To Milk an Almond - David D. Friedman's Home Page

164 Pages·2011·2.28 MB·English

by  David Friedman

How to Milk an Almond

Stuff an Egg

And Armor a Turnip

A Thousand Years of Recipes

by

David Friedman

and

Elizabeth Cook
© David Friedman and Elizabeth Cook,
1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-460-92498-3
Copies may be purchased online from
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If you wish to reproduce or reprint anything in this book, you may do so subject to the following conditions:
1. The material should be accompanied by a credit line giving the source and author.
2. Any article or recipe that is quoted must be quoted in full, with no changes, deletions, or additions.
3. If you are making more than 100 copies, you must first get permission from the author.
4. Recipes may be quoted on web pages, provided that the source is credited. We would appreciate a link to the online
version of this volume, at the URL below.

http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/To_Milk_an_Almond.pdf
To the memory of

Marion Walke

Introduction trust a secondary source that does not include
the primary, since you have no way of

knowing what liberties the author may have
The Society for Creative Anachronism is a
taken in his “interpretation” of the recipe.
group that does historical recreation from the
The volume also contains a number of
Middle Ages and Renaissance. Some of its
related articles—what foodstuffs were
events are feasts. When I discovered it, about
available when, how to produce a medieval
forty years ago, it struck me that medieval
feast, and much else. It is a selection from a
feasts with diners in medieval clothing ought
longer volume intended for readers active in
to have medieval food.
the SCA, a Miscellany covering medieval
I found collections of English recipes from
cooking and much else that has gone through
the fourteen and fifteenth centuries compiled
nine self-published editions and will shortly be
by nineteenth century enthusiasts, along with a
available in a tenth. For readers unfamiliar
translation of a thirteenth century Arabic
with the organization, it is worth explaining
cookbook published in a scholarly journal in
that members adopt “personae” with period
the nineteen thirties. Over the years since, my
names, some of which appear here. Mine is a
collection of sources has expanded, in part
North African Berber named Cariadoc from
through translations by fellow enthusiasts,
about 1100 A.D.
among them my wife and daughter.

Most period recipes omit inessential details
Enjoy.
such as quantities, temperatures, and times.

You take some of this and enough of that, cook
David Friedman
it until it is done, add a bit of something else

and serve it forth. The problems of getting
from that to something that tastes good make
cooking from Two Fifteenth Century Cookery If you would like to discuss any of the
Books more interesting than cooking from issues raised in the articles, exchange recipes,
Fanny Farmer. And you end up with a dish volunteer to translate cookbooks, or
that, as best you can tell, nobody else has made correspond with us on any other subject, our
for the past five hundred years. Think of it as address is:
experimental archaeology.
This volume contains the result of my and David Friedman and Betty Cook
my wife’s efforts, assisted by lots of other (Cariadoc and Elizabeth)
people, at working out period recipes. Each 3806 Williams Rd.,
recipe starts with the original or a translation San Jose, CA 95117
of the original, followed by information on [email protected]
how we make it. One of the things I have www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/
learned from reading secondary sources on Medieval.html
historical cooking is that you should never
Table of Contents
Introduction
  0

Recipes
  1

Sources
 for
 Recipes
 .........................................................................................................................
 1

Early
 Period
  1

English/French
 13th-­15th
 c.
  1

English
 16th-­17th
 c.
  2

German
  2

Italian,
 Spanish
 and
 Portuguese
  2

Islamic
 and
 Indian
  2

Chinese
  3

Other
  3

Ingredients
 .........................................................................................................................................
 4

European
 Dishes
 ..............................................................................................................................
 9

Bread
  9

Vegetables
  11

Seafood
  19

Soups
  22

Poultry
  25

Meat
 Dishes
  31

Meat,
 Cheese
 and
 Egg
 Pies
  40

Desserts,
 Appetizers,
 Etc.
  46

Drinks
  64

Sauces
  65

Pasta,
 Rice,
 etc.
  68

Miscellaneous
  72

Islamic
 Dishes:
 Middle
 East
 and
 al-­Andalus
 .........................................................................
 75

Bread
  75

Meat
 with
 Sauce
 or
 Stew
  76

Fried
 Dishes
  93

Dishes
 with
 Legumes
  99

Dishes
 with
 Grains,
 Bread,
 or
 Pasta
  101

Oven
 Dishes
 and
 Roasting
  108

Relishes
 &
 Dips
  111

Deserts
  113

Drinks
  125

Odds
 and
 Ends
  125

Indian
 Dishes
 ................................................................................................................................
 126

Chinese
 Dishes
 .............................................................................................................................
 129

Index
 of
 Recipes
 ...........................................................................................................................
 131

Additional
 Material
 on
 Period
 Cooking
 ...............................................................................
 135

Cooking
 from
 Primary
 Sources:
 Some
 General
 Comments
  135

Late
 Period
 and
 Out
 of
 Period
 Foodstuffs
  138

Scottish
 Oat
 Cakes:
 A
 Conjectural
 Reconstruction
  145

Hildegard
 von
 Bingen’s
 Small
 Cakes
  146

To
 Prepare
 a
 Most
 Honorable
 Feast
  147

To
 Make
 a
 Feast
  150

An
 Islamic
 Dinner
  155

How
 to
 Make
 Arrack
  157

A
 Dinner
 at
 Pennsic
  158
1
Recipes

The sources of these recipes range, with a London Antiquaries by John Nichols, 1740.
few exceptions, from the sixth century to the The recipes are from the early 15th century.
sixteenth. The original, or an English Curye on Inglysch: English Culinary
translation of the original, is given in Manuscripts of the Fourteenth Century
chancery font, followed by a list of (Including the Forme of Cury), edited by
Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler,
ingredients with quantities and, usually but
published for the Early English Text Society
not always, additional instructions. For a few
by the Oxford University Press, 1985. Still in
of the less readable early English recipes we
print as of 2010.
also give a modernized version of the original
The Forme of Cury, A Roll of Ancient
text. The only intentional modifications we
English Cookery, ed. S. Pegge, printed for the
have made are to modernize the spelling in
Society of London Antiquaries by John
some recipes and to omit the medical
Nichols, 1780. This is English c. 1390; for a
comments which Platina (routinely) and the
later edition see Curye on Inglysch above.
authors of the Andalusian cookbook
Constance B. Hieatt, An Ordinance of
(occasionally) include in their recipes.
Pottage, Prospect Books, London, 1988 (15th
How well worked out the recipes are
c. English).
varies; some we have been doing for many
Constance B. Hieatt and Robin F. Jones,
years, others are the result of one or two tries.
Two Anglo-Norman Culinary Collections
Before serving to anyone other than close
Edited from British Library Manuscripts
friends and fellow cooking enthusiasts, try the
Additional 32085 and Royal 12.C.xii,
recipe out at least once and adjust it to taste.
Speculum v. 61 n. 4, pp. 859-882, 1986.

Referred to below as “Anglo-Norman.”
Sources for Recipes
Le Menagier de Paris, 1395, tr. Janet

Hinson (Lady Mairoli Bhan); also translated
Early Period
as The Goodman of Paris, Power and Coulton,
Anthimus, De Observatio Ciborum,
tr., but with only selections from the recipes.
translated by Shirley Howard Weber,
Recipes from Power and Coulton are given as
published by E. J. Brill Ltd, Leiden 1924. This
“Goodman;” recipes from Hinson are given as
is a letter on the subject of diet, written in the
“Menagier.” Page references are to volume II
sixth century by a Byzantine physician to
of the collection of source material we used to
Theoderic, King of the Franks. It includes
sell. The Hinson translation is webbed at:
several recipes.
www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbo
Apicius, The Roman Cookery Book, tr.
oks/Menagier/Menagier_Contents.html
Barbara Flower and Elisabeth Rosenbaum,
A Noble Boke off Cookry Ffor a Prynce
George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., London, 1958.
Houssolde, ed. Mrs. Alexander Napier, 1882
This is a recommended translation and
(c. 1470).
includes the Latin original. The earlier
Chiquart, Du Fait de Cuisine, 1420, tr. by
translation by Vehling is not recomended, as
Elizabeth from the French original published
he changes the recipes considerably.
by Terence Scully in Vallesia v. 40, pp. 101-

231, 1985. There is also a published
English/French 13th-15th c.
translation by Scully. Elizabeth's transation is
Ancient Cookery from A Collection of the
webbed at:
Ordinances and Regulations for the
www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/
Government of the Royal Household made in
Cookbooks/Du_Fait_de_Cuisine/
Divers Reigns from King Edward III to King
du_fait_de_c_contents.html
William and Queen Mary also Receipts in
Ancient Cookery, printed for the Society of
2
Pepys 1047. Published as Stere Hit Well: Andrews, Mallinkrodt 1967. (Both Platina and
Medieval recipes and remedies from Samuel Kenelm Digby were published as part of the
Pepys's Library. Modern English version by “Mallinkrodt Collection of Food Classics.”)
G.A.J. Hodgett. The modern English version Reprinted by Falconwood Press, 1989. Page
is unreliable but the book includes a facsimile numbers given herein are from the
of the late fifteenth century original. Falconwood edition. This is the version we
Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books have worked from; a new and (I gather)
(1430-1450), Thomas Austin Ed., Early inproved translation is Platina, On Right
English Text Society, Oxford University Pleasure and Good Health, tr. Mary Ella
Press, 1964. Milham, Medieval and Renaissance Texts and
Le Viandier (c. 1392), Taillevent. Our Studies, Tempe, Arizona, 1998.
recipes are from a partial translation by Due Libre B, An Early 15th Century
Elizabeth Bennett [Mistress Alys Gardyner]; Recipe Collection from Southern Italy.
two complete translations have also been Translated by Rebecca Friedman. Webbed at:
published. http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/
Cookbooks/Due_Libre_B/Due_Libre_B.html
English 16th-17th c. Epulario, or, The Italian Banquet, London,
Sir Kenelm Digby, The Closet of Sir 1598. Reprinted Falconwood Press, Albany,
Kenelm Digby, Opened (published NY, 1990. This is a late-period English
posthumously in 1669). This is slightly out of translation of an Italian cookbook with a lot of
period, but contains the earliest collection of overlap with Platina, including some of the
fermented drink recipes that we know of. same sequences of recipes and at least one
Some of this is webbed at: typo in common.
realbeer.com/spencer/digby.html Messibugio, Libro Novo 1557. Translated
The English Huswife, by Gervase by Master Basilius (Charles Potter).
Markham (1615, but Mistress Marion informs Diego Granado, Libro del arte de cozina,
us that Markham is a notorious plagiarist, so 1599. A few recipes from this have been
the material is probably somewhat earlier). translated by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain of
Sir Hugh Platt, Delights for Ladies, Tethba, Settmour Swamp (Robin Carroll-
London, 1609. Mann).
A Proper Newe Booke of Cokerye, ed. Ruperto de Nola, Libro de Guisados, 1529.
Catherine Frances Frere, Cambridge, W. Translated by Robin Carroll-Mann (Lady
Heffer and sons, Ltd., 1913 (16th century). Brighid ni Chiarain). Webbed at:
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-
German MANUSCRIPTS/Guisados1-art.html
Daz Buoch von Guoter Spise (between Um Tratado Da Cozinha Portuguesa Do
1345 and 1354), tr. Alia Atlas. Webbed at: Seculo XV (A Text on Portuguese Cooking
http://cs-people.bu.edu/akatlas/Buch/ from the Fifteenth Century). Translated by
buch.html Jane L. Crowley with the assistance of a
Sabina Welser's Cookbook, tr. from Das modern Portuguese text by Professor Antonio
Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin (c. 1553) by Gomes Filho. Referred to as “Portuguese”
Valoise Armstrong, Little Rock, Arizona, below.
1998. Webbed at:
www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/ Islamic and Indian
Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html Ain-I-Akbari (part of the Akbarnama) by
Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak, H. Blochmann tr.,
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese edited by D. C. Phillott, Calcutta 1927. An
Platina, De Honesta Voluptate, Venice, L. account of Mughal India, especially Akbar's
De Aguila, 1475. Translated by E. B. court, in the late 16th century. It includes
3
ingredient lists (with quantities but without translated by Norah M. Titley, Routledge,
instructions) for thirty dishes and descriptions 2005. An Indian source c. 1500.
of how to make bread and arrack. Webbed at:
http://www.archive.org/details/ Chinese
ainiakbari00jarrgoog Paul D. Buell and Eugene N. Anderson, A
Al-Baghdadi, A Baghdad Cookery Book Soup for the Qan: Chinese Dietary Medicine
(1226 A.D./623 A.H.), A.J. Arberry, tr., of the Mongol Era as Seen in Hu Szu-Hui's
Islamic Culture 1939, and republished in Yin-Shan Cheng-Yao, Kegan Paul
Medieval Arab Cookery (see below). There is International, London and New York, 2000. A
now a new and probably better translation by translation of a Chinese/Mongol medical book
Charles Perry, but we have not yet used it. with extensive commentary, including recipes
An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of for both food and medicinals.
the Thirteenth Century, a translation by Teresa Wang and E.N. Anderson, Ni Tsan
Charles Perry of the Arabic edition of and His 'Cloud Forest Hall Collection of
Ambrosio Huici Miranda with the assistance Rules for Drinking and Eating', Petits Propos
of an English translation by Elise Fleming, Culinaires #60‡,, 1998. See also “Some
Stephen Bloch, Habib ibn al-Andalusi and remarks about the translation of Yun Lintang
Janet Hinson of the Spanish translation by Yinshi Zhidu Ji” published in PPC 60 by
Ambrosio Huici Miranda, webbed at: Francoise Sabban, which has corrections and
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/ alternative translations.
Cookbooks/Andalusian/andalusian_contents.
Other
htm.
The Domostroi: Rules for Russian
Referred to below as “Andalusian.” Page
Households in the Time of Ivan the Terrible,
references are to volume II of the collection of
source material we used to sell. edited and translated by Carolyn Johnston
Pouncy, Cornell University Press: Ithaca
Annals of the Caliph's Kitchen, Ibn Sayyar
1994. A Russian household management
al-Warraq, translated by Nawal Nasrallah.
manual, most of which is probably from the
Tenth century. We also have a few recipes
16th century, including a few recipes and a
from the same source translated by Charles
good deal of information about food.
Perry.
Rudolf Grewe, “An Early XIII Century
La Cocina Arabigoandaluza, translated
Northern-European Cookbook,” in
from Arabic into Spanish by Fernando de la
Proceedings of A Conference on Current
Granja Santamaria and from Spanish into
Research in Culinary History: Sources,
English by Melody Asplund-Faith. This
Topics, and Methods. Published by the
consists of selections from a much longer
Culinary Historians of Boston, 1986. This is
Arabic original. It is referred to below as “al-
an article attempting to reconstruct the lost
Andalusi.”
original from which several surviving
Medieval Arab Cookery, Essays and
manuscripts, including the one we refer to as
Translations by Maxime Rodinson, A.J.
“A selection from An Old Icelandic Medical
Arberry & Charles Perry, Prospect Books,
Miscelleny,” descend.
1998. Contains, along with much else, Kitab
A Selection From An Old Icelandic
al Tibakhah: A Fifteenth-Century Cookbook,
Medical Miscelleny, ed. Henning Larson,
Charles Perry, tr., original author Ibn al-
Oslo, 1931. For a more recent edition, see
Mubarrad. Also The Description of Familiar
Grewe.
Foods, a cookbook based on al-Baghdadi with

additional recipes.
‡: Petits Propos Culinaires is an international
The Ni'matnama Manuscript of the Sultans
journal on food, food history, cookery and cookery
of Mandu: The Sultan's Book of Delights,
books. See: http://rdeh.tripod.com/
4
Mappae Clavicula: a Little Key to the Mastic: A strongly flavored resin; I like to
World of Medieval Techniques, tr. Cyril describe it as dehydrated turpentine. Try
Stanley Smith and John G. Hawthorne, Middle Eastern or Indian groceries and use it
Transactions of the American Philosophical in very small quantities.
Society, Philadelphia, 1974. This is a Oranges/orange juice: in Europe and the
collection of technical recipes which includes Middle East before about the 16th century, this
three candy recipes; the manuscript translated would have meant sour oranges. For more on
here dates to the 12th c. but there are earlier citrus fruit, see p. 140.
versions with fewer recipes going back to the Powder fort: A spice mixture mentioned in
9th c. various period recipes; we have not yet been
able to find a description of what spices it
Ingredients contains. What we use is a mixture
containing, by weight: 1 part cloves, 1 part

mace, 1 part cubebs, 7 parts cinnamon, 7 parts
Asafoetida: Strongly flavored spice
ginger, and 7 parts pepper, all ground. This is
available in Indian grocery stores, referred to
a guess, based on very limited evidence; it
as “hing” or “heeng”.
works for the dishes in which we have tried it.
Beef Broth: Canned beef broth is usually
Poudre douce: A sweet spice mixture. The
concentrated; what we use is either that,
composition probably varied; we usually use a
diluted in an equal quantity of water, or beef
mix of four parts sugar, 2 parts cinnamon, and
broth from beef bullion—1 cube per cup of
1 part ginger.
water.
Samidh flour: Described in the al-Warraq
Camphor: Edible camphor can sometimes
translation as “the finest variety of white
be found in Indian grocery stores; it is very
wheat flour.” Charles Perry thinks it may be
strongly flavored.
semolina, but is not sure; that is what we have
Cassia, aka chinese cinnamon: Cassia is
used. Cake flour is one possible alternative.
what is usually sold as cinnamon in the U.S.,
Sesame Oil: In Islamic recipes, this is the
as distinguished from “true cinnamon,” aka
clear to yellowish sesame oil sold in Middle
“ceylon cinnamon.” The two spices have
Eastern grocery stores, which is made from
similar but not identical flavors.
untoasted sesame seeds and has only a slight
Clarified butter, aka ghee: Available in
flavor; something very similar can be found in
Indian grocery stores; Indian cookbooks often
health food stores. Chinese sesame oil, which
have instructions for making it.
is much darker, is made from toasted sesame
Coriander: Unless described as fresh we
seeds and is very strongly flavored.
interpret it as meaning coriander seed, with
Sumac: A sour red powder, found in
the leaf of the same plant labelled “cilantro.”
Iranian grocery stores (and restaurants).
Date syrup, aka dibs: Can sometimes be
Tarot: A starchy root that can sometimes
found in Middle Eastern grocery stores.
be found in Chinese grocery stores.
Galingale: A root similar in appearance to
Tail: Fat from the tail of a fat-tailed sheep,
ginger, used in Thai cooking, and sold in
used as a cooking oil in Islamic recipes. Since
oriental grocery stores, fresh or ground,
it is not available at the local butcher, we
sometimes as “Galingas.”
substitute lamb fat.
Ghee: Clarified Butter.
Verjuice: Sour juice, usually from unripe
Gourd aka pumpkin: Modern squashes and
grapes. We use sour grape juice from Middle
pumpkins are from the New World; the
Eastern grocery stores. Dilute vinegar can be
problem of identifying the old world
used as a substitute; two parts of verjuice
equivalent is discussed in the article “Late
seems to be roughly equivalent to one part of
Period and Out of Period Foods.” (p. 138).
vinegar. Verjuice produced for the gourmet
Our best guess is the opo gourd, often
trade and priced accordingly has become
available in Chinese grocery stores in the U.S.
increasingly common over the last few years.