
From: Henderson, Sharon <Meli at agent.infodata.com>
To: dragon at portcullis.maxson.com <dragon at portcullis.maxson.com>
Date: Monday, December 01, 1997 10:58 AM
Subject: For the Cooks Among Us....
An *extremely* cool book, excellent especially for people doing redactions or
trying to understand foreign terminology, is now available in the US again:
Hering's Dictionary of Classical and Modern Cookery.
13th English Edition by Walter Bickel.
Fachbuchverlag Dr. Pfannenberg & Co. 35390 Giessen, Germany.
English - 852 pages and no illustrations or photographs. This hard to find
essential dictionary is the comprehensive gastronomic encyclopedia and
reference work for chefs, culinary students, food and beverage managers, and
other professionals in the food service industry. This precious small red
precious volume with three complete indices contains more than 13,000
curtailed recipes; a comprehensive glossary of kitchen terms in English,
French, German, Italian, and Spanish; information on table service,
wine, dietaries and carving. Available from C.H.I.P.S, 1307 Golden
Bear Lane, Kingwood, TX 77339; Tel. U.S.A. + (281) 359-2270; Fax.
U.S.A. + (281) 359-2277, or by accessing the internet at
Meli
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 16:42:29 -0600 (CST)
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming )
Subject: SC - Cookery Myths and a "New" Book (Longish)
Greetings! I've been meaning to write about some of the "new" books I
found when a recent post "tickled" my memory from one of them. Someone
mentioned that Catherine de Medici brought Italian cooks to France,
which is apparantly an "old cooks' legend" and not accurate. Elizabeth
David, one of the cooking "gods" has a new version of her _Italian
Food_ which I was going to tell you all about. (Actually, her estate
does. She died a few years ago.) (ISBN 0-7651-9651-4) The book
currently appears to be on "mark down" at Borders Bookstores for $5.99!
The book is profusely illustrated, mostly with reproductions of
_period_ art which depict various aspects of cookery. For the pictures
and documentation alone, it's worth the price.
The book contains some brief historical information in each of the
chapters and she refutes some of the "legends" that she passed on in
the earlier versions. The recipes are modern but would be useful when
attempting to re-create similar "period" dishes. She refutes the
legend of Marco Polo bringing noodles to Italy as well as the Catherine
de Medici one that someone repeated in an earlier post. This is what
Ms. David writes: "To my original Introduction I have made only one
significant revision, and that concerns the paragraph dealing with the
influence on French cookery traditionally exercised by Catherine de
Medici and the Florentine cooks she is said to have brought with her to
France. These cooks, I now find, are part of a myth originating in
mid-nineteenth-century France, perhaps in the imagination of one of the
popular historical novelists who flourished at that period, and
certainly without historical fact. As briefly as possible, what _is_
historical fact is that when Catherine arrived in France in 1533 to
marry Henri Duke of Orleans, younger brother of the Dauphin, she was
fourteen years old, had barely emerged from the Florentine convent in
which she had been brought up, and had already been granted French
nationality. All her attendants were French.
"Whatever the Italian influence exercised on French cultural life in
general and on culinary developments in particular by Catherine's
marriage to the boy who was later to become Henri II of France, that
transalpine influence had already been active at least since the end of
the previous century...." She goes on for another paragraph and a half
detailing what influences occurred under Charles VIII and in
Catherine's reign as Queen Consort and Queen Dowager.
On the topic of "puff pastry", etc, part of another paragraph reads,
"One of her pastrycooks is credited with the invention or at any rate
with the introduction of flaky pastry, but then so are other
personages, among them the much later painter Claude Lorrain, who is
said to have learned how to make it in Rome. Many food historians
would say that some form of fine-leaved pastry had been known at least
since the days of the Romans, and I think they would be right, but
equally I have doubts about the claim that Catherine's pastrycooks made
their "feuillete' " with butter rather than with oil or lard. One does
not hear much about the use of butter in France at this period...."
A lovely book! Do you have a Borders Bookstore in your area??? I've
bought six books already for use as gifts!
Alys Katharine
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 16:34:07 -0500
From: margali <margali at 99main.com>
Subject: Re: SC - nasty medieval food was re: pre 1500 cookery
There is a fairly good book by Ann Hagen called A Handbook of
Anglo-Saxon Food:Processing and Consumption, isbn
0-9516209-8-3,Anglo-Saxon Books, 25 Malpas Dr, Pinner, Middlesex, Eng.
that I rather enjoyed and is relatively scholarly, though some of her
conclusions are not what I would have drawn given the same data, but
those are my personal opinions.
I got it from, iirc Poison Pen Press or Small Churl Books at an even several years ago.
margali
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 22:58:24 EST
From: Seton1355 <Seton1355 at aol.com>
Subject: SC - New book - very good!!
Greetings to all the good gentles on this list!
I just found this wonderful book at Borders Bookstore. Perhaps some of you
might be interested.
The Food Chronology by James Trager, Henry Holt Publisher, 1995
It's basicly a food timeline and chock full of useful & interesting info.
Pax, Phillipa Seton
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 14:43:30 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - New book - very good!!
>I just found this wonderful book at Borders Bookstore. Perhaps some of you
>might be interested.
>
>The Food Chronology by James Trager, Henry Holt Publisher, 1995
>
>It's basicly a food timeline and chock full of useful & interesting info.
>
>Pax, Phillipa Seton
I agree, it's a good book. I use it as a starting point for outlining
things I want to research. However, I will make a few caveats.
Trager, both in his The Food Chronology and his earlier The Foodbook,
does not appear to do a great deal of research, depending on the
scholarship of others for accuracy. He presents a generally accepted
view of food history, but he tends to ignore scholarly disputes. His
major sin is not providing source notes of a bibliography.
BTW, I think the MS Encyclopedia has incorporated parts of The Food
Chronology. A number of the subjects in the Encyclopedia use precisely
the same wording as The Food Chronology.
Bear
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 08:22:23 -0600 (CST)
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming)
Subject: SC - Period Dairying, Etc.
Greetings. For the person looking for information on period dairy
practices and cheesemaking try _The English Housewife_ by Gervase
Markham, 1615. There is a good edition out by Michael Best,
McGill-Queen's University Press, 1986, ISBN 0-7735-0582-2. He has a
chapter on the practices that a good housewife should follow. While I
don't believe there are "recipes" per se he does mention certain types
of cheeses and what one should do with the whey, curds, etc.
There is also another fascinating book, _The Country House Kitchen,
1650-1900_, edited by Sambrook and Brears. While the dates indicate
OOP, this book takes some of the manors belonging to England's National
Trust and details the architectural plans and layout of the kitchens
and related rooms. Tucked in with all the OOP material are references
to period practices. There are numerous references to dairies and
dairying. I don't know where one might find the book. It is esoteric
enough that most public libraries wouldn't have it and expensive enough
that most SCAers wouldn't have it. I have a copy, but then, I'm single
and a pack rat for books! If there's something specific - dairy
layout, items needed for a "perfect" dairy or dairyroom, post me and I
will send what I can find, time willing.
Publisher is Alan Sutton Publishing Limited (in association with the
National Trust). Date is 1996, and ISBN is 0-7509-0884-X. If you have
Poison Pen Press's e-mail or address, I believe I got it from her two
Pennsics ago.
Alys Katharine
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 17:28:09 +0000
From: James and/or Nancy Gilly <KatieMorag at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Period Dairying, Etc.
Amazon.com lists it two ways:
*The Country House Kitchen*, $21.56
*The Country House Kitchen 1650-1900, Skills and Equipment for
Food Provisioning*, $23.77
Alasdair mac Iain
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 12:12:41 -0200 (GMT)
From: Jessica Tiffin <melisant at mweb.co.za>
Subject: RE: SC - A Good Book
Bear wrote:
>For food history, I like Reay Tannehill's Food in History. There is at
>least one other translated from the French, but I can not remember the name
>at the moment.
I've always had a lot of fun with Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat's History of
Food - is that the one you mean? A lot of what she says refers to food
types and sources in modern France, but she gives wonderful historical
overviews and is very entertaining to read. I also picked up a new
paperback copy at a ridiculously low price, so I'm somewhat enchanted with it.
Mesliant de Huguenin
Minister of Arts and Sciences, Shire of Adamastor, Drachenwald
Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 07:17:20 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - A Good Book
> Bear wrote:
> >For food history, I like Reay Tannehill's Food in History. There is at
> >least one other translated from the French, but I can not remember the name
> >at the moment.
>
> I've always had a lot of fun with Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat's History of
> Food - is that the one you mean?
>
> Mesliant de Huguenin
That's the one! I don't own a copy, so I keep forgetting the author and
title. Like Tannehill, it has the pleasant attribute of being in print.
Bear
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 22:28:56 -0500
From: "Philip W. Troy & Susan Troy" <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - "On Food and Cooking" book
Donna Hrynkiw wrote:
> On Food and Cooking -- The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
> Harold McGee
>
> Fireside / Simon & Schuster
> 1984
> ISBN 0-684-84328-5
> $21.00, very thick trade paperback
>
> Chapters on grain, meat, plant matter, milk, sugar, etc. Very readable.
>
> Elizabeth
Oh, yeah. That's pretty much been one of my culinary Bibles. Learn how food
behaves, and why, and you can predict what it will do under a given set of conditions. Very, very valuable.
Adamantius
Østgardr, East
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com(Elise Fleming)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Elizabethan Dining Question
Date: 17 Nov 1998 00:31:21 GMT
"DnA" <dna at z95.com> writes:
>A friend of mine's daughter is doing a high school report on the type
>of food that was eaten during the late 1600's - early 1700's (she's
>studying Shakespeare).
A good out-of-print book is _Dining With William Shakespeare_ by Madge
Lorwin. A library (or interlibrary loan) might find it. She takes
quotes from Shakespeare and recipes from cookery books of the late
1500s and the 1600s with modernized versions. She also explains some
of the customs of the times. Once you get into the mid-1600s there are
quite a few cookery books. You might also try _Martha Washington's
Booke of Cookery_ by Karen Hess. The recipes are from the early 1600s
up to the end of the century.
Alys Katharine
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 08:16:43 -0500
From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com>
To: LIST SCA arts <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: More on Food & Society Books ed C Anne Wilson
AS requested further blurb !
Food for the community- Monastic Medieval diets in England, Servants
feeding from middle ages to 19th C, Sailors diets 1530-1830. School dinners
Louis XIV, Workhouse soup Yorkshire, soldiers food in the 19th C
Liquid Nourisment -Possets, cider, pery, hot ale, water of life, pottages &
soups, sherbets prehistory to present day
Appetite & the eye visual aspects of food, its presentation within their
historical context.
Waste not want not-hording methods etc from prehistory to present day.
Hope that helps ?
I have a couple of copies if anyone wants them.
Mel
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 09:51:15 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - barley
> << I have borrowed a friend's copy of History of Food >>
>
> Could someone please send the information about this book? Thank you,
> Molly Kekilpenny
Toussaint-Samat, Maquelonne, The History of Food; Blackwell, ISBN
0631194975, paperback, $29.95.
Tannahill, Reay, Food in History; Crown, ISBN 0517884046, paperback, $16.00.
Both of these are in print. They are primarily global reviews of the
history of food and eating from prehistory to the present. Their scope is
such that they tend to be shallow in the particulars of any given foodstuff.
They do make good starting points for deeper research.
Comments have been made about errors in both books and about
Toussaint-Samat's Franco-centric view, but as surveys of the field, they are
the best available.
Bear
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 12:59:10 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Period Chili
> << Trager places the introduction of paprika into Hungary as 1529 when the
> Turks first took Buda. >>
>
> What part of the date is open to questions, when the Turks took Buda or
> when they introduced paprika?
>
> Noemi
The introduction of paprika is the questionable aspect. This particular
entry is from The Food Chronology, which is a useful timelime, but which is
not fully indexed, has some errors of fact, does not properly differentiate
between the factual and the apocryphal, and provides no bibliography of
sources. I use The Food Chronology to locate temporal relationships in food
and cooking, but unless I have or can locate other sources, I consider the
information I find there questionable.
As for the capture of Buda, it was taken by the Turks in 1529, appears to
have been lost or ceded following the first siege of Vienna in 1529, and
retaken in 1541. It was liberated in 1683 after the second siege of Vienna.
Which is about all the information and mis-information I have on the
subject.
Bear
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 08:09:56 -0600 (CST)
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming)
Subject: SC - Re: Old World/New World Foods
Cariadoc/David mentioned that PPC had articles on New World foods and
suggested that you look for back issues. Acanthus Books now carries
back issues. I’m lousy for URLs, but Amanda haunts this list and might
provide it. They are approximately $7.50 per issue (at least from
Prospect Books) but worth it.
Also, look for Sophie Coe’s _America’s First Cuisines_, Univ. of Texas
Press, 1994, ISBN (paperback) 0-292-71159-x. It contains basically the
same material (but greatly expanded) that appeared in the PPC articles
mentioned above. She details Aztec, Maya, and Inca foods. What I
found so interesting was the influence of Old World foods on the New
World, why some New World foods didn’t catch on right away, and so
forth. This might explain why, even though capsicums were _brought_ to
the Old World in period they were not _used_ . (That is, they might
have been cooked and presented to royalty, and noted in a report - from
which we get historical “proof” - but they weren’t incorporated into
dishes served at feasts.)
A third source would be the older _The Columbian Exchange, Biological
and Cultural Consequences of 1492_, by Alfred W. Crosby, Jr., Greenwood
Press (Connecticut), 1972, ISBN 0-8371-7228-4 for the paperback. It
has had at least four printings. To me, it is a “dryer” read than
Coe’s book, but I haven’t read it for quite a few years now.
Alys Katharine, having a second "snow day" following yesterday's free
day!
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 09:30:14 -0500
From: renfrow at skylands.net (Cindy Renfrow)
Subject: SC - Re: Petits Propos Culinaires, was old world/new world foods
>Petits Propos Culinaires is an international journal on food, food history,
>cookery and cookery books. Inquiries should be addressed to PPC North
>America, c/o Jennifer & Nic Spencer, 5311 42nd St NW, Washington, D.C.
>20015. Currently a subscription costs $18 for one year (three issues).
>
>(from the Miscellany; I don't know if the address and price are still
>correct).
>
>David/Cariadoc>http://www.best.com/~ddfr/
Here is a post from Sept.? by Dame Alys with the current information:
To forestall the inevitable posts about where to get this lovely
pamphlet/booklet:
Cost for 3 issues (1 year): In the UK: 12 pounds; in the USA, $23.50. Cost
for 6 issues (2 years): In the UK: 23.50 pounds; in the USA, $45.
In the UK: 45 Lamont Road, London SW10 OHU. Make sterling cheques payable
to Prospect Books Ltd.
In the USA: same address as above. Make dollar cheques payable to PPC North
America.
In Canada: c/o Ann Semple, 1897 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2C
3J7. Make cheques payable to Ann Semple.
In Australia: c/o Barbara Santich, 13 King Street, Brighton 5048. Cheques
payable to Barbara Santich.
In New Zealand: c/o Helen Phare, PO Box 5775, Wellesley Street, Auckland.
Cheques payable to Helen Phare.
When PPC comes into my mailbox, my day is automatically brighter and my
bathroom stays become longer!
Alys Katharine
Cindy/Sincgiefu
renfrow at skylands.net
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 11:06:47 EST
From: Acanthusbk at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - PPC
Cariadoc wrote:
> Petits Propos Culinaires is an international journal on food, food history,
> cookery and cookery books. Inquiries should be addressed to PPC North
> America, c/o Jennifer & Nic Spencer, 5311 42nd St NW, Washington, D.C.
> 20015. Currently a subscription costs $18 for one year (three issues).
>
> (from the Miscellany; I don't know if the address and price are still
> correct).
>
> I wouldn't expect most libraries to carry it.
Current details for US PPC subscriptions are:
Six issues (2 years) $45, three issues (one year) $23.50
If you would like to subscribe send your US$ check to:
PPC (Petits Propos Culinaires)
45 Lamont Road
London SW10 0HU
ENGLAND
tel/fax (from the US) 011-44-171-351-1242
email AEDavidson at compuserve.com
Tell them Amanda at Acanthus Books referred you. Also, FYI, Acanthus will
shortly have in stock the complete inventory of back issues of PPC.
Amanda
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 11:49:53 EST
From: Acanthusbk at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - PPC
Alys Katherine wrote:
> Cariadoc/David mentioned that PPC had articles on New World foods and
> suggested that you look for back issues. Acanthus Books now carries
> back issues. I’m lousy for URLs, but Amanda haunts this list and might
> provide it. They are approximately $7.50 per issue (at least from
> Prospect Books) but worth it.
I just received word yesterday the first shipment of back issues is in transit
and will arrive within the next couple of weeks. Issues up to the most recent,
#60, will be available. PPC's standard retail price for back issues is $7.95.
Acanthus' standard retail will be $7, and there will be standard quantity
discounts offered, as well as discounts on assembled packages of interest to
SCA cooks.
I'll be posting more details soon, and pending Alan Davidson's permission will
have scans of the table of contents pages available. An online index for PPC
issues 46-55 is currently available on Russell Harris' homepage at
http://members.tripod.com/~rdeh/index.html
and you can download a text file containing the complete index for issues
1-55.
Russell's homepage also has an index to the Oxford Symposium proceedings for
the years 1981-1994. Acanthus Books has proceedings from the years
1986-current in stock, plus earlier years available as used books.
Anyone with questions about PPC (or the Oxford Symposium) can email me at
acanthusbk at aol.com.
Amanda
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 10:08:42 -0500
From: "Daniel Phelps" <phelpsd at gate.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Salsify-update and useful info
My copy of "Larousse Gastronomique the Encyclopedia of Food, Wine and
Cookery" in English translation (Prosper Montagne, Crown Publishers, Inc. NY
1961 Library of Congress Cat. # 61-15788) says that what is called Salaify
is actually two plants the "...root of the plant of the Compositae family
which alone is entitled to it, but also for that of another plant on the
same family which botanically is called scorzonera." The entry goes on to
say that the flesh of the roots of both plants are very similar in taste and
are prepared in exactly the same way. The word Scorzonera comes from
Catalan "escorso" or in English viper as it was formerly believed to be a
specific against its bite. The entry in my edition provides 11 recipes.
Copies of Larousse Gastronomique, at least in West Palm Beach, can often be
found in the book secions of charity thrift stores for about $5 or $6 if you
keep your eye out for it, about $20 in used book stores and over $75 new.
Daniel Raoul Le Vascon du Navarre'
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 11:20:51 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Byzantine Sources
At 3:00 AM -0800 1/28/99, James L. Matterer wrote:
>Several years ago there was in circulation a newsletter entitled EARLY
>PERIOD. I know very little about this publication except that it dealt
>with mostly pre-1000 recreation, and was produced by people involved
>with the SCA.
I read it for some time. It was an admirable effort, but not very reliable
in terms of historical authenticity, in part because a lot of what they
were trying to do was stuff for which period sources were scarce to
nonexistent.
David Friedman
Professor of Law
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 01:14:53 EST
From: Vanishwood at aol.com
Subject: SC - Question about source "All Manners of Food"
Has anyone read "All Manners of Food: Eating and Taste in England and
France From the Middle Ages to the Present"
It doesn't have recipes but it (through what I've read) appears to be an
analysis of eating habits. So far it appears to be a good source for cooks to
understand the economic and social factors in cooking during the period the
SCA covers.....
If you read it, what did you think about it? So far I found it very
informative.
Ethelwulf
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 07:19:59 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Question about source "All Manners of Food"
> Has anyone read "All Manners of Food: Eating and Taste in England and
> France From the Middle Ages to the Present"
>
> Ethelwulf
It is interesting and possibly useful, but it is also the source of an
erroneous quote I made about Piers Plowman, so caveat emptor.
Bear
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:04:46 -0500
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Shakespeare
Cindy Renfrow wrote:
> Hello! Does anyone have a listing of food & feasting references in
> Shakespeare's plays?
You might check out Madge Lorwin's "Dining With William Shakespeare",
1976 Atheneum, New York City, ISBN 0-689-10731-5 .
Mostly this is yet another forum for Renaissance and Early Modern
English recipes from sources like Plat, Digby, May, Rabisha, etc., but
there are quite a few actual food references from Shakespeare's plays
and sonnets in there too.
Adamantius
Østgardr, East
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 21:30:06 -0500
From: Bonne <oftraquair at hotmail.com>
Subject: SC - Horseflesh, guinea pigs, insects etc.
> See James Frazer's "The Golden Bough" for more on this, as well as
> Calvin W. Schwabe's "Unmentionable Cuisine";
Funny you should mention this. Last week while rummaging through the Chapel
Hill public library for sources for my feast I came across it and spent much
too much time reading it instead of more pertinent books. I took some notes
to tell the list about it, here it is anyway for the others that hadn't heard
about it.
Unmentionable Cuisine
Calvin W. Schwabe
Univ. of Virginia Press 1979
ISBN 0-8139-0811-6
Schwabe was some sort of vetrinary researcher who travelled the world and
began collected recipes for portions of animals, or entire animals that are
considered inedible in the U.S. This book could be considered the evil twin
to "Diet for a Small Planet". While that book argues that feeding animals
grain in order to butcher them for meat is an inefficient way to feed the
world, this one argues that if we are going to feed the grain to the animals,
we might at least eat the animal more efficiently. Being picky about which
parts of the animals we eat is silly in his view. Regarding the usual meat
animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goat, chicken) there are recipes for all sorts
of organ meats, including stuffed eyeballs. There are also chapters devoted
to less often eaten animals like guinea pigs and various game animals and to
insects.
Bonne
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 08:45:19 -0400
From: Melanie Wilson <MelanieWilson at compuserve.com>
To: LIST SCA arts <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Books on eBay Gardening & Cookery
Appetite & The Eye ed C Anne Wilson
Vol 2 Chapters include: Ritual Form & colour in the Medieval Food
Tradition, From Medieval great hall to country house dining room: the
furniture and setting of the social meal, Decoration of the Tudor & Stuart
table, Ideal meals and their menus from the Middle Ages to the Georgian
Era. , Keeping up appearances: the Genteel art of dining in Middle class
Victorian Britain.
A book originating in the Leeds Symposium on Food. Leading Food
Historians share their insights. NEW PB. Buyer pays actually shipping
costs.
Mel
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 01:22:34 -0000
From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?Nanna_R=F6gnvaldard=F3ttir?=" <nannar at isholf.is>
Subject: Re: SC - Summertime Cerulean Blue Sauce
>Excellent quote. Could you please provide the title of the work? I don't
>recognize the author.
John Ayto, British, author of many reference works, mostly concerning the
origin of words and names, like The Dictionary of Word Origins, The Oxford
Dictionary of Slang, some translations from Middle English I believe, and
the work I´m quoting from, A Gourmet´s Guide, which is mostly concerned with
the origin and development of food terms. A valuable and entertaining work
in my opinion, and one I´ve made much use of. For some reason it was earlier
published as both The Diner´s Dictionary and The Glutton´s Glossary.
Nanna
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 17:59:41 EST
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: SC - Opinions needed
I purchased 'Culinary Cultures of the Middle East; ed. by Sami Zubaida and
Richard Trapper " to day. Any opinions on this book? The collection of
lectures, papers and essays includes Perry and many others. Since it is
definitely written for more academically minded individuals, I was wondering
about accuracy, etc. before devoting my time to reading and studying it
since it will take much time.
Ras
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 10:43:09 -0600From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>Subject: RE: SC - Book opinion wanted
> Hey, Amazon came up with this book on my reccomendations page> today, and I was wondering if anyone out there had read it, and> would care to comment? Thanks in advance.> -----Gille MacDhnouill>> All Manners of Food : Eating and Taste in England and> France from the Middle Ages to the Present> by Stephen MennellI would recommend you borrow it from the library first. It deals primarilywith the social history of food, only the first few chapters deal withmedieval food, and there are some errors (i've been bit, using it as areference). The book is not particularly useful in redacting recipes,although the hardbound edition had some recipes on the endpapers (IIRC).This is one to read before you buy.Bear
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 11:59:43 -0700
From: "James L. Matterer" <jlmatterer at labyrinth.net>
Subject: Re: SC - What's cooking at the Tabard?
You might like to check out my website on Chaucerian Cookery. I've
researched Chaucer's writings for references for food and have related
them to corresponding period recipes. All of "Chaucer's Foods" are
listed there (bread, cheese, ale, wine, bake mete, etc.) with the
location in Chaucer's poetry where they might be found. And there are
some pretty graphics, too, and other literary/food info.
It's at:
A Chaucerian Cookery
http://www.labs.net/dmccormick/ccookery.htm
I received my laurel for researching the food of Chaucer's time and
poetry, so this is certainly one of my favorite subjects!
Maste Huen/Jim Matterer
- --
A Boke of Gode Cookery
http://www.labs.net/dmccormick/huen.htm
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 16:13:40 EDT
From: THLRenata at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Book opinions
Since Bonne asked:
<< The Food Chronology : A Food Lover's Compendium of Events and
Anecdotes, from Prehistory to the Present ~ James Trager / Henry Holt
(Paper) / June 1997 >>
This is a fascinating book! I did notice a tendency toward the "medieval
food was over-spiced to disguise bad meat" attitude and should point out that
more than 50% of the book deals with the 20th Century. Still, I do plan to
get my own copy someday.
Renata
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 21:36:11 -0400
From: "Jennifer Conrad" <CONRAD3 at prodigy.net>
Subject: SC - Shakespeare and Food (web page)
http://www.soupsong.com/ibard.html
This site lists foods mentioned in Shakespeare's plays and where in the
play the mention happens.
Luveday
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 1999 21:57:36 +0100
From: Thomas Gloning <Thomas.Gloning at germanistik.uni-giessen.de>
Subject: SC - Food in high medieval theology (new book)
Philip Lyndon Reynolds just announced his new book about food in
medieval theology:
<<< Dear Colleagues:
(...) I wanted to announce that my book, _Food and the Body: some
peculiar questions in high medieval theology_ (Leiden: Brill), is now
out. As a result of an experiment with our kitchen scales, I can reveal
that it will cost about 3 dollars and 25 cents per ounce. (...)
Philip Lyndon Reynolds >>>
I must confess that I know something about the role of medicine in
medieval nutrition and cookery, but not much about the role of theology.
Therefore, I look forward to see this book.
Thomas
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 1999 14:53:38 -0700
From: "Laura C. Minnick" <lcm at efn.org>
Subject: Re: SC - Food in high medieval theology (new book)
Thomas Gloning wrote:
>
> Philip Lyndon Reynolds just announced his new book about food in
> medieval theology:
>
> <<< Dear Colleagues:
> (...) I wanted to announce that my book, _Food and the Body: some
> peculiar questions in high medieval theology_ (Leiden: Brill), is now
> out. As a result of an experiment with our kitchen scales, I can reveal
> that it will cost about 3 dollars and 25 cents per ounce. (...)
> Philip Lyndon Reynolds >>>
>
> I must confess that I know something about the role of medicine in
> medieval nutrition and cookery, but not much about the role of theology.
> Therefore, I look forward to see this book.
Thomas and all,
If you are interested in the theological implications of food,
particularly in the practices of the female mystics, Caroline Walker
Bynum has several titles on different aspects of the subject. _Holy
Feast and Holy Fast_ is probably her best known work on the subject. In
the academic community, the subect of female mysticism and related food
disorders, etc., has been hot for the past ten years or so. I even wrote
a paper on the subject a couple of years back, titled "Bite me:
Eucharistic Devotion and the Corporeal Christ". I thought it was awful
but I got a good grade on it- ain't academics wonderful?
'Lainie
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 21:20:15 -0700
From: "Laura C. Minnick" <lcm at efn.org>
Subject: Re: SC - Book Review
Kekilpenny at aol.com wrote:
> Is anyone familiar with this book?
>
> "Medieval Feast, by Aliki. This picture book for ages 7 to 11 details the
> elaborate preparations that had to be made whenever a lord and lady had to
> prepare to entertain the King. It took them weeks to set up the rooms and
> prepare the feast itself. And they really did bake four and twenty blackbirds
> into a pie! This is a must-read for those studying medieval history. Cat.
> #72, $5.95."
>
> It is available at Amazon right now.
>
> Molli Rose
> Sol Haven (LMoC)
It's a really cute book- one of the better children's books on the
subject- useful for demos, working with pages, etc. Roughly set in the
reign of one of the Three Edwards. Been a few years since I've seen it,
but I remember it- which is a good sign!
'Lainie
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 15:37:14 +0100
From: Christina Nevin <cnevin at caci.co.uk>
Subject: RE SC - Recommended Books
A book you really do want is Terrence Scully's "The Art of Cookery in the
Middle Ages" (1995 Univ of Rochester Press; ISBN: 0851156118). Admittedly
there are no recipes (though reading it always inspires me to go cook!), but
I learnt a lot from it which affected the way I cooked and thought of
medieval cooking and food.
Lucretzia
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lady Lucrezia-Isabella di Freccia | mka Tina Nevin
Thamesreach Shire, The Isles, Drachenwald | London, UK
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 08:56:20 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Book Review
Kekilpenny at aol.com wrote:
> Is anyone familiar with this book?
>
> "Medieval Feast, by Aliki. This picture book for ages 7 to 11 details the
> elaborate preparations that had to be made whenever a lord and lady had to
> prepare to entertain the King. It took them weeks to set up the rooms and
> prepare the feast itself. And they really did bake four and twenty blackbirds
> into a pie! This is a must-read for those studying medieval history. Cat.
> #72, $5.95."
Overall, I like it. Not all of the historical information is strictly
accurate, but it's pretty close, and it's hard to be both general and
accurate on the topic of A Medieval Feast; so much of what is true of
one isn't true of another, so you have to be very slective. There's
nothing in there about overspicing bad meat or anything like that. The
subtlety of a pie of live birds seems to me, based on what I've seen, to
be more a renaissance thing, but that's a minor quibble when you
consider that the information is given to children in such a way as to
portray these people's customs and actions as reasonable and
understandable, even if a bit alien to us. For example, the author
speaks of the stress on the lord of the Castle who may not be able to
afford the financial burden of a Royal Progress visit and series of
feasts without spending most of his stores and fortune, and possibly
even endangering his serfs as they struggle through the winter to come,
all with the risk of Official Displeasure and its various tangible
ramifications, should the feast not go well for some reason.
It paints with a pretty broad brush, but I think it does its job, which
is to educate and entertain children on this topic, and if the kids find
out later about the four-and-twenty blackbirds, that won't negate the
benefits of the rest of it.
Or, to put it another way, my kid liked it, and related it to SCA feasts
he's been to, some of which I've cooked, and he had a better sense of
all that went into producing such a feast, even now. Then he went around
the hall telling people, "See that rice stuff? My Dad cooked that for
you! Do you like it?"
Adamantius
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 12:20:56 -0500
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Book Review
At 11:52 PM -0400 10/29/99, Kekilpenny at aol.com wrote:
>Is anyone familiar with this book?
>
>"Medieval Feast, by Aliki.
I read it some time back and thought it did a pretty accurate
job--certainly much better than I expect of children's books.
David/Cariadoc
Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1999 22:32:35 PST
From: "kylie walker" <kyliewalker at hotmail.com>
Subject: SC - witchcraft, food and jesus
I hope that got your attention - didn't quite know how to summarise 15 essay
titles in one line...
The Research Centre for the History of Food & Drink at the University of
Adelaide (in Australia) is about to launch a book I thought might interest
some of you. "Food, Power and Community: Essays in the History of Food and
Drink" is a collection of refereed papers from the research centre's first
International Conference, held earlier this year. Some of the essays have an
exclusively Australian focus, but there are a couple of much earlier ones:
Michael Symons on "Did Jesus Cook", Barbara Santich on "Who were the most
temperate and best mannered people in medieval Europe?" and John Cashman on
" 'La cuisine diabolique': the functions of food in early modern European
witchcraft".
If anyone wants further details, let me know. (I have nothing to do with the
book. My only connection is that as a member of the centre, I pay my $10
every year, longingly read the list of events and conferences and then admit
reluctantly that I can't be in two places at once...)
Kylie
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 14:37:52 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Re: SC-Olives, and I've got a new book
> Funny you should bring this up. I just got a new book (new to me, it is a
> used book) it is titled:
> Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti trans. by Judith Spencer. It is said
> to be a facsimile of I think a 13 or 14th century manuscript. <clipped>
>
> I was going to write to the list today and ask if anyone else had looked
> over the book and what they thought about it. I am, for now, treating it
> as a source of information that needs verifying until I can determine it's
> accuracy.
>
> Angeline
IIRC, The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti is a decent modern
translation of a 14th Century translation and commentary of an 11th Century
work by Ibn Butlan, On the Management of Diseases for the Most Part Through
Common Foodstuffs and Medicine for the Use of Monks of the Cloister and
Whoever is Far From the City. (I had to check a crib sheet for that one.)
Ibn Butlan (d. 1066) was a Christian physician originally from Baghdad who
travelled widely in the Middle East before settling in Antioch and becoming
a monk. He is supposedly the Ellbochasim mentioned in The Four Seasons.
I only have a few excerpts from the book, but what I have seen is
worthwhile.
Bear
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 02:44:05 +0100
From: Thomas Gloning <Thomas.Gloning at germanistik.uni-giessen.de>
Subject: SC - Four seasons of the House of Cerruti / Tacuin sanitatis [books]
This is about some books and manuscripts.
<< IIRC, The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti is a decent modern
translation of a 14th Century translation and commentary of an 11th
Century work by Ibn Butlan >>
The Four seasons of the House of Cerruti (Hausbuch der Cerruti) is a
manuscript now asserved in the "Oesterreichische Nationalbibiothek" in
Vienna under the shelfmark Cod. ser. nov. 2644. It is from the end of
the 14th century. Other manuscripts of this type are asserved in Rome
(Bibliotheca Casanatense), in Paris (National Library of France), in
Vienna again (Cod. vind. 2396; some pages reproduced in Zotter) and in
other libraries.
These are not really translations of Ibn-Butlan's text. Rather, they are
picture manuscripts with a very much abbreviated text. The original text
of Ibn-Butlan has no pictures, but is in the form of _tables_. Of
course, the abbreviated picture manuscripts are valuable for their
illustrations in other respects.
If you want to have the original Ibn-Butlan text, you might want to look
at the critical edition prepared by Hossam Elkhadem [with a translation
into French]:
- -- Elkhadem, H. (éd.): Le Taqwim al-Sihha (Tacuini Sanitatis) d'Ibn
Butlan: un traité médical du XIe siècle. Histoire du Texte, Édition
Critique, Traduction, Commentaire. Louvain (Peeters) 1990.
Elkhadem also wrote a short article about the textual history of the
tacuin sanitatis:
- -- Elkhadem, H.: Le Taqwim al-Sihha (Tacuini Sanitatis): Un Traité de
Diététique et d'Hygiène du XIe Siècle. In: Jansen-Sieben, R./ Saelemans,
F. (réd.): Voeding en Geneeskunde/ Alimentation et Médecine. Bruxelles
1993, 75-93.
There are several Latin manuscripts, but there is no critical edition of
the Latin version up to now. In the meantime you can use a printed
edition from 1531:
- -- Tacuini Sanitatis Elluchasem Elimithar Medici de Baldath, De sex
Rebus non naturalibus, earum naturis, operationibus, & rectificationibus
(...). Straßburg (Joh. Schott) 1531.
Based on this edition, there is a German translation prepared by Michael
Herr in 1533 (reprinted as a facsimile several times):
- -- Herr, M.: Schachtafelen der Gesuntheyt (...) Durch bewarung der Sechs
neben Natürlichen ding (...) durch erkantnussz/ cur/ vnd hynlegung Aller
Krankheyten (...) Aller lxxxiiij. Tafelen sonderlich Regelbuch (...).
Straßburg 1533. Nachdruck Leipzig 1985.
Some useful commentary material can be found in:
- -- Tacuinum Sanitatis. Das Buch der Gesundheit. Hg. von L.C. Arano.
Einführung von H. Schipperges und W. Schmitt. München 1976. [There is
also an English version of this book.]
- -- Zotter, H. (Hg.): Das Buch vom gesunden Leben. Die
Gesundheitstabellen des Ibn Butlan in der illustrierten deutschen
Übertragung des Michael Herr (Straßburg 1533). Mit Einleitung,
Faksimile, neuhochdeutscher Übersetzung und Abb. aus dem Cod. vind.
2396. Graz 1988.
Best,
Thomas
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 01:20:07 -0500
From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>
Subject: SC - Spanish food/health manual
I just got in an intersting book via ILL. It's a modern reprint of a 16th
century Spanish food/health manual. (In Spanish -- it hasn't been
translated that I know of.)
The book is "Banquete de Nobles Caballeros" ("Banquet of Noble
Gentlemen") by Luis Lobera de Avila, who was physician to the Spanish
Emperor Carlos V. It was written in 1530. I would compare it to Platina
minus the recipes. The book contains many 1-2 page chapters, each
on a different type of food, with comments on how it affects the
humours, and what Galen and Avicenna and other authorities have to
say about it. There are also some chapters on the scheduling and
sequence of meals, as well as comments on the health benefits and
risks of such activities as baths, sex, and midday naps.
The bibiographic information:
Lobera de Avila, Luis, "Banquete de Nobles Caballeros", San Sebasti·n
: R & B Ediciones, 1996. ISBN 8488947593
There's also a 1952 edition, published in Madrid.
I don't know how many libraries carry it; I'm in New Jersey, and the ILL
copy I received was from the Library of Congress.
I haven't had a chance to do more than skim the book. A few tidbits of
information:
Raw apples cause flatulence and indigestion. These problems can be
avoided by eating apples that have been preserved with sugar, or
roasted and served with sugar or anise.
Eating radishes will protect against the venom of a scorpion, if one is
stung that same day. (I'm in the wrong kingdom to test this. Any
Ansteorrans out there who'd like to conduct some research?)
Bread is more nutritious and easier to digest when made from flour
which has not had the bran removed out of it.
Roasted chestnuts are healthier than raw. Those of choleric
temperament should eat them with sugar; those who are phlegmatic,
with honey.
Beef (especially from older cattle) should be eaten infrequently, in small
quantities, and with mustard sauce to counteract its melancholic
humours.
I wouldn't call it an essential title in the field, but it's an intriquing book
for those interested in period Spanish cuisine.
Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 17:14:03 -0600
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Spanish food/health manual
At 1:20 AM -0500 1/21/00, Robin Carroll-Mann wrote:
>I just got in an intersting book via ILL. It's a modern reprint of a 16th
>century Spanish food/health manual. (In Spanish -- it hasn't been
>translated that I know of.)
>
>The book is "Banquete de Nobles Caballeros" ("Banquet of Noble
>Gentlemen") by Luis Lobera de Avila, who was physician to the Spanish
>Emperor Carlos V...
This sounds a lot like the _Taciunum Sanitatas_, which is a Latin
version of an Arabic original. We have two modern editions in
translation with illustrations, _A Medieval Health Handbook_ and _The
Four Seasons of the House of Cerrutti_ (that's by memory, so I may
not have them exactly right.) This book gives, for each food or
activity, its nature by the theory of the humors, its benefits, its
risks, and how to neutralize the risks.
Elizabeth/Betty Cook
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 22:37:02 -0500
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Sausages
Huette von Ahrens wrote:
> > <<Unmentionable Cuisine>>
> Is this cookbook worth buying? If so, please list the
> author, publisher etc.?
Calvin W. Schwabe, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1979
and 1992. ISBN 0-8139-1162-1
I think it's worth buying, although to be honest it isn't always what I
would consider the definitive source for several of its recipes. Its
whole point/crusade is to get people to admit that we are eating
something like 20% of our viable protein sources, and that a measurable
proportion of the world's population is starving to death because we
aren't using our resources properly, in his view due to food prejudices.
Basically, eat a squid, or an armadillo, a piece of calves' liver, or a
witchetty grub and help fight world hunger.
While there are no other easily available sources for some of its
material, some of what it does contain is available elsewhere, better.
So, for example, while Schwabe does want us all to eat little bony fish,
and they are included in his bouilliabaise recipe, and quite
authentically so, it's not the first place I'd look for a proper
bouilliabaise recipe: I'd check out Curnonsky, or Larousse, or even
Julia Child, first. But they don't tell you how to skin and bake a
muskrat ; ).
Another thing about UC is that if you're the kind of cook that needs (or
even _wants_, Huette ; ) ) everything spelled out in detail, you may
be mystified with Schwabe's instructions that call for some large turkey
testicles sauteed in just enough olive oil, and then add some mushrooms
and cook till done, I'd say you'd have to be at least an enthusiastic
amateur cook, rather than a complete beginner, to benefit fully from it.
With those caveats, though, I'll simply say it's fun, informative
reading and I'm very glad to own a copy.
Adamantius
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 17:19:18 -0000
From: Christina Nevin <cnevin at caci.co.uk>
Subject: SC - Book Review WAS Verjus
Magdalena asked:
> Gillian Riley (RENAISSANCE RECIPES) in her glossary states that
> the English (not big grape growers) used the juice of green plums and
> gooseberries instead.
I've seen recipes for crab apples, but not green plums. Does she
document her sources?
Not at all. Here is my review of her book - YMMV:
"RILEY, Gillian. Renaissance Recipes
Pomegranate Artbooks. 1993.
An amusing enough coffee table book. It talks about renaissance cooking and
customs, has redactions, and mentions original sources, but has the
irritating flaw of giving no solid references outside the bibliography.
Nonetheless, it is a nice book to have for the pictures of food and feasts -
useful for tabledressing and selection of feastgear. It also is the first
place I've found that mentions zabaglione as being in period, for which I am
happy to forgive it much!
Recommended as a picture book only or an on-sale buy."
Lucretzia
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lady Lucrezia-Isabella di Freccia | mka Tina Nevin
Thamesreach Shire, The Isles, Drachenwald | London, UK
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 15:22:16 -0800
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: SC - Book: A Feast of Words
"A Feast of Words: Banquets and Table Talk in the Renaissance"
by Michael Jeanneret, Jeremy Whiteley (Translator), Emma Hughes (Translator)
Paperback / University of Chicago Press / October 1991 / $21.00
Anyone familiar with this book? I found it while meandering around
Barnes & Noble
"Synopsis
The first part of this study considers "the Renaissance banquet as
alimentary experience: Food, diet, hygiene, nutrition, cuisine,
gastronomy, appetite, and table manners. . . . The Renaissance feast
provided both an outlet for hedonistic pleasures and the occasion for
disciplining natural drives into refined behavior. . . . Part 2 takes
up talk at table. . . . Renaissance banquet literature, like the six
dialogues of Erasmus's Colloquies set at table feasts on words, takes
up elements of philology, lexicography, linguistics, and semantics."
(Am Hist Rev) Index."
While my persona is Near Eastern (and i'm collecting related stories
for table talk), i figure Renaissance table talk is more appropriate
than such standards as "my job, my car, waddaya thinka (title of
latest popular exploding movie), didja catch the latest episode of
(popular sitcom), how about them (fill in popular sports team)", et
al ad nauseum.
Gotta fill in all the space in my mind left by all the stuff i've forgotten,
Anahita Gauri al-shazhiyya bint-Karim al-hakim al-Fassi
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 11:36:25 -0600
From: "Bob Dewart" <gilli at seacove.net>
Subject: SC - Re: Book Enquiry - long
>I have in front of me a book I just checked out of the library. It is
>called _Food: a Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present_ published
>by Columbia University Press.
>It is part of a series called "European Perspectives". The editors are
>Jean-Louis Flandrin and Massimo Montanari. According to the book jacket
>Flandrin is a Professor Emeritus at the University Paris VII-Vincennes and
>a founder of the international review "Food and Foodways". Montanari is a
>Professor at the University of Bologna specializing in food of the Middle
>Ages.
>
>Is anyone familier with this work? It does not appear to have any actual
>recipes in it, but seems to cover everything else from argricultural
>economics to kitchen utensiles from different time periods in Europe.
>
>HL Darcy Evaline of Lasgwm
>Ansteorra
The English edition was supervised by Albert Sonnenfeld and translated by
Clarris Botsford, Arthur Goldhammer, Charles Lambert, Grances M.
Lopez-Morillas and sylvia Stevens.
The ISBN is 0-231-11154-1
General: The book is broken down into 7 major sections and each section is
subdivided into specific topics. Each chapter has its own biliography.
There are two small sections of black and white reproductions of paintings
which to my mind are rather dark and murky. Indexed.
Contents:
Preface by Albert Sonnenfeld
Introduction to the Original Edition by Jean-Louis Flandrin and Massimo
Montanari
PART ONE - Prehistory and Early civilizations
Introduction - the Humanization of Eating Behaviors by Jean-Louis Flandrin
Chapter I - Feeding strategies in Prehistoric Times by Catherine Perles
Chapter 2 - The social function of Banquets in the Earlier Civilizations by
Francis Joannes
Chapter 3 - Food culture in Ancient Egypt by Edda Bresciani
Chapter 4 - Biblical reasons: The dietary Rules of the Ancient Hebrews by Jean
Soler
Chapter 5 - The Phoenians and the Carthaginians: the Early Mediterranean Diet
by Antonella Spano Giannellaro
PART TWO - The Classical World
Introduction - Food Systems and Models of Civilization by Massimo Maontanari
Chapter 6 - Urban and Rural diets in Greece by Marie-Clare Amouretti
Chapter 7 - Greek Meals: A Civic Ritual by Pauline Schnitt-Pantel
chapter 8 - The culture of the Symposium by Massimo Vetta
Chapter 9 - the Diet of the Etruscans by Giuseppe Sassatelli
chapter 10 - The Grammar of Roman Dining by Florence Dupont
Chpater 11 - The Broad Bean and the Moray: Social Hierachies and Food in
Rome by Mireille Corbier
Chapter 12 - Diet and Medicine in the Ancient World by Innocenzo Maxxini
Chapter 13 - The Food of Others by Oddone Longo
PART THREE From the late Classical Period to the early Middle Ages (5th - 10th
Centuries)
Introduction - Romans, Barbarians, Christians: The Dawn of the European Food
Culture by Massimo Montanari
Chapter 14 - Production Structures and Food Systems in the Early Middle Ages by
Massimo Montanari
chapter 15 - Peasants, Warriors, Priests: Images of society and Styles of Diet
by Massimo Montanari
PART FOUR - Westerners and Others
Introduction - Food Models and Cultural Indentity by Massimo Montanari
Chapter 16 - Christians of the East: Rules and realities of the Byzantine Diet
by Ewald Kislinger
chapter 17 - Arab Cuisine and Its Contribution to European Culture by Bernard
Rosenberger
chapter 18 - Mediterranean Jewish Diet and Traditions in the Middle Ages by
Miguel-angel Motis Dolander
PART FIVE - The Late Middle ages (11th - 14th Centuries)
Introduction - Toward a New dietary balance by Massimo Mantanari
Chapter 19 - Society, Food and Feudalism by Antoni Riera-Melis
Chapter 20 - Self-Sufficiency and the Market: rural and Urban Diet in the
Middle Ages by Alfio Cotonesi
Chapter 21 - Food Trades by Francoise Desportes
Chapter 22 - the Origins of Public Hostelries in Europe by Hans Conrad Peyer
Chapter 23 - Medieval cooking by Bruno Laurioux
Chapter 24 - Food and Social classes in Late Medieval and Renaaisaance Italy
by Allen J Grieco
Chapter 25 - Seasoning, cooking and Dietetics in the Late Middle ages by
Jean-Louis Flandrin
chapter 26 - "Mind your Manners" Etiquette at the Table by Daniela Romagnoli
Chapter 27 - From Hearth to Table: Late Medieval Cooking Equipment by
Francoise Piponnier
PART SIX - The Eurpean Nation-States (15th - 18th Centuries
Introduction - the Early Modern Period by Jean-Louise Flandrin
Chapter 28 - Growing without knowing why: Production, Demographics and Diet
by Michel Morineau
Chapter 29 - Colonial Beverages and the Consumption of Sugar by Alain Huetz de
Lemps
Chapter 30 - Printing the Kitchen: French cookbooks, 1480-1800 by Philip Hyman
and Mary Hyman
Chapter 31 - Dietary Choices and culinary Technique, 1500 - 1800 by Jean-Louis
Flandrin
Chapter 32 - From dietetics to Gastronomy: the Liberation of the Gourmet by
Jean-Louis Flandrin
PART SEVEN - the Contemporary Period (19th and 20th Centuries)
Introduction - From Industrial Revolution to Industrial Food by Jean-Louise
Flandrin
Chapter 33 - the Transformation of the European Diet by Hans Jurgen
Teuteberg and Jean-Louis Flandrin
Chapter 34 - The Invasion of Foreign Foods by Yves Pehant
Chapter 35 - the Rise of the Restaurant by Jean-Louis Flandrin
Chapter 36 - The food Indusrty and New Preservation Techniques by Giorgio
Pedrocco
chapter 37 - The Taste for Canned and Preserved Food by Alberto Capatti
Chapter 38 - the Emergence of regional Cuisines by Julia Csergo
Chapter 39 - The Perils of Abundance: Food, Health and Morality in American
History by Harvey A. Levenstein
Chapter 40 - The McDonaldization" of Culture by Claude Fischler
Conclusion - Today and Tomorrow by Jean-Louise Flandrin and Massimo
Montanari
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 20:13:57 +1030
From: "David & Sue Carter" <sjcarter at dove.net.au>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: New Book - All the Kings Cooks
Our local book store is getting to know me so well that they are buying in
books for me to look at, unordered, with almost complete certainty that I
will succumb (deliciously evil people that they are)
This was the latest, and I thought I would share it with you, as it is a lot
more that a collection of recipes:
Peter Brears
All the Kings Cooks: The Tudor Kitchens of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court
Palace 1999, Souvenir Press (note odd spelling)
43 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3PA
ISBN 0 285 63533 6 (hardback) 192 pgs
As the jacket says, it is a practical guide to the running of the Royal
Kitchens in the last years of King Henry's reign.
Peter Brears, and a band of volunteers actually cook period food in the
period way in the real kitchens for a few days each year (Has someone on
this list been to one of these? If so, what was it like?)
He talks about the joys, pitfalls and all the required problem solving
inherent in this sort of living history work, and the book is divided into
topics according to the function of certain parts of the kitchen complex.
(see below: contents page)
There are some wonderful colour pictures of huge coloured marchpanes, wild
boar, peacock, garnished brawn and a set table, and lots of black and white
illustrations of equipment.
There are lots of high quality recipes, but this is my one frustration with
the book: the original and the source are not given next to each recipe,
although they are numbered to an source index in the back. Luckily I own
enough of his published recipes to have copies of most of them that DO have
these other bits of info, but anyone else would have to track them down to
check them.
The contents are:
Introduction
1. The Counting House : the hub of the enterprise
2. Serving The Court: numbers, quantities, Costs
3. The Outer Courts: poultry, Bakehouse, Woodyard
4. The Greencloth Yard:Jewel House, spicery chandlery
5. The Pastry Yard: saucery, Confectionary, Pastry
6. The Paved Passage: Larders, Boiling House, Workhouses
7. The Hall-place and the Lord's-side Kitchens: Boiling, Broiling and
Roasting
8. The Privy Kitchen: Food for the King
9. Preparing for Dinner: Pantry and Cellars
10. Serving the King: a Royal ceremony
11. Dining in Chamber and Hall: Etiquette and Ritual
Bibliography, notes, indices.
I haven't had a thorough read of all of it, yet, but it is promising to be a
very good book.
Cheers
Esla of Ifeld
mka Sue Carter
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2000 09:58:52 -0700 (MST)
From: Mary Morman <memorman at oldcolo.com>
Subject: Re: SC - new book
> Someone just wrote me with a good review of a fairly new book called"All
> the Kings Cooks". It seems to be more of a what-was-what rather than
> primarily a cook book. Has anyone read this and could tell us more?
> gwyneth
i've ordered it, and seen some reviews. it is a discussion, with lots of
photos, of king henry vii's time at hampton court and uses household
records to talk about food, purchases, staff, etc. supposed to be VERY
good.
elaina
From: David & Sue Carter <sjcarter at dove.net.au>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Sent: Monday, 20 March 2000 8:13
Subject: New Book - All the Kings Cooks
Our local book store is getting to know me so well that they are buying in
books for me to look at, unordered, with almost complete certainty that I
will succumb (deliciously evil people that they are)
This was the latest, and I thought I would share it with you, as it is a
lot more that a collection of recipes:
Peter Brears
All the Kings Cooks: The Tudor Kitchens of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court
Palace. 1999, Souvenir Press (note odd spelling)
43 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3PA
ISBN 0 285 63533 6 (hardback) 192 pgs
As the jacket says, it is a practical guide to the running of the Royal
Kitchens in the last years of King Henry's reign.
Peter Brears, and a band of volunteers actually cook period food in the
period way in the real kitchens for a few days each year (Has someone on
this list been to one of these? If so, what was it like?)
He talks about the joys, pitfalls and all the required problem solving
inherent in this sort of living history work, and the book is divided into
topics according to the function of certain parts of the kitchen complex.
(see below: contents page)
There are some wonderful colour pictures of huge coloured marchpanes, wild
boar, peacock, garnished brawn and a set table, and lots of black and white
illustrations of equipment.
There are lots of high quality recipes, but this is my one frustration with
the book: the original and the source are not given next to each recipe,
although they are numbered to an source index in the back. Luckily I own
enough of his published recipes to have copies of most of them that DO have
these other bits of info, but anyone else would have to track them down to
check them.
The contents are:
Introduction
1. The Counting House : the hub of the enterprise
2. Serving The Court: numbers, quantities, Costs
3. The Outer Courts: poultry, Bakehouse, Woodyard
4. The Greencloth Yard:Jewel House, spicery chandlery
5. The Pastry Yard: saucery, Confectionary, Pastry
6. The Paved Passage: Larders, Boiling House, Workhouses
7. The Hall-place and the Lord's-side Kitchens: Boiling, Broiling and Roasting
8. The Privy Kitchen: Food for the King
9. Preparing for Dinner: Pantry and Cellars
10. Serving the King: a Royal ceremony
11. Dining in Chamber and Hall: Etiquette and Ritual
Bibliography, notes, indices.
I haven't had a thorough read of all of it, yet, but it is promising to be
a very good book.
Esla of Ifeld
mka Sue Carter
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 14:24:46 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: SC - Food A Culinary History
"Food A Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present" arrived today. A
quick look at the book suggests it is going to be an important addition to
my historical research bookshelf.
The book is divided into periods; Prehistory and Ancient Civilizations, The
Classical World, From the Late Classical to the Early Middle Ages, etc.
Each chapter is a separate paper covering some aspect of cooking and culture
within the period. Each paper has its own bibliography and/or notes.
I'll probably start with "Diet and Medicine in the Ancient World", "From
Hearth to Table: Late Medieval Cooking Equipment", and "Seasoning, Cooking
and Dietetics in the Late Middle Ages." I expect it will take me a couple
weeks to read the entire book. I'll be able to give a more detailed opinion
then.
In case anyone is interested, the book is:
Flandrin, Jean-Louis and Montanari, Massimo, Food A Culinary History from
Antiquity to the Present; Columbia University Press, New York, 1999. ISBN
0-231-11154-1.
The price is $39.95, but it may be cheaper through one of the large
booksellers.
Bear
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 16:09:20 -0400
From: "Gaylin Walli" <gwalli at infoengine.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Period Corks
Balthazar wrote:
>If I'm not mistaken, the greeks used to seal Amhorae with clay corks, and
>then waterproof them with either wax or pitch. I have made several sizes of
>clay corks for my brewing bottles out of Sculpey clay, which works well
>(aside from the fact that it is not meant to be used with comestibles...)
I seem to remember doing a bit of research on this when I was
looking into typical closures used for containers that might
have held ointments in period. One of the books I do remember
reading that may have additional information in it, secondary
reference type only, is:
Yarwood, Doreen. The British Kitchen: Housewifery Since
Roman Times. Batsford. 1981.
Someone may want to check on that publishing info, though,
because I'm going on what's scribbled on the back of a lunch
napkin in my desk drawer rather than the Library of Congress
(my connex to it is down right now).
A good book in general related to our cooking stuff here,
but only about the first half of it is useful. Tons of very
interesting information, though, both in period and out.
Jasmine
Iasmin de Cordoba
Date: Thu, 04 May 2000 20:37:05 -0700
From: "Laura C. Minnick" <lcm at efn.org>
Subject: Re: SC - Holy Feast and Holy Fast
Marian Deborah Rosenberg wrote:
> For those who have read it, what was their opinion of Caroline Walker Bynum's
> Holy Feast and Holy Fast? Expecting something more on food and maybe cooking,
> I was rather surprised to discover the main focus being spirituality of food
> and the context of that spirituality in the middle ages.
I have not only read it, I have worked with the book in an academic
context. I own two of her other books- and they are wonderful. Fine
work.