Have you ever been poking around the internet, surfing through this page and that looking for one thing but finding something else really great along the way? Such is the case with this page: http://www.medievalcookery.com/, Medieval Cookery.
I wasn’t looking for recipes; well in a way I guess I am always looking for recipes. I love to cook and I love to eat so I'm always pleased to find a really interesting recipe for something new or even a new twist on an old favorite. Anyway it was not my conscious intent to look for recipes of any kind little less medieval recipes but never-the-less I happened upon this great site.
If you’ve ever looked at actual medieval recipes you will have noticed that they are not so easy to read, even the ones that are in English. Well it might be the English of the 14th and 15th centuries but it is certainly not the English that we speak today. Then of course there are the recipes from other European countries like France, Italy, Germany and such. Even if you happen to speak these languages I dare say the language of the time will likewise be different than its modern equivalent.
Well the owner of this wonderful website, Daniel Myers, as well as few other like-minded medieval cooking enthusiasts have done all of the tedious work of translating the arcane language into understandable lingo and modern measurements. I was not at all surprised to learn that he is a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc). I have happened on recipes from other members in the past but I can’t say that I have ever found such a well put together source for medieval recipes on the web.
The recipes are broken down by country of origin, difficulty, ease of transport, whether or not they freeze well and there are even vegetarian recipes. Understandably most of the recipes required some interpretation to make them feasible for most of us; its not as if we can go out to local market and pick up a swan. The author also sites source material and frequently posts the original text. When you read the original text you find yourself quite thankful that the authors did all the hard work for us.
Some of the recipes listed will actually take you another site, http://www.greneboke.com/index.shtml, The Commonplace Boke of Lady Avelyn Grene. This is another great source and well worth exploring but it is a work in progress and not quite as polished as Daniel’s site.
Many of the recipes are really quite easy and the ingredients are for the most part fairly easy to come by so just about anyone who likes to cook will be able to find a least a recipe or two that not only peaks their interest but it also quite accessible. Being rather obsessed with herbs, I was intrigued by the liberal use of spices and herbs in many of the dishes including some that we do not think of today as culinary herbs such as hyssop. Of course, you will probably not find hyssop at your local supermarket but it can be had at many health stores, herb shops or even online.
The site is very easy to use; the recipes are intriguing as well as being quite accessible for most cooks. So if you like to cook and are yearning for something a little different, check it out.
Happy Cooking!
Raven
https://www.ravensflight.net
