SC - Hroar Delurks!

[Alderton, Philippa]

Hroar asks:

>  If any one can point me to appropriate books, i would be very grateful!

My suggestion would be the original source that I'm working on our project
from, Hieatt and Butler's "Curye on Inglysche", which is a collection of
14th century manuscripts, including "Diuersa Cibaria," Diuersa servisa".
"Utilis Coquinario", The Forme of Cury", and Goud Kokery".

The introductory first paragraph states:

"The recipes collected in this volume come from more than twenty
manuscripts, few of which have ever been printed or collated before. The
recipes themselves, although not all the manuscripts, date from the 14th
century, the earliest period for which we have any such collections in
English. However, the culinary traditions represented by these recipes and
by the many historical feast menus of the 14th century and later, on which
many of these dishes appear, were not born in that century, nor did they die
with it. The menu of the English upper classes---- the only one thought
worth recording, of course-----seems to have been much the same from the
12th century well into the 16th. Some differences can be observed between
14th century dishes and later recipes retaining the same names, but since we
only have sparse eveidence pre-dating the 14th century, it is only very
tentatively that we can suggest what appear to be innovations of the time."

Consequently, the recipes available for "common" food would be very limited.

We can, however go into some educated speculation. Since the rich folks were
served by common folks as cooks, there must have been a fair amount of
overlap in eating styles, just as there was when the black slaves started
cooking for their masters. Granted, the commoners might not have eaten as
much meat, for example, but that would not preclude them from similar, if of
lesser quality, breads or pottages. I suspect, to use a modern image, that
while the affluent of our society may dine on pates and filet mignons, or
pheasant under glass, that does not prevent us from eating meatloaf and
country fried steak, or roast chicken. I can certainly see a housewife
getting a recipe from her sister-in-law in service at the Manor, serving a
special meal, made "Just like up at the manor".

One of the more interesting things I have heard is that the blandness of
English cooking came about due to the unavailability of the
Mediteranean/Oriental spices during the disruption of trade following the
Fall of Rome and the intervening mini wars, thus requiring the people to
rely more on their native herbs. If this is the case, there is no reason a
country wife could not go out into the woods and fields and pick for herself
many of the more commonly used flavorings- she did not require access to the
manor's kitchen garden. An entire field of speculation here ;-)

Let me insert a caveat here: While we may speculate on the possibilities of
what was done, unless we have specific detailed documentation, we can't know
what or how a medieval cook may have substituted. Hard as we may try, we
just ain't them.

Another source you might  consider is the literature of the times-
Canterbury Tales is one right off the top of my head. I seem to recall
mention of stopping at Inns along the way, and eating therein.

Curye and the Tales are written in Middle English, so there may be some
difficulty translating them, but I would strongly recommend doing that
yourself, just because you might very well pick up on something the
translator missed. Curye has an excellent glossary in the back, so that will
help, but use your own mind to translate the terms in context- ask me about
one of my favorite bugaboos at this time, "lardum", and you'll perhaps
understand a bit better ;-)

Hroar, Curye is usually sold at Pennsic, that's where I got my copy. I'll be
taking it with me, so you can look at it when you join us for dinner, and,
if you like, I'll do the legwork to find you a copy- I know it's a little
tough for you to get around shopping.


Phlip

Nolo disputare, volo somniare et contendere, et iterum somniare.

phlip at morganco.net

Philippa Farrour
Caer Frig
Southeastern Ohio

The World's Need

So many Gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
When just the art of being kind
Is all this sad world needs.

- - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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