[Sca-cooks] Cut-Off Date for Cookery Books?

Elise Fleming alysk at ix.netcom.com
Wed Jan 29 05:03:31 PST 2014


Greetings! I'm having a discussion with someone about using cookery 
books which were printed after 1600 and whether they can be considered 
"period" or not. We're specifically focused on recipes for confections 
and banqueting items (aka "desserts").

If we are being anal and fussy, then 1600 is a hard date and several of 
the books that contain the most recipes for sweets don't fit: John 
Murrell, "A delightful daily exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen" 
(1621); Gervase Markham, "The English Housewife" (1615); Kenelm Digby, 
"The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby" (1669); Robert May, "The Accomplisht 
Cook" (1660/1685).

Would you accept cookery books as "period" up to 1625?

What about those after 1650?

Would you accept a post-1650 recipe if it was for a dish that was 
mentioned pre-1600 but the recipe was 1660 and there was no other recipe 
available?

Alys K.
-- 
Elise Fleming
alysk at ix.netcom.com
alyskatharine at gmail.com
http://damealys.medievalcookery.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8311418@N08/sets/



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