Culinary Shelves

The Culinary Shelves

Feel most welcome to peruse these shelves here in the Kitchens. Please do not hesitate to pull one down from the shelf and look within if ye so choose. These shelves do contain my rather meager collection of period related cookbooks from which to get inspired. By no means is this my entire collection. I also include those that do not strictly deal with the time period but have recipes in them that I like to use for eventing. And here in my culinary library one will find sprinkled here and there a sage word or two of advice or a sprig or so of commentary on where to begin with your culinary adventures. Herein you will also find books on making soap. These are included because this is where I make mine as do many other soapmakers. Besides making soap is much like cooking, it seems to me.

There are probably many others who measure their recipe collections by the foot and not by volumes. I measure my collection by volume. These listed below are in no particular order.

The Known World Handbook - get it from the SCA Marketplace Price List
If you don't already have it - it's a good investment. It's one of the best starting places for just about everything. They do have recipes in there, how to interpret primary source recipes and even an article on putting together a feast. Most articles have bibliographies for you to begin your own research.
Seven Centuries of English Cooking A Collection of Recipes by Maxime de la Falaise, published by Barnes & Noble Books.

As the title implies the focus is solely on English cooking. It is a classic addition to your library. I have used it many times to inspire creation of my own experimentations. She has some information regarding food related topics and their treatment during each different time period that she explores and shares some gems.

Pleyn Delit, Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks by Constance B Hieatt, Brenda Hosington, and Sharon Butler, published by University of Toronto Press

This book has some good recipes in it. But you need to watch out. In my opinion it almost has the feel of not being put together by people who do not really cook, do not like to cook, or have no instinct but are more into being scholars. I found a lot of the ingredient portions and cooking methods to be a little off, to say the least. However that being said I truly love the arrangement of the book. They have the original manuscript text translated into modern day English as close as possible to true followed by a modern day recipe rendition for modern day 20th century cooks. I found I did better when I just followed along with the translated manuscript text rather than their redaction.

Take A Thousand Eggs Or More, A Collection of 15th Century Recipes by Cindy Renfrow - Two Volume Set.
Available through Chivalry Sports Renaissance Catalog Magazine and other places on line. I love this set. She has a no punches pulled kind of writing style. She seems, to me, to be very frank and you know where she stands on things. Her redactions that I have tried were really nice. She does have some recipes included that don't have redactions. I have had more fun these than anything else.
Fabulous Feasts, Medieval Cookery and Ceremony by Madeleine Pelner Cosman, George Braziller, Inc.

This book has a lot of good information in it. Another good beginning source. My best advice on this one is to completely ignore the recipes in the back. She has a recipe or two that includes *shock* *gasp!!!* baking powder and baking soda in the ingredient listings. To my knowledge and thus far in my limited researching I have never come across a period recipe which included them. The information in the front is worth reading.

How To Cook Forsoothly by Mistress Katrine de Baillie du Chat, O.L., published by Raymond's Quiet Press, copyright 1979, ISBN 0-943228-02-6
This used to be available through the SCA Stock Clerk. I contacted Raymond's Quiet Press but sadly it is no longer in print. This is one I would recommend to all who are able to get a hold of a copy. Perhaps U-bid or E-bay would be helpful in locating a copy. It was my first period related cookbook and still my favorite. My most favorite of all time chicken dish is from this book. The author includes information that she found in her research, tips on preparing a lot of recipes and has some guidance on interpreting primary source recipes. This guidance served me well in the years since buying my copy of the book. She even has an article on putting together a feast. In the bibliographic listing of her sources she gives you her thoughts and opinions on most of the books on the list. It was a good place for me beginning my own research while living in an area with extremely limited resources.
Apicius, Cookery and Dining In Imperial Rome, Edited and Translated by Joseph Dommers Vehling, Dover.

This is one of my other favorites. A must have.

From Celtic Hearths, Baked Goods from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, Text and Illustrations by Deborah Krasner, Viking Studio Books.
Really nice recipes. The best scones recipe that I've ever tried, a Welsh Fair Cookie (made with beer), and even a recipe for oatcakes which are really good as a cracker of sorts with a good aged cheddar cheese. Yes, I realize that many of the recipes are not strictly period but some of the recipes are very old.
The English Housewife, Containing the inward and outward virtues which out to be in a complete woman, by Gervase Markham, Edited by Michael R. Best, McGill Queen's University Press 1986.

I love this book in many ways. My favorite part of the book so far are the culinary recipes. My favorite spinach salad redaction comes from this book. One day soon I will get it up on the Kitchen's page to share with everyone.

Food In History, by Reay Tannahill, Stein and Day.
This book is a classic. A really good used book seller could perhaps find it for you or one of the online services could be useful in obtaining a copy.
A Medieval Home Companion, Housekeeping in the Fourteenth Century, Translated and Edited by Tania Bayard, Harper Perennial.
No recipes in here per se but a lot of good information and descriptions.
A Miscellany by Cariadoc and Elizabeth, published by David Friedman and Betty Cook.
I don't remember where I got my copy from but I know you can get it through Chivalry Sports Ren Catalog website and through Cariadoc's own website. It's a great investment. If you could only begin your library with one book you would not go wrong with the latest edition of this book. My edition is the 8th edition. I believe he had a 10th edition the last time I looked but that was a while back. This book also contains many other useful articles and makes for a great read no matter what. Another favorite in my collection. You will find Cariadoc's website link listed in the Pantry.

Now for my treasures found and bought at SCA events:

A Loaf Of Bread, Compiled by the Culinary Guild Barony of Three Mountains in 1981.

A Royal Cookbook, Being A Compendium of Recipes Contributed by Royalty of the Known World In the Winter of A.S. XVII.

This Bountiful Land, Two Feasts by the Culinary Guild of the Barony of Three Mountains.

The Medieval Gourmet, Edited by Lady Samira Umm' al Harith, The Vulcanfeldt Press 1992.
I believe she's written a second cookbook since then. Her and her lord are one of the coolest couples I have ever known. And if you ever get a chance and you want to learn to make mead - you should really consider doing so by taking Kenneth the Hunter's Mead Making class. It was a blast!

Additional cookbooks in my collection that are good:

The Frugal Gourmet Cooks . . . Three Ancient Cuisines by Jeff Smith.
The three cultures are China, Rome and Greece. He had a wonderful series on PBS for a long time years ago. I only lack three of his many cookbooks.

WELCOME TRAVELER, THE KITCHENS, or THE MAP ROOM

<>This page and all other pages found herein on this site were designed by Alys de Trois Rivieres herself.
<>As such they are maintained and updated by her as time allows. Her hand last touched this page on June 16, 2006.