Renaissance Recipes

[iain robb]

I'm not talking about turkey legs, bread bowls or stuff on sticks. Not Renaissance Festival "cooking." I'm talking about recipes that really date from the Renaissance, or perhaps even earlier.

On a recent trip to Chicago, my wife stopped in at a used book store and picked up a copy of The Fine Art of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli. She did so primarily because we've enjoyed other recipes by him.

I was pleasantly surprised to find numerous recipes that he sourced to Italian cookbooks from the 1500s and earlier. Things like a Florentine "pizza" and soups made with an almond base.

Have you come across any cookbooks that have a good selection of recipes from the Renaissance?

[Rowan MacD]

 Any of the Cookbooks by Alice the Cook-she does demos of period cooking at MNRF and other Faires.  I have 3.
  She is also a food writer for Renaissance Magazine.

http://alicethecook.com/

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

If you write to the Queen's Secretary (not the Queen herself), you may be able to obtain recipes from all the coronation parties.  Several years ago, Steve wrote asking about a dish that he was researching for some party or other he had to cook for, and he wrote.  They replied by sending him pages and pages of menus and recipes.  Of course he didn't use all of them, but they were fascinating to read.

This was quite a while ago, so they may not do that anymore, but perhaps they could be emailed instead to save on paper and postage.

[DonaCatalina]

http://www.godecookery.com/godeboke/godeboke.htm

http://www.foodarts.com/news/features/730/the-kings-kitchens



All sources for recipes

http://www.amazon.com/The-Medieval-Cookbook-Maggie-Black/dp/0500015481
and another thread here:
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=16041.0

[Hoowil]

I've got Fabulous Feasts which is slightlymore a medieval bent, but it covers recipes, manners, menus, the history of feasts, etc. Granted, most recipes are for rather large quantity.
I also have A Sip Through Time which basically covers the same, except entirely for meads, wines, ales, and other spirits. Again, a lot of the recipes are by tun.