SC - castles of cake and other such stuff.

[The Cheshire Cat]

There has been some discussion and questions here on what were 
the seaons for eating various food items.

I'm currently reading "Food and Drink in Britain" by C. Anne Wilson.
The following is from page 121:

   Hens be good at all times, but best from November to Lent.
   Fat capons be ever in season. Peakcocks be ever good, but when
   they be young and of a good stature, they be as good as
   pheasants, and so be young grouses. Cygnets be best between
   All Halloween day and Lent. A mallard is good after a frost,
   til Candlemas, so is a tteal and other wild fowl that swimmeth.
   A woodcock is best from october to Lent; and so be all other
   birds as ousels and throstles, robins and such other. Herons,
   curlews, crane, bittern, bustard, be at all times good; but best
   in winter. Pheasants, partridge and rail be ever good, but best
   when they be taken with a hawk. Quail and larks be ever in 
   season...chickens be ever good, and so be pigeons if they be
   young.

Goose was in season twice in its life, young goose in early summer,
and the fattened bird at Michaelmas. 15

15 reads: PNB pp 3-5, 9.

PNB: A Proper Newe Booke of Cookerye, ed. Frere

She has a fair amount of info on medieval use of whale meat in the
second chapter. I will see about entering some stuff about this
when I find the time.

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net
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