[Sca-cooks] (no subject)

[johnna007h at netscape.net]

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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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