[Sca-cooks] A "new" source of 16th century Spanish recipes

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

Apologies for cross-posting.  Warning: ALL of the links and materials
referenced in this email are in Spanish.

I was following a link and stumbled across mention of a 16th c.
Spanish culinary manuscript that I'd never heard of.  Apparently, the
only copy in the world is in the Austrian National Library, but in
2009, the government of the Spanish region of Navarre published a
limited-edition facsimile.  The book is  "Regalo de la vida humana" by
Juan Valles, who was Treasurer General of the Kingdom of Navarre.
It's one of those Renaissance compendiums of recipes, including
medicines, cosmetics, and perfumes, as well as culinary recipes.  Of
the 7 "books" that compose the manuscript, the last 4 contain culinary
recipes.  Here's a link to a long, detailed article (IN SPANISH) by
the scholar who edited and annotated the facsimile:
http://www.sciencia.cat/biblioteca/documents/Serrano_Regalo.pdf

I've only skimmed the article, but it makes me long for a copy of my
own.  The manuscript has many recipes for sausages, over 30 for
various fritters; there are sauces, meat pies, preserves, escabeches,
pottages, confections... it's a wonder I'm not drooling on my
keyboard!

Many of the recipes are apparently taken from other period sources,
such as de Nola, Granado, Scappi, and Miguel de Baeza, but there
appears to be enough "new" material that I'd really love to see it.  I
found a book dealer who's selling the facsimile for a mere 100 euros.
*sigh*
http://www.marcialpons.es/fichalibro.php?id=100851295

Anyway, it looks very interesting.  And before anyone asks, feel free
to share the information anywhere it might be relevant.

Brighid ni Chiarain