[Sca-cooks] Bohemian recipes Münchner Kochbuchhandschriften

Johnna Holloway johnnae at mac.com
Fri May 30 13:51:37 PDT 2008


Here are the 4 Bohemian recipes that Giano was kind enough
to look up in the Münchner Kochbuchhandschriften.

His e mail is not allowing him to send the post so I am doing it for him

Johnnae

----
The recipes from Cgm 349

Giano Balestriere

Cgm 349b is a manuscript in the collection of the Bayerische Staastsbibliothek München. It contains a collection of astronomical-astrological and medical texts. It is written on paper and dated on internal evidence to the second half of the fifteenth century. On the last page, a short recipe collection is appended. These recipes were first published and translated into modern Germany by Trude Ehlert in  Ehlert, T. (ed & trsl): Münchner Kochbuchhandschriften aus dem 15. Jahrhundert, Tupperware Deutschland, Frankfurt 1999 on pp. 99-110. 

The following transcription follows the Ehlert edition, though three diacritic signs (umlaut dots over the y and tildes above the u and w), being unavailable in many standard fonts, were omitted for the sake of portability. Pagination has likewise been omitted. For these, refer to the original publication. 

The translation into English is mine and is based on the original text to the best of my abilities, using Ehlert's modern German translation as a guide only. I do not make any pretense to a deep understanding of Middle High German and encourage the reader to question my rendering. 


Vermerk ein guede kunst von ungrischen oder pehaymschen essen zwkochen, dy guet sein.

Note/Learn a good art of cooking Hungarian or Bohemian dishes that are good


Jtem ein karpfen im fürhess vnd ein fasten prüe.

Jtem, so der karpfenn lebendig ist, fach das fürhes vnd nym ein leczelten; auch nym ein semell vnd päa dy auf einem Rost oder gluedt, das sy praun werdt. Vnd secz das danach einander auf das fewr In einem kessel oder pfanen, In einem gueden wein vnd las wol syeden. Vnd slach es dan durch ein syb vnd nym dar nach ein gescharb dar zwu von pyern oder öpfll. Vnd secz den fysch mit Jn alen auf das fewr, vnd wan er aufbalen wil, so gebürcz in mit nägell, pfeffer, zymerrinden, safrian. Vnd ob es zw sawr wurdt, so lincz mit einem honygk. Vnd wan dw in an wildt richten, so kost in an dem salcz in der supen. Ynd salcz es an die stat, wie es dan gehordt, das sy recht sey. 

Item, a carp in blood sauce[1] and a fast day sauce

Item, if the carp is alive, catch the blood and take a spice cake[2]. Also take a bread roll and toast it on the griddle or over the embers, so that it turns brown. Afterwards put it on the fire together (?) /one after another (?) in a kettle or a pan, in a good wine, and boil it well. Then pass it through a sieve and take with it a cooked dish [3] of pears or apples. And put the fish on the fire with all of this, and when it is about to boil up, spice it with cloves, pepper, cinnamon and saffron. And if it turns too sour, sweeten it with honey. When you wish to serve it, taste for the salt in the sauce and salt it to the point, so that it is correct. 


Jtem ein Jnber prüe vnder praden kopaun

Jtem, Nym ein gueten wein vnd von einer semell dy prosen, vnd secz das auf ein fewr, vnd la das syeden. Vnd wan es wol aufgesoden hat, so treyb es durch ein sib auf das dykist vnd la es dan dy helft einsyeden. Vnd dan gebürcz ab mit Jnber vnd ein wenyng peffer, auch ein wenyg safrian vnd ein honik, das es gar woll lindt werd, auch das es wol r?k werdt. Vnd geus sy dan auf ein schüssel und leg dy praden kopawner dar auf.

Item a ginger sauce (to serve) under roast capons

Item, take a good wine and the crumbs of a bread roll, put it in the fire and let it boil. When it has boiled, pass it through a sieve as thickly as possible (the coarsest sieve you have?) and then let it reduce by half. Then spice it with ginger and a little pepper, also a little saffron and honey, so that it becomes very sweet and also becomes very r?k (?). Then pour it onto a serving dish and place the roast capons on it.  


Ein nägell prüe zw machen an den pachern hecht oder karpen, auch zw ander lay

Jtem, Nym walsche weinperel, leczelten vnd von einer semel ein abpacz schnydl oder trew vnd tu es in ein möser, vnd stoss dass wol klain werdt. Vnd secz auf das fewr ineinem wein, das es wol aufsiedt. Vnd slach es dan durch ein sib aufs lyndist, vnd secz wider auf das fewr. Vnd geburcz es mit nagel, zymerrinden vnd peffer vnd ein wenig safrian, auch ein wenig gancze weinperll in dy supen, auch ein honik vnd ein wenig ein essich. Vnd wan dus an wilt richten, so kost dy supen wol, das an alen dingen gerecht sey. Und leg die pachen fisch dar ein vnd richt sy an.

Making a clove sauce for baked pike or carp, or other kinds (of fish)

Item, take Italian raisins [4], spice cake and a toasted slice or three of a bread roll, put it in a mortar and pound it so that it becomes small (ground up finely). Then place it on the fire in a wine so that it boils well. Then pass it through a sieve as finely as possible (the finest sieve you have?) and put it back on the fire. Spice it with cloves, cinnamon and pepper and a little saffron, and also add a few whole raisins to the sauce as well as honey and a little vinegar. When you want to serve it, taste the sauce well to ensure that it is right in all things. Then put the baked fish in it and serve them forth.


Ein peffer zw wildtpradt

Jtem, Nym ein fürhess von einem lamplein oder hüenern, vnd semlein prossen vnd secz auf das fewr, das es auf siedt. Vnd slach es dan durch ein sib mit wein esich vnd wasser. Vnd secz wider auf und la es wol syeden. Dan gebürcz mit nagll, pfeffer vnd safrian. Vnd mit honik magst dw es lind machen vnd salctz dan, wie es dar zwe gehordt.

A pepper sauce for venison

Item, take the blood of a lamb or chickens and crumbs of a bread roll and put it on the fire so that it boils. Then pass it through a sieve with wine, vinegar and water. Place it back on the fire and let it boil well. Then spice it with cloves, pepper and saffron. You may make it sweet with honey, and then salt it as is proper. 


[1] fürhess probably originally referred to the front part (für) of a hare (hess) traditionally served in blood-based spicy sauces early in the meal. In some instances, it can refer to dishes that are completely unrelated to the cooking technique, presumably because they, too, were meant to be served early in the meal. Here, the connection appears to be the technique of using blood to make the sauce. 

[2] leczelten refers to a spicy cookie used frequently as an ingredient in saufces. Today, the word Lebzelten usually designates sweet gingerbread, but a tradition of making sauces with very spicy Sossenlebkuchen persists in Southern Germany. The exact composition of 15th-century leczelten is unknown, but it likely was heavily spiced, unsweetened and unleavened. 

[3] gescharb refers to a smallish ceramic cooking vessel, but also often to the kind of dishes cooked in it.

[4] weinperel, Weinbeere, can refer to both fresh and dried grapes, but more commonly refers to dried ones. Italian ones would only make sense as raisins north of the Alps. 





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