[Sca-cooks] Seeking Opinions. $50 Cookbook List

[johnna007h at netscape.net]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Seeking Opinions.  $50 Cookbook List
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 16:48:25 -0400
From: johnna007h at netscape.net

Seeking Opinions.  $50 Cookbook List

This was a question I have been routinely asked throughout the years. As a librarian and as someone who collects in this area, I have given this matter a great deal of thought  over the past quarter century or so.

Given current pricing and availability as 1 July 2001, the two cookbooks with which to start a medieval collection are:

Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks. 1976, Second Revised Edition 1996.
Constance Hieatt, et al. Paperback. $18.95.

The Medieval Kitchen:  Recipes from France and Italy.
1991, 1998(English edition)
Odile Redon, et al.  Paperback.  $18.00.

Both of these works offer carefully reconstructed recipes and provide excellent bibliographies for further study. Pleyn Delit offers 136 plus recipes and variations. The Medieval Kitchen offers 153.  These are enough to get one started and allow for some variation along the way.


The next works to get are along the lines of reference materials and required reading for understanding the background and place of food in medieval society.

The four titles that come to mind are:

The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages. 1995
Terence Scully.  Paperback.  $31.00

Food & Drink in Britain: From the Stone Age to the 19th Century.  1973. revised in 1991. new release in paper 2001.
C. Anne Wilson.  Paperback.  $19.95

Fast and Feast. 1976, paperback in 1986.
Bridget Ann Henisch. Paperback.  $18.95

Food and Feast in Medieval England.  1993.
P. W. Hammond. Paperback.  $28.95

These four are good for background. Wilson is very good on what was eaten when. All four offer bibliographies for further reading. Do consider borrowing these from a library prior to purchase. Consider secondhand copies if available.

After one has done some work with medieval recipes and adaptations and attended lots of feasts, revels, and culinary guild meetings, then one can branch out into the works suggested in the bibliographies, or even set out to study and translate the wide range of materials that are available. For this pursuit, the internet sources are invaluable.


The one volume not to buy is Fabulous Feasts by Cosman.  It’s problematic at best and the recipes are not dated nor identified as to source.  It’s widely available in libraries, so save the money and just borrow a copy for examination.

Lastly, I would urge that along the way that everyone pick up a good modern classic cookbook that contains all the basic stuff one needs to know in order to cook. One needs to have a reliable reference at hand that gives accurate information as to portions and servings, proper temperatures, timing, procedures and methods, food storage, equipment, etc.There are several dozen of these one volume works available. Choose a good hardbound one that will survive being used in a working kitchen. Choose one that’s appealing and will stand the test of time. It does not have to be the one that your mother cooked from when you were growing up. Choose one that you like and will use.

Hope this was of some service.

Johnna Holloway


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