Autumn Collegium
2 weeks ago
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Things that fill me with joy
Last night Anne requested the following for dinner:
-That stewed lamb again, this time with couscous
-A mostly medieval salad of spring greens, mache, and herbs, with walnut oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper
I'm tickled pink that I've not only found medieval food that my honey will eat at events, but medieval food that my honey will eat and even request specially at home! It's pretty much awesome.
-That stewed lamb again, this time with couscous
-A mostly medieval salad of spring greens, mache, and herbs, with walnut oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper
I'm tickled pink that I've not only found medieval food that my honey will eat at events, but medieval food that my honey will eat and even request specially at home! It's pretty much awesome.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Open fire cooking is completely fun
My class went well! Here's what I cooked:
The lamb. Used about 2 lbs of lamb cubes (from blade chops with the bones and as much fat as I could get off removed), a splash of Pacific (packaged) beef broth, saffron, salt, pepper, maybe about a cup of dried cherries. Fried the lamb a little, then added everything else and cooked, covered, until the lamb was tender. Used a cast iron dutch oven. Very delicious, Anne liked it so much we're having it for dinner tonight.
Frumente. Used cracked wheat cereal from Bob's Red Mill (so happy I found this!), cooked it in water (apparently WAY too much, I had to drain off the excess) in the pipkin, testing it for doneness. Then added splash of milk and two egg yolks while off the fire, stirring furiously (thanks to Anne for help with this part), returned to fire but not directly on coals, kept stirring until it had thickened. Added salt. Still not perfect, but tasted good.
Wortes. Used collard greens and spinach, ripped them up with my hands. Added water (too much!), butter, herbs (sorrel, mint, sage). Cooked until tender. Added salt. Cooked in cute cast iron cauldron. Needed much less water, but flavor was good.
Onion salad. Big hit! Cooked yellow onions in the middle of the brazier -- coals were all around under pipkins but there were none right where the onions were. Turned as needed, checked for doneness by squeezing with tongs. Removed from fire, cut in half lengthwise, peeled off outer layers. Sliced as much as possible (more like "chunked") and sprinkled with red wine vinegar, light olive oil, salt, pepper, and a spice blend ("Salsa Fina" from Rafaella). Delicious.
Barley water. My standard version, barley, currants, fennel seed, honey. Turned out okay but not great. I used a new pipkin that a local potter who is trying to figure out how to make them sold to me at a serious discount. Unfortunately, the design turned out to not quite work -- the legs were too tall, so the water never really heated enough. Oh well. People still drank it.
Strawberry glop. Cooked in the pipkin after the frumente was done. Used strawberry goop (see earlier post), unsweetened Almond Breeze brand almond milk (yay compromises), honey, and pepper, ginger, galangal, and saffron. Failed to bring either rice flour or wheat starch (I totally have some, although I'm sure it's so old it's no longer good to eat), so I ended up just using the sliced bread I had brought as a thickener. This actually worked out really well! I call it the most surprising success of the class. Cooked really quickly, super easy, very good. The sourdough bread wasn't weird at all, actually quite tasty. All I did was remove most of the crust and crumble it with my hands while stirring it into the glop until I felt like I had added enough, then let it cook a bit more.
I do have a few regrets, actually. I felt like I didn't do as good of a job of teaching as I should have (I felt awkward and I was losing my voice), and I didn't provide any modern versions of the recipes. I had planned for people to bring the recommended note-taking materials and record whatever they needed to help them remember how to make it later, and I'm not sure if anyone actually did. So now I'm worried that people's general cooking and historical recipe reading skills weren't quite up to the level I was teaching at, which I think is a definite failing on my part. I tried really hard to explain everything clearly, but I'm not sure if I did.
Still, I had a good time. Such a good time that I think I'm going to repeat this same class at July Coronation! I was totally able to cook this many dishes with the set-up I have. The only thing I really needed were serving bowls/plates/spoons, and that is easily remedied.
Also, and unrelated to anything, I had what I think is a pretty brilliant insight into how to pack the vehicle while we were loading up the car for the return trip. I'm excited to see if it actually works... or if I have to bite the bullet and get rid of some stuff! ;)
The lamb. Used about 2 lbs of lamb cubes (from blade chops with the bones and as much fat as I could get off removed), a splash of Pacific (packaged) beef broth, saffron, salt, pepper, maybe about a cup of dried cherries. Fried the lamb a little, then added everything else and cooked, covered, until the lamb was tender. Used a cast iron dutch oven. Very delicious, Anne liked it so much we're having it for dinner tonight.
Frumente. Used cracked wheat cereal from Bob's Red Mill (so happy I found this!), cooked it in water (apparently WAY too much, I had to drain off the excess) in the pipkin, testing it for doneness. Then added splash of milk and two egg yolks while off the fire, stirring furiously (thanks to Anne for help with this part), returned to fire but not directly on coals, kept stirring until it had thickened. Added salt. Still not perfect, but tasted good.
Wortes. Used collard greens and spinach, ripped them up with my hands. Added water (too much!), butter, herbs (sorrel, mint, sage). Cooked until tender. Added salt. Cooked in cute cast iron cauldron. Needed much less water, but flavor was good.
Onion salad. Big hit! Cooked yellow onions in the middle of the brazier -- coals were all around under pipkins but there were none right where the onions were. Turned as needed, checked for doneness by squeezing with tongs. Removed from fire, cut in half lengthwise, peeled off outer layers. Sliced as much as possible (more like "chunked") and sprinkled with red wine vinegar, light olive oil, salt, pepper, and a spice blend ("Salsa Fina" from Rafaella). Delicious.
Barley water. My standard version, barley, currants, fennel seed, honey. Turned out okay but not great. I used a new pipkin that a local potter who is trying to figure out how to make them sold to me at a serious discount. Unfortunately, the design turned out to not quite work -- the legs were too tall, so the water never really heated enough. Oh well. People still drank it.
Strawberry glop. Cooked in the pipkin after the frumente was done. Used strawberry goop (see earlier post), unsweetened Almond Breeze brand almond milk (yay compromises), honey, and pepper, ginger, galangal, and saffron. Failed to bring either rice flour or wheat starch (I totally have some, although I'm sure it's so old it's no longer good to eat), so I ended up just using the sliced bread I had brought as a thickener. This actually worked out really well! I call it the most surprising success of the class. Cooked really quickly, super easy, very good. The sourdough bread wasn't weird at all, actually quite tasty. All I did was remove most of the crust and crumble it with my hands while stirring it into the glop until I felt like I had added enough, then let it cook a bit more.
I do have a few regrets, actually. I felt like I didn't do as good of a job of teaching as I should have (I felt awkward and I was losing my voice), and I didn't provide any modern versions of the recipes. I had planned for people to bring the recommended note-taking materials and record whatever they needed to help them remember how to make it later, and I'm not sure if anyone actually did. So now I'm worried that people's general cooking and historical recipe reading skills weren't quite up to the level I was teaching at, which I think is a definite failing on my part. I tried really hard to explain everything clearly, but I'm not sure if I did.
Still, I had a good time. Such a good time that I think I'm going to repeat this same class at July Coronation! I was totally able to cook this many dishes with the set-up I have. The only thing I really needed were serving bowls/plates/spoons, and that is easily remedied.
Also, and unrelated to anything, I had what I think is a pretty brilliant insight into how to pack the vehicle while we were loading up the car for the return trip. I'm excited to see if it actually works... or if I have to bite the bullet and get rid of some stuff! ;)
Friday, June 19, 2009
Sewing projects
I have such nice functional clothes now that my motivation to sew has basically fallen to zero. This is a bad thing, as here is the list of clothes that I have the fabric for and am planning to make:
And it's not really a sewing project, but I really, really need some good shoes. I think I might finally be ready to take the plunge and make period ones, but I will definitely need to recruit help for this one.
Anne has been working diligently on the seams for her yellow linen gown, and it looks really beautiful! I'm so pleased that I was able to convince her to do the hand finishing, it's turning out great and I'm proud that she made the effort even though I know she really just wanted to give up and have me do it. It's going to look fabulous when it's done. Between that and the apron dress Katrine gave her, her wardrobe is really coming along well! I think she might need some more hats, but I think everyone needs more hats... Maybe I can recruit Svava to help me with Viking hats.
It's nice that we both finally have good clothes. This pleases me. Even if it does mean the sewing pile has failed to get any smaller in the past year!
- A hood. I have some heavily felted green wool for this and some linen remnants to line it; but I really have no idea how to make a hood, so I think I need to recruit help from someone who knows what they are doing!
- An open hood. Slightly later than my time period you see women in pictures wearing open hoods over their wimples; I want one. I have bright red wool for this.
- Hosen. I have some lovely mustard colored wool for them, but again, I don't know how to make these so I need to find help before I embark on this journey. I also have white wool and leftovers from my brown gown that could be used for these. Oh, and I bought cute little buckles in case I get motivated to make garters.)
- Blue wool gown, likely with hanging sleeves. I think I'm going to order some blue linen thread for the hand finishing on this.
- Blue linen gown. I have had the fabric for this for... you know what, I'm not ready to admit how long I've been sitting on this project! But buying aforementioned blue linen thread would make this one more likely, too.
- New veil / wimple. I actually don't have the fabric for this, but I am in such desperate need of these that I'm putting them on the list anyway.
- Three smocks: a medium weight one for me, a medium weight one for Anne, and a light weight one for me. I even have one of these most of the way cut out and I still can't find the energy to get this done...
- New apron dresses for Anne, on orange and one brown. I've already cut out the brown one, but again, where did my motivation go?
And it's not really a sewing project, but I really, really need some good shoes. I think I might finally be ready to take the plunge and make period ones, but I will definitely need to recruit help for this one.
Anne has been working diligently on the seams for her yellow linen gown, and it looks really beautiful! I'm so pleased that I was able to convince her to do the hand finishing, it's turning out great and I'm proud that she made the effort even though I know she really just wanted to give up and have me do it. It's going to look fabulous when it's done. Between that and the apron dress Katrine gave her, her wardrobe is really coming along well! I think she might need some more hats, but I think everyone needs more hats... Maybe I can recruit Svava to help me with Viking hats.
It's nice that we both finally have good clothes. This pleases me. Even if it does mean the sewing pile has failed to get any smaller in the past year!
Compromising on Strawberries
I bought the most beautiful local Hoods for my class on Saturday, got them home, and realized there is no WAY such fragile beauties will survive that long, much less being batted about in my kitchen box. So I did something unusual: I took all of the ripest ones, so soft that they started falling apart at my touch, mushed them up into a couple of small storage containers, and froze the resulting paste. I'll take it out of the freezer when I pack the cooler tonight, and have strawberry puree (which is what you're supposed to start that recipe with anyway) by tomorrow.
Sure, it's not really authentic, but a medieval cook would have picked the strawberries right before cooking them, and I don't really have that option. I'm actually pretty pleased with my ingenuity.
Sure, it's not really authentic, but a medieval cook would have picked the strawberries right before cooking them, and I don't really have that option. I'm actually pretty pleased with my ingenuity.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Eating Seasonally
I eat local / seasonal food in my modern life, so it hasn't been much of a leap for me to consider the cycle of the agricultural year when considering historical food. Here's my starter guide to what would have been eaten when:
Year round:
Bread
Ale
Grain / other grain products
Salted cod (yummm)
Spices, inc. sugar
Honey
Preserved meats (eg bacon, salt pork)
Dried beans
Dried fruit
Other preserved food (pickled food, etc.)
Dried herbs
Hard cheese
Oil or grease
Salted butter (if stored properly)
Wine (maybe, other things I've read suggest wine didn't keep well)
Long-storing plant foods: (eaten fall, winter, spring)
Onions
Garlic
Cabbage (it's my understanding that cabbage can either be grown or stored such that it's available year round; I may be wrong and welcome correction, I'm not a farmer)
Root vegetables
Apples
Pears
Nuts if stored correctly
A note on meat:
I believe that fresh meat was available most of the time in a well-off household, and preserved meat (salted, smoked, etc.) would have filled in the gaps. However, I have noted below when animals would have most likely been slaughtered.
A note on fish:
The big hole in my knowledge right now is fish. I'm pretty sure from what I've read that fish was available basically year-round, even inland in the North, but as with everything I would welcome more information.
Keeping those in mind, here are the foods I think would be available fresh during specific seasons.
Spring:
Eggs
Dairy
Tasty baby animals (lamb, veal, pullets, etc.)
Greens
Herbs
Summer:
Most vegetables
Herbs, greens
Fresh beans
Plums
Strawberries
Cherries
Bilberry aka whortleberry
Sloes
Rose hips
Brambles (blackberries, raspberries)
Elderberries (blue)
Tasty baby animals (early summer)
Eggs
Dairy
Game?
Fall:
Apples
Pears
"Cranberries"
Sorbs
Haws
Domestic beasts (cows, pigs, sheep)
Game
Nuts
Geese (and possibly ducks)
Winter:
Not a heck of a lot, see above for foods that keep well and year-round foods. In a mild winter a kitchen garden could have kept producing some fresh food, too.
Year round:
Bread
Ale
Grain / other grain products
Salted cod (yummm)
Spices, inc. sugar
Honey
Preserved meats (eg bacon, salt pork)
Dried beans
Dried fruit
Other preserved food (pickled food, etc.)
Dried herbs
Hard cheese
Oil or grease
Salted butter (if stored properly)
Wine (maybe, other things I've read suggest wine didn't keep well)
Long-storing plant foods: (eaten fall, winter, spring)
Onions
Garlic
Cabbage (it's my understanding that cabbage can either be grown or stored such that it's available year round; I may be wrong and welcome correction, I'm not a farmer)
Root vegetables
Apples
Pears
Nuts if stored correctly
A note on meat:
I believe that fresh meat was available most of the time in a well-off household, and preserved meat (salted, smoked, etc.) would have filled in the gaps. However, I have noted below when animals would have most likely been slaughtered.
A note on fish:
The big hole in my knowledge right now is fish. I'm pretty sure from what I've read that fish was available basically year-round, even inland in the North, but as with everything I would welcome more information.
Keeping those in mind, here are the foods I think would be available fresh during specific seasons.
Spring:
Eggs
Dairy
Tasty baby animals (lamb, veal, pullets, etc.)
Greens
Herbs
Summer:
Most vegetables
Herbs, greens
Fresh beans
Plums
Strawberries
Cherries
Bilberry aka whortleberry
Sloes
Rose hips
Brambles (blackberries, raspberries)
Elderberries (blue)
Tasty baby animals (early summer)
Eggs
Dairy
Game?
Fall:
Apples
Pears
"Cranberries"
Sorbs
Haws
Domestic beasts (cows, pigs, sheep)
Game
Nuts
Geese (and possibly ducks)
Winter:
Not a heck of a lot, see above for foods that keep well and year-round foods. In a mild winter a kitchen garden could have kept producing some fresh food, too.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
What things cost
Here's a great persona development resource, prices in medieval England. I posted this link in a comment below, but I decided it's cool enough to warrant its own post, too. Reading this has made me much more comfortable with pence, shillings, and pounds, and has given me a good idea about the value of different goods.
Complete Persona Food List, First Pass
What would a woman living in England during the latter half of the 13th century have eaten?
The answer obviously will vary based on a number of factors (where in England? What kind of woman?) -- Eulalia is a country woman, the lady of a manor; she is not a sophisticated city dweller, she is not noble and certainly not royal, but neither is she a peasant or a serf (of course, Eulalia may change her name and become a peasant, but if I do a persona change I'll make a new list!) The diet of the country gentry was based around agricultural products and also included a few luxury items. Additionally, Ravenfield is in the North of England, which heavily influenced the food available. (Of course, in period nobody who lived in Ravenfeld would have been called "de Ravenfeld" so either my name is an SCA construction based on period practice, that is I live in An Tir now so I would go by "de Ravenfeld" or "de Ravenfeld" reflects what my name could have been in court records, that is, Eulalia, the principal landholder of Ravenfeld, OR Eulalia lived somewhere else -- which given the restrictions being the North would put on the food available I may go with this option as I continue to explore my persona.)
I've culled this list from the various threads of research that I've done, and there's quite a bit of my own interpretation and assumptions thrown in. It may be inaccurate, and you will note that I haven't included citations for any of this so as a research document it's not particularly useful. I'm also quite sure there are many things I've left out. I welcome input and suggestions of sources.
Without further ado, here we go: Foods Eulalia Probably Ate
Grains:
Wheat (expensive)
Rye (staple)
Maslin bread (mix of wheat and rye, staple of the North)
Barley (staple for peasants, and used in brewing)
Oats (less desirable to those who could afford better)
Pulse:
Peas
Fava beans
Possibly chick peas
Vegetables:
Leeks
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Turnips (ugh)
Parsnips (I think)
Carrots (different from the modern varieties)
Herbs:
(Neat resource online http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/medny/herbgdn1.html)
Caraway
Mustard
Fennel
Sorrel
Parsley
Sage
Savory
Meadowsweet
Lemon balm
Mints
Roses
(doubtless many more)
Greens:
Borage
Cabbage
Mustard greens
Beet greens
Spinach (probably)
(See also herbs and wild food)
Wild food (non meat):
Nettles
Dandelion
Mushrooms
Violets (leaves and flowers eaten)
Heather
Acorns (if desperate)
Fruits:
Apples
Pears
Plums
Strawberries
Cherries
Bilberry aka whortleberry
Sloes
Rowan berries (sorbs)
Haws (fruits of the hawthorn tree)
Rose hips
Brambles (blackberries, raspberries)
Elderberries (blue)
"Cranberries" or something very much like them
Nuts:
Almonds (imported, expensive)
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Beech (maybe -- might only have been in S. England)
Pine nuts (possibly, would have to have been imported)
Hazelnuts
Chestnuts
Beasts:
Cows
Pigs
Sheep
Fowl:
Doves
Chickens
Ducks
Geese
Fish:
Eels
Salted cod
Salmon
And many, many others
Game:
Rabbit
Pheasant
Partridge
Venison
Boar
more I'm sure
Animal products:
Dairy (cheese, butter, buttermilk, whey, etc.)
Eggs
Honey
Other:
Ale
Wine
Dried imported fruit (currants, dates, etc.)
Spices (limited quantities)
Sugar (limited)
The answer obviously will vary based on a number of factors (where in England? What kind of woman?) -- Eulalia is a country woman, the lady of a manor; she is not a sophisticated city dweller, she is not noble and certainly not royal, but neither is she a peasant or a serf (of course, Eulalia may change her name and become a peasant, but if I do a persona change I'll make a new list!) The diet of the country gentry was based around agricultural products and also included a few luxury items. Additionally, Ravenfield is in the North of England, which heavily influenced the food available. (Of course, in period nobody who lived in Ravenfeld would have been called "de Ravenfeld" so either my name is an SCA construction based on period practice, that is I live in An Tir now so I would go by "de Ravenfeld" or "de Ravenfeld" reflects what my name could have been in court records, that is, Eulalia, the principal landholder of Ravenfeld, OR Eulalia lived somewhere else -- which given the restrictions being the North would put on the food available I may go with this option as I continue to explore my persona.)
I've culled this list from the various threads of research that I've done, and there's quite a bit of my own interpretation and assumptions thrown in. It may be inaccurate, and you will note that I haven't included citations for any of this so as a research document it's not particularly useful. I'm also quite sure there are many things I've left out. I welcome input and suggestions of sources.
Without further ado, here we go: Foods Eulalia Probably Ate
Grains:
Wheat (expensive)
Rye (staple)
Maslin bread (mix of wheat and rye, staple of the North)
Barley (staple for peasants, and used in brewing)
Oats (less desirable to those who could afford better)
Pulse:
Peas
Fava beans
Possibly chick peas
Vegetables:
Leeks
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Turnips (ugh)
Parsnips (I think)
Carrots (different from the modern varieties)
Herbs:
(Neat resource online http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/medny/herbgdn1.html)
Caraway
Mustard
Fennel
Sorrel
Parsley
Sage
Savory
Meadowsweet
Lemon balm
Mints
Roses
(doubtless many more)
Greens:
Borage
Cabbage
Mustard greens
Beet greens
Spinach (probably)
(See also herbs and wild food)
Wild food (non meat):
Nettles
Dandelion
Mushrooms
Violets (leaves and flowers eaten)
Heather
Acorns (if desperate)
Fruits:
Apples
Pears
Plums
Strawberries
Cherries
Bilberry aka whortleberry
Sloes
Rowan berries (sorbs)
Haws (fruits of the hawthorn tree)
Rose hips
Brambles (blackberries, raspberries)
Elderberries (blue)
"Cranberries" or something very much like them
Nuts:
Almonds (imported, expensive)
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Beech (maybe -- might only have been in S. England)
Pine nuts (possibly, would have to have been imported)
Hazelnuts
Chestnuts
Beasts:
Cows
Pigs
Sheep
Fowl:
Doves
Chickens
Ducks
Geese
Fish:
Eels
Salted cod
Salmon
And many, many others
Game:
Rabbit
Pheasant
Partridge
Venison
Boar
more I'm sure
Animal products:
Dairy (cheese, butter, buttermilk, whey, etc.)
Eggs
Honey
Other:
Ale
Wine
Dried imported fruit (currants, dates, etc.)
Spices (limited quantities)
Sugar (limited)
Monday, June 15, 2009
More on Fruits
Thanks to JakeVortex for the fabulous suggestion of adding the following categories to my persona food lists: unlikely, probably not, definitely not. Here we go, what I have so far on fruits.
Unlikely (but I suppose technically possible):
Fresh figs (I've found conflicting things in online unreliable sources, it's possible that the Romans introduced them to southern England or they may not have been brought until the 16th c or later)
Mulberries (I think these were introduced in the 16th century)
Strawberry Tree (Arbutus) (These are a Mediterranean fruit, but I read on Wikipedia -- I know, I know! -- that they are also native to western Ireland. So, long shot, but maybe.)
Probably not (available in Europe or the Near East but not in England):
Citrus (oranges, limes, lemons)
Peaches
Apricots
Musk melons (cantaloupe-type melons)
Pomegranates (I've seen at least one English recipe calling for pomegranate seeds, but I'm fairly certain they were meant to be dried.)
Nectarines (First reference to them in English is reputed to be 1616.)
Definitely not:
All the new world, Asian, African, tropical, Australo-pacific, and modern fruits, including bananas, kiwis, grapefruit, persimmon, pineapple, watermelon, pluot, huckleberry, and so forth.
You know, I've never really felt like the foods available to medieval Europeans were horribly limited. I don't like chocolate and I'm not much for tomatoes, so I never really felt like sticking to an old world only diet was some kind of hardship. But making these lists, and really looking at what fruits Eulalia would and wouldn't have known I felt... well, I felt really, really sad. I love figs, and melons, and peaches, and apricots, and I genuinely can't imagine living without them. So even if they were available to Europeans, the idea that they aren't really a part of a persona appropriate diet is incredibly sobering to me.
I also realized I forgot a definitely yes: elderberries! I'm going to go back and add this to the original list.
I really want to continue this project with better research.
Unlikely (but I suppose technically possible):
Fresh figs (I've found conflicting things in online unreliable sources, it's possible that the Romans introduced them to southern England or they may not have been brought until the 16th c or later)
Mulberries (I think these were introduced in the 16th century)
Strawberry Tree (Arbutus) (These are a Mediterranean fruit, but I read on Wikipedia -- I know, I know! -- that they are also native to western Ireland. So, long shot, but maybe.)
Probably not (available in Europe or the Near East but not in England):
Citrus (oranges, limes, lemons)
Peaches
Apricots
Musk melons (cantaloupe-type melons)
Pomegranates (I've seen at least one English recipe calling for pomegranate seeds, but I'm fairly certain they were meant to be dried.)
Nectarines (First reference to them in English is reputed to be 1616.)
Definitely not:
All the new world, Asian, African, tropical, Australo-pacific, and modern fruits, including bananas, kiwis, grapefruit, persimmon, pineapple, watermelon, pluot, huckleberry, and so forth.
You know, I've never really felt like the foods available to medieval Europeans were horribly limited. I don't like chocolate and I'm not much for tomatoes, so I never really felt like sticking to an old world only diet was some kind of hardship. But making these lists, and really looking at what fruits Eulalia would and wouldn't have known I felt... well, I felt really, really sad. I love figs, and melons, and peaches, and apricots, and I genuinely can't imagine living without them. So even if they were available to Europeans, the idea that they aren't really a part of a persona appropriate diet is incredibly sobering to me.
I also realized I forgot a definitely yes: elderberries! I'm going to go back and add this to the original list.
I really want to continue this project with better research.
Recipes for Saturday's class
These are the original (period) recipes for the dishes I'm doing for my open fire cooking class on Saturday.
Stewed Lamb
16th c. English
From A Proper New Booke of Cookery by A. Veale: To make Pyes. Pyes of mutton or beif must be fyne mynced and ceasoned wyth pepper and salte, and a lyttle saffron to coloure it, suet or marrow a good quantite, a lyttle vyneger, prumes, greate raysins, and dates, take the fattest of the broathe of powdred beyfe, and yf you wyll haue paest royall, take butter and yolkes of egges, and to tempre the flowre to make the paeste. Source: http://recipes.medievalcookery.com/pyes.html
I'm modifying this heavily -- using lamb for the meat, and preparing it as a stewed dish rather than a pie filling.
Frumente
14th c. English
From Curye on Inglysch by Hiett and Butler: To make frumente. Tak clene whete & braye yt wel in a morter tyl +e holes gon of; se+e it til it breste in water. Nym it vp & lat it cole. Tak good bro+ & swete mylk of kyn or of almand & tempere it +erwith. Nym yelkys of eyren rawe & saffroun & cast +erto; salt it; lat it nought boyle after +e eyren been cast + erinne. Messe it forth with venesoun or with fat motoun fresch. Source: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/miscellaneous.html
The + here is used as a substitute for the “thorn” character, pronounced “th,” which my computer won’t reproduce.
Wortes
15th c. English
From Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books by Thomas Austin: Buttered Wortes. Take al manor of good herbes that thou may gete, and do bi ham as is forsaid; putte hem on the fire with faire water; put ther-to clarefied buttur a grete quantite. Whan thei ben boyled ynough, salt hem; late none otemele come ther-in. Dise brede small in disshes, and powre on the wortes, and serue hem forth. Source: http://www.godecookery.com/chaucer/chfeast8.htm
Onion Salad
14th c. Italian
From The Medieval Kitchen by Redon et al: Of onion salad. Take onions; cook them in the embers, then peel them and cut them into longish, thin slices; add a little vinegar, salt, oil, and spices, and serve.
Strawberry Pudding
15th c. English
From Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books by Thomas Austin: Strawberye. Take Strawberys & waysshe hem in tyme of yere in gode red wyne; than strayne thorwe a clothe, & do hem in a potte with gode Almaunde mylke, a-lay it with Amyndoun other with the flowre of Rys, & make it chargeaunt, and lat it boyle, and do ther in Roysonys of coraunce, Safroun, Pepir, Sugre grete plente, pouder Gyngere, Canel, Galyngale; poynte it with Vynegre, & a lytil whyte grece put therto; coloure it with Alkenade, & droppe it a-bowte, plante it with the graynes of Pome-garnad, & than serve it forth. From http://www.coquinaria.nl/english/recipes/03.4histrecept.htm
Barley Water
Common throughout period (really!)
Simmer a handful of barley (hulled or pearled) with a spoonful of currants (the little tiny raisins) and a spoonful of fennel seeds for 30 minutes or more. Add honey to taste. Serve hot or cold.
References to and recipes for barley water appear throughout our time of study and from a variety of cultures – from classical Rome to medieval France and Spain to Elizabethan England and beyond. This is simply my favorite version based on elements from a few different period recipes. This was often used as a restorative for the ill.
FIN
I'll be posting redactions this week, possibly. Can you tell I'm stoked about this class?
Stewed Lamb
16th c. English
From A Proper New Booke of Cookery by A. Veale: To make Pyes. Pyes of mutton or beif must be fyne mynced and ceasoned wyth pepper and salte, and a lyttle saffron to coloure it, suet or marrow a good quantite, a lyttle vyneger, prumes, greate raysins, and dates, take the fattest of the broathe of powdred beyfe, and yf you wyll haue paest royall, take butter and yolkes of egges, and to tempre the flowre to make the paeste. Source: http://recipes.medievalcookery.com/pyes.html
I'm modifying this heavily -- using lamb for the meat, and preparing it as a stewed dish rather than a pie filling.
Frumente
14th c. English
From Curye on Inglysch by Hiett and Butler: To make frumente. Tak clene whete & braye yt wel in a morter tyl +e holes gon of; se+e it til it breste in water. Nym it vp & lat it cole. Tak good bro+ & swete mylk of kyn or of almand & tempere it +erwith. Nym yelkys of eyren rawe & saffroun & cast +erto; salt it; lat it nought boyle after +e eyren been cast + erinne. Messe it forth with venesoun or with fat motoun fresch. Source: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/miscellaneous.html
The + here is used as a substitute for the “thorn” character, pronounced “th,” which my computer won’t reproduce.
Wortes
15th c. English
From Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books by Thomas Austin: Buttered Wortes. Take al manor of good herbes that thou may gete, and do bi ham as is forsaid; putte hem on the fire with faire water; put ther-to clarefied buttur a grete quantite. Whan thei ben boyled ynough, salt hem; late none otemele come ther-in. Dise brede small in disshes, and powre on the wortes, and serue hem forth. Source: http://www.godecookery.com/chaucer/chfeast8.htm
Onion Salad
14th c. Italian
From The Medieval Kitchen by Redon et al: Of onion salad. Take onions; cook them in the embers, then peel them and cut them into longish, thin slices; add a little vinegar, salt, oil, and spices, and serve.
Strawberry Pudding
15th c. English
From Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books by Thomas Austin: Strawberye. Take Strawberys & waysshe hem in tyme of yere in gode red wyne; than strayne thorwe a clothe, & do hem in a potte with gode Almaunde mylke, a-lay it with Amyndoun other with the flowre of Rys, & make it chargeaunt, and lat it boyle, and do ther in Roysonys of coraunce, Safroun, Pepir, Sugre grete plente, pouder Gyngere, Canel, Galyngale; poynte it with Vynegre, & a lytil whyte grece put therto; coloure it with Alkenade, & droppe it a-bowte, plante it with the graynes of Pome-garnad, & than serve it forth. From http://www.coquinaria.nl/english/recipes/03.4histrecept.htm
Barley Water
Common throughout period (really!)
Simmer a handful of barley (hulled or pearled) with a spoonful of currants (the little tiny raisins) and a spoonful of fennel seeds for 30 minutes or more. Add honey to taste. Serve hot or cold.
References to and recipes for barley water appear throughout our time of study and from a variety of cultures – from classical Rome to medieval France and Spain to Elizabethan England and beyond. This is simply my favorite version based on elements from a few different period recipes. This was often used as a restorative for the ill.
FIN
I'll be posting redactions this week, possibly. Can you tell I'm stoked about this class?
If I were a Playmobil person
I have a lot of Playmobil people, and I have recently developed an obsession with setting them up as if they were all at an SCA event. This woman is cooking over the fire -- just like me!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Cardoons!
Allow me to relate to you a tale of obsession and thwarted yearning, of loss and redemption.
I am a lover of the weird, the ancient, the difficult to find. I believe that my pestering was directly responsible for New Seasons selling citrons this year (I have asked about them every single winter for the past 6 years). So for some time now, I have been harboring a yen for cardoons. Yes, cardoons, the ancestor of today's artichoke, and also a favorite vegetable of my favorite chef in all the world (Clarissa Dickson Wright of Two Fat Ladies fame, who labored so industriously to raise the popularity of the cardoon in Britain that she was known as "the cardoon lady"). But I have been thwarted at every turn! Never have I found anyone actually selling cardoons! Oh, I've heard rumors, but they never seemed to pan out.
Until yesterday.
A booth at the farmers market had them, great big scary stalks with little tiny artichoke-like flowers on them. Not quite what I was expecting, but when I get it into my head to eat something there is very little that can stop me. Maybe that's not such a good thing.
Here are some things that I have learned since this fateful moment at the market: 1) If the person working at the booth says "Well, mostly people buy them for decoration" when you ask them if the proffered item is edible, that is a bad sign; 2) If an item is exuding a sap so bitter that when you inadvertently get a tiny bit on your lips you spend the next 15 minutes frantically trying to clean it off, that is a bad sign; and 3) If all of the pictures you have ever seen of the food you want to eat look nothing like the food you have in your hand, that is a bad sign. But I have also learned that if you are really committed to eating something in the face of all of the preceding and the very good advice of your significant other, lessons learned from historical cooking will come to your aid, and often the results are worth the struggle.
I spent a long time on the internet reading all about cardoons, and everything I found stated that they are actually a winter vegetable, and that they are best to eat after they have been blanched by being kept out of the sun for some time. Otherwise, they are horrifically bitter. Whoops. But then I wondered, did the ancient Romans do this to their cardoons? And how could the first person to eat a cardoon have done so? So I decided to try my big scary cardoon anyway.
When I brought it home yesterday, I cut it into pieces and soaked them in acidulated water while I figured out what to do with the thing. Today I broke the stem up further, removed all of the leaves, and carefully peeled all of the tough fibers away from the tender core. The food to waste ratio put even fresh fava beans to shame! One thing that I have learned from reading medieval recipes is great technique for removing bitterness from greens: parboiling. So I put my tiny cardoon bits into boiling salted water, cooked them for ten minutes, drained them and tasted them: hey, they're actually pretty good! There was still a little bit of bitterness, so I boiled them in new water for a few more minutes, then drained them. Apicius says that boiled cardoons should be served with "pepper, cumin, broth, and oil" (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/3*.html), so I dressed mine with olive oil, pepper, and a little flake salt.
And you know what? They turned out pretty dang good. They taste much of artichokes, and sweet more than bitter. I don't know if I would do this again, but it was a fun adventure.
I am a lover of the weird, the ancient, the difficult to find. I believe that my pestering was directly responsible for New Seasons selling citrons this year (I have asked about them every single winter for the past 6 years). So for some time now, I have been harboring a yen for cardoons. Yes, cardoons, the ancestor of today's artichoke, and also a favorite vegetable of my favorite chef in all the world (Clarissa Dickson Wright of Two Fat Ladies fame, who labored so industriously to raise the popularity of the cardoon in Britain that she was known as "the cardoon lady"). But I have been thwarted at every turn! Never have I found anyone actually selling cardoons! Oh, I've heard rumors, but they never seemed to pan out.
Until yesterday.
A booth at the farmers market had them, great big scary stalks with little tiny artichoke-like flowers on them. Not quite what I was expecting, but when I get it into my head to eat something there is very little that can stop me. Maybe that's not such a good thing.
Here are some things that I have learned since this fateful moment at the market: 1) If the person working at the booth says "Well, mostly people buy them for decoration" when you ask them if the proffered item is edible, that is a bad sign; 2) If an item is exuding a sap so bitter that when you inadvertently get a tiny bit on your lips you spend the next 15 minutes frantically trying to clean it off, that is a bad sign; and 3) If all of the pictures you have ever seen of the food you want to eat look nothing like the food you have in your hand, that is a bad sign. But I have also learned that if you are really committed to eating something in the face of all of the preceding and the very good advice of your significant other, lessons learned from historical cooking will come to your aid, and often the results are worth the struggle.
I spent a long time on the internet reading all about cardoons, and everything I found stated that they are actually a winter vegetable, and that they are best to eat after they have been blanched by being kept out of the sun for some time. Otherwise, they are horrifically bitter. Whoops. But then I wondered, did the ancient Romans do this to their cardoons? And how could the first person to eat a cardoon have done so? So I decided to try my big scary cardoon anyway.
When I brought it home yesterday, I cut it into pieces and soaked them in acidulated water while I figured out what to do with the thing. Today I broke the stem up further, removed all of the leaves, and carefully peeled all of the tough fibers away from the tender core. The food to waste ratio put even fresh fava beans to shame! One thing that I have learned from reading medieval recipes is great technique for removing bitterness from greens: parboiling. So I put my tiny cardoon bits into boiling salted water, cooked them for ten minutes, drained them and tasted them: hey, they're actually pretty good! There was still a little bit of bitterness, so I boiled them in new water for a few more minutes, then drained them. Apicius says that boiled cardoons should be served with "pepper, cumin, broth, and oil" (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/3*.html), so I dressed mine with olive oil, pepper, and a little flake salt.
And you know what? They turned out pretty dang good. They taste much of artichokes, and sweet more than bitter. I don't know if I would do this again, but it was a fun adventure.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Quick notes on the continuing eating in persona research
Today's installment, fruits available in England in the Middle Ages. No sources to cite on this one, so it's probably useful for anyone else, but this is what I've managed to pull together in the time that I've been investigating this. Basically, these are fruits that I have seen mentioned in primary sources on cooking or found in secondary sources or archeological references.
Definitely:
Apples
Pears
Plums
Strawberries
Cherries
Bilberry aka whortleberry
Sloes
Rowan berries
Medlar (mentioned by Chaucer)
Grapes (grown for wine making -- did people eat them?)
Haws (fruits of the hawthorn tree)
Rose hips
Brambles (blackberries, raspberries)
Elderberries (blue)
Probably:
Something very like a cranberry (interesting research, here)
Barberry (mentioned in above source)
Cloudberry (mentioned in above source)
Maybe:
Quinces (I think -- it's my understanding that Chaucer mentions them)
Not sure but possible, would love resources if anyone has them:
Black currants
Red currants
Gooseberries
Any others that I'm leaving out? I'd like evidence from the 13th century or earlier, but as you can see I hardly adhered to that. So maybe let's just say in general I'd love to know about fruits eaten in England during the 12th-15th centuries. Anybody got any great sources?
Definitely:
Apples
Pears
Plums
Strawberries
Cherries
Bilberry aka whortleberry
Sloes
Rowan berries
Medlar (mentioned by Chaucer)
Grapes (grown for wine making -- did people eat them?)
Haws (fruits of the hawthorn tree)
Rose hips
Brambles (blackberries, raspberries)
Elderberries (blue)
Probably:
Something very like a cranberry (interesting research, here)
Barberry (mentioned in above source)
Cloudberry (mentioned in above source)
Maybe:
Quinces (I think -- it's my understanding that Chaucer mentions them)
Not sure but possible, would love resources if anyone has them:
Black currants
Red currants
Gooseberries
Any others that I'm leaving out? I'd like evidence from the 13th century or earlier, but as you can see I hardly adhered to that. So maybe let's just say in general I'd love to know about fruits eaten in England during the 12th-15th centuries. Anybody got any great sources?
Lamb recipes!
At Grand Thing, Geoffrey made an unbelievably tasty lamb dish. Not only was in in heaven, it was so tasty that Anne, who normally thinks lamb is just the grossest thing she can even imagine, asked me if I'd make it for her! Whoa! It was a modification of a recipe for a pie filling that he cooked over the fire in a pot, instead.
I think, but I'm not really sure, that this might be the recipe he was working from: To Make Pyes (at Medieval Cookery).
Okay, I'm really leaning toward doing something like this for the lamb -- lamb, some manner of liquid (wine? broth?), dried cherries, vinegar, spices. Doesn't that sound great? I've done some more poking around and here are more similar recipes:
A venison recipe.
A beef recipe with "currants".
All right, I'm going to keep searching, too, but I think I'm going to go ahead and plan for this.
I think, but I'm not really sure, that this might be the recipe he was working from: To Make Pyes (at Medieval Cookery).
Okay, I'm really leaning toward doing something like this for the lamb -- lamb, some manner of liquid (wine? broth?), dried cherries, vinegar, spices. Doesn't that sound great? I've done some more poking around and here are more similar recipes:
A venison recipe.
A beef recipe with "currants".
All right, I'm going to keep searching, too, but I think I'm going to go ahead and plan for this.
Cooking class, second pass
I have consulted with my Laurel and she has offered some good advice for my class, especially on the sweet: she said that the best approach to the fruit pottage would really be to just get whatever is in season and do it up with almond milk, spices, sweetener. I think that's a great plan, and probably what I'll end up doing. She also suggested doing some kind of candy for the sweet, but you know, I think I'm not quite ready for that yet. So I think fruit pottage it is.
Really, all of these planning notes are just for my own benefit, so I apologize if this is boring. I just like posting them here because then it's easy for me to find them again.
So anyway, here's the current plan:
-Stewed lamb
-Frumente
-Wortes
-Roasted onion salad
-Fruit pottage
-Possibly barley water
I may yet change my plan on the lamb front, like I might do a sweet/sour thing using the dried cherries.
Shopping / packing list:
-Lamb (get it cut up or cut it up at home, FoodSavr for transport)
-Greens and herbs (inc. parsley)
-Butter
-Kibbled wheat
-Milk (maybe a pint)
-Eggs (2-4 -- may separate yolks at home and put into a storage container, have found that separating eggs in the field is a little tricksy)
-A couple of onions
-Fruit
-Almond milk
-Spices, inc. salt and pepper
-Vinegar (verjuice?)
-Honey
Really, all of these planning notes are just for my own benefit, so I apologize if this is boring. I just like posting them here because then it's easy for me to find them again.
So anyway, here's the current plan:
-Stewed lamb
-Frumente
-Wortes
-Roasted onion salad
-Fruit pottage
-Possibly barley water
I may yet change my plan on the lamb front, like I might do a sweet/sour thing using the dried cherries.
Shopping / packing list:
-Lamb (get it cut up or cut it up at home, FoodSavr for transport)
-Greens and herbs (inc. parsley)
-Butter
-Kibbled wheat
-Milk (maybe a pint)
-Eggs (2-4 -- may separate yolks at home and put into a storage container, have found that separating eggs in the field is a little tricksy)
-A couple of onions
-Fruit
-Almond milk
-Spices, inc. salt and pepper
-Vinegar (verjuice?)
-Honey
Friday, June 12, 2009
Biases
Which is grosser?
This:
Or this:
How about this:
Or this:
It's probably pretty easy to guess where my preferences lie.
I fear the following foods: gelatin, mass-produced anything, factory farmed meat, produce shipped halfway across the world, HFCS, hydrogenated fat, cottonseed oil, preservatives, brains, and basically all processed food. Mind you, I do still eat many of these things (I'm working on it!), but I guess it's probably pretty weird that I'm less grossed out by a lot of medieval food (salted cod!) than a lot of modern food (fish sticks!). This morning I was looking at a picture of a medieval butcher selling offal, and it didn't look revolting to me at all, just interesting. That's when I was struck by this thought.
This:
Or this:
How about this:
Or this:
It's probably pretty easy to guess where my preferences lie.
I fear the following foods: gelatin, mass-produced anything, factory farmed meat, produce shipped halfway across the world, HFCS, hydrogenated fat, cottonseed oil, preservatives, brains, and basically all processed food. Mind you, I do still eat many of these things (I'm working on it!), but I guess it's probably pretty weird that I'm less grossed out by a lot of medieval food (salted cod!) than a lot of modern food (fish sticks!). This morning I was looking at a picture of a medieval butcher selling offal, and it didn't look revolting to me at all, just interesting. That's when I was struck by this thought.
Tentative recipes for fire cooking class
Here's my first pass:
-Frumente
-A lamb recipe I found in Medieval Kitchen that says it's from the Menagier -- it's just lamb (actually the original calls for mutton) cut into pieces and boiled, then you add parsley, bread crumbs, and spices.
-Wortes, various greens cooked with butter and salt (nom!)
-Basic pottage (peas, bacon, onions, herbs) -- I may actually cut this, it's time consuming and not very flashy for a class
-Onion salad (onion roasted in the coals, dressed with vinegar and spices)
-Barley water (maybe) or hipocras if everyone is of age (and even then, only maybe)
-Something sweet -- I'm considering dried fruit cooked in wine with honey and spices (I have beaucoups dried cherries still left from Grand Thing); or I might do fresh peaches cooked in almond milk with sugar and ginger (based on a recipe I got from Rafaella, which you can find here). I suppose something like gingerbrede would be doable over the fire, but an involved sweet like that just seems too fussy for the outdoors. Plus, I'm a fruit monkey who likes fruit.
Add a loaf of bread to this (and a beverage if I don't make one over the fire), and I think this sounds like a good spread!
It's going to take a little bit of fussing and planning on my part to coordinate the timing on all of this (the pottage and the lamb will take the longest, the frumente and dessert less, the worts not much at all), and I may go ahead and get another pipkin, but I have a good feeling.
-Frumente
-A lamb recipe I found in Medieval Kitchen that says it's from the Menagier -- it's just lamb (actually the original calls for mutton) cut into pieces and boiled, then you add parsley, bread crumbs, and spices.
-Wortes, various greens cooked with butter and salt (nom!)
-Basic pottage (peas, bacon, onions, herbs) -- I may actually cut this, it's time consuming and not very flashy for a class
-Onion salad (onion roasted in the coals, dressed with vinegar and spices)
-Barley water (maybe) or hipocras if everyone is of age (and even then, only maybe)
-Something sweet -- I'm considering dried fruit cooked in wine with honey and spices (I have beaucoups dried cherries still left from Grand Thing); or I might do fresh peaches cooked in almond milk with sugar and ginger (based on a recipe I got from Rafaella, which you can find here). I suppose something like gingerbrede would be doable over the fire, but an involved sweet like that just seems too fussy for the outdoors. Plus, I'm a fruit monkey who likes fruit.
Add a loaf of bread to this (and a beverage if I don't make one over the fire), and I think this sounds like a good spread!
It's going to take a little bit of fussing and planning on my part to coordinate the timing on all of this (the pottage and the lamb will take the longest, the frumente and dessert less, the worts not much at all), and I may go ahead and get another pipkin, but I have a good feeling.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Teaching a class on open fire cooking
Hey local folks: I'm going to teach a class on fire cooking at DMDT. Get in touch with me with questions or for more details.
Open Fire Cooking
11am to noon, Saturday
Fee: $3 per person
Description: Cooking over the fire is authentic and fun! In this hands-on class we will prepare a few medieval recipes on the fire in ceramic and cast iron vessels. The instructor will also discuss fire preparation and management, selecting and cooking with pottery, and general historical food research tips. Participants should bring note taking materials and something to eat with -- we'll be sampling as we go, and after the class everyone is welcome to stay for lunch to enjoy what we've made. Those who have them and who wish to are also welcome to bring fire-safe cooking vessels, although it certainly isn't required.
Open Fire Cooking
11am to noon, Saturday
Fee: $3 per person
Description: Cooking over the fire is authentic and fun! In this hands-on class we will prepare a few medieval recipes on the fire in ceramic and cast iron vessels. The instructor will also discuss fire preparation and management, selecting and cooking with pottery, and general historical food research tips. Participants should bring note taking materials and something to eat with -- we'll be sampling as we go, and after the class everyone is welcome to stay for lunch to enjoy what we've made. Those who have them and who wish to are also welcome to bring fire-safe cooking vessels, although it certainly isn't required.
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