ckbks-13th-C-msg - 4/10/02
Comments on the cookbooks remaining from the 13th Century.
NOTE: See also the files: fd-Normans-msg, 16thC-cookbk-bib, online-ckbks-msg, merch-cookbks-msg, fd-in-Chaucer-msg, books-food-msg, cookbooks-SCA-msg.
************************************************************************
NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
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.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
From: Christina Nevin <cnevin at caci.co.uk>
To: "SCA-Cooks (E-mail)" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:44:31 -0000
Subject: [Sca-cooks] 12/13th Century feast
Mari wrote
> BTW - I've been approached to Kitchen Steward a feast & provide the menu for
> [sic] "12/13th Century feast" - haven't yet checked with organiser for
> country of origin (I suspect it hasn't been considered just the time period)
> - anyone able to suggest a good country somewhere within that time period
> and point me towards a source or two?? (I've been mostly concentrating on
> Italian 15thC+ & Middle Eastern recipes till now)
Saluti!
There are the two Anglo-Norman Cookbooks - the first, B.L.Add.32085, was
written early in the reign of Edward 1 (1272 - 1307), though the second, MS
Royal 12.C.xii was written around 1320-40. Both are written in Anglo-Norman
(whadda surprise!) so if that's the period you are looking for, they're
pretty much it. There isn't anything else. They are available in translation
in: "Two Anglo-Norman Culinary Collections Edited from British Library
Manuscripts Additional 32085 & Royal 12.C. xii" HIEATT, Constance & JONES,
Robin F. Speculum Issue 61/4 1986
and I have a copy I can email or snailmail you if you like. I've done a
feast from these manuscripts and really enjoyed both the cooking and the
food. Heavy on the saffron though!
If, on the other hand you want to head east there is also the 1226 AD (or
623 AH) "Kitab al-tabikh" or "Baghdad Cookery Book", which is available in
translation in three sources:
- A Baghdad Cookery Book ARBERRY, A.J. translator, Islamic Culture 1939
- Medieval Arab Cookery: Papers RODINSON, M. & PERRY, Charles Prospect
Books, 2001, ISBN 0907325 912
- Cariadoc's Miscellany FRIEDMAN, David
That's all I can think of between 1100 and 1299, other people may have other
suggestions.
Al Servizio Vostro, e del Sogno
Lucrezia
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lady Lucrezia-Isabella di Freccia | mka Tina Nevin
Thamesreach Shire, The Isles, Drachenwald | London, UK
thorngrove at yahoo.com | http://www.geocities.com/~thorngrove
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 11:30:10 -0500
From: johnna holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 12/13th Century feast
Early 13th is covered by:
the LIBELLUS DE ARTE COQUINARIA
An Early Northern Cookery Book.
I reviewed it for the list in July. Here are
excerpts from my review.
The LIBELLUS is among the oldest of culinary recipe
Collections & dates from the early thirteenth century.
It survives in 4 versions: Danish, Icelandic, & Low German.
It is thought to date back to the 12th century.
ItŐs a small collection of only 35 recipes.
Society members have known it for many years as the
Collection published AN OLD ICELANDIC MEDICAL
MISCELLANY [Ms. Royal Irish Academy 23D 43.]in
1931 by Henning Larsen.
What this 158 page book does is to bring together the four
Versions, translate them, add textual notes, commentary
Indices, etc. Did I mention that itŐs the work of the late
Rudolf Grewe (who provided us with the LIBRE DE SENT
SOVI in 1979) and Constance B. Hieatt who is of course
The scholar behind PLEYN DELIT, CURYE ON INGLYSCH:
& AN ORDINANCE OF POTTAGE?
Johnnae llyn Lewis
<the end>