A basic medieval cooking bibliography

Sources on this page are either available on the web, or I have copies. Part of the reason for this list being up here is so that cooks in the Shire know what I have available, and can borrow them off me.

Note: "Cariadoc", vols I & II, frequently referenced below, refers to a collection of photocopied primary sources made by an SCA cook, Master Cariadoc of the Bow. They can be ordered from him in America, see http://www.daviddfriedman. com/Medieval/Our_Publications/our_publications.html, but it’s tricky as he doesn’t take credit cards. If you're in the Shire, you can borrow my copy.

Primary Sources

Arabic

[c. 1226] A Baghdad Cookery-Book [c. 1226] In Islamic Culture (January-April 1939); reprinted in Cariadoc Volume I, 1-14.

[13th Century] An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century. Translated by Charles Perry, http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Andalusian/andalusian_contents.htm

Latin

[1475] Platina. On Honest Indulgence (De Honesta Voluptate). Venice. Rpt. Falconwood Press. New York, 1989.

English

[c. 1390] Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler, eds. Curye on Inglysch, English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth Century (Including The Forme of Cury). Oxford University Press. London, 1985. Forme of Cury is online at Project Gutenberg, http://www.gutenberg.net/etext/8102

[early 15th century] Ancient Cookery, From a Collection of the Ordinances and Requisitions for the government of the Royal Household made in Divers Reigns from King Edward III to Kingd William and Queen Mary. Arundel MS 344. Ed. John Nichols, Society of London Antiquaries. In Cariadoc Vol. I.

[c. 1430] Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books, ed. Thomas Austin. London: published for the Early English Text Society by the Oxford Unversity Press, 1888; Rpt. Vivian Ridler, Printer to the University, 1964. Harleian MS. 279, c. 1430. Ashmole MS. 1439, c. 1430. Harleian MS. 4016, c. 1450. Douce MS. 55, c. 1450. Laud Ms 553, c. 1450. Online in the University of Michigan archive, http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/c/cme/cme-idx?type=header&byte=3354612

[c. 1430] Liber cure cocorum, copied and edited from the Sloane Ms. 1986. Transcribed by Thomas Gloning at http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/lcc3.htm

[c. 1467] Napier, Mrs. Alexander, ed. A Noble Boke Off Cookry ffor a prynce houssolde or eny other estately houssolde. c. 1467. Reprinted verbatim from a rare MS. in the Holkham Collection. Elliot Stock. London, 1882. Rpt in Cariadoc Volume I, B1-B38.

[c. late 15th century] Gentyll manly Cokere (Pepys manuscript); Manuscript Pepys 1047 http://www.godecookery.com/pepys/pepys.htm

[c. 16th Century] Frere, Catherine Frances, ed. A Proper Newe Booke of Cokerye, declarynge what maner of meates be beste in season, etc. 16th century. Rpt. Heffer & Sons, Ltd. Cambridge, 1913. Transcribed by Thomas Gloning, http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/bookecok.htm

[1596] Dawson, Thomas. The Good Housewife's Jewell.

[1609] Plat, Sir Hugh. Delightes for Ladies to adorne their Persons, Closets, and Distillatories: With Beauties, Banquets, Perfumes and Waters. London: Humphrey Lownes, 1609; reprinted in Cariadoc Volume I, 89-120.

[1615] Markham, Gervase. The English Hus-wife, Contayning The inward and outward vertues which ought to be in a compleat woman; As, her skill in Physicke, Cookery, Banqueting-stuffe, Distillation, Perfumes, Wooll, Hemp, Flax, Dayries, Brewing, Baking, and all other things belonging to an houshould. Iohn Beale. London, 1615. (The English Housewife, collated and edited by Michael R. Best, contains the 1615, 1623, and 1631 editions. Queen's Univ. Press. Kingston, 1986.)

[1615] Murrell, John. A New Booke of Cookerie. 1615. Rpt. Falconwood Press, New York, 1988. Transcription by Thomas Gloning, http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/1615murr.htm

[1653]A Book of Fruits & Flowers, Shewing the Nature and Use of them, either for Meat or Medicine, printed for Tho: Jenner. Facsimile.

[1669] Digby, Sir Kenelme. The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt. Opened: Whereby is Discovered Several ways for making of Metheglin, Sider, Cherry-Wine, &c. Together with Excellent Directions for Cookery: As also for Preserving, Conserving, Candying, &c. Published by his Son's Consent. Printed by E. C. for H. Brome, at the Star in Little Britain. London, 1669. Rpt in Cariadoc Volume I, 121-190.

French

[c.1300] Traité de Cuisine. c.1300. Translated by Janet Hinson. Rpt in Cariadoc Volume II, T1-T5.

[c. 1395] Le Menagier de Paris. Paris, c. 1395. Translated by Janet Hinson, http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Menagier/Menagier_Contents.html

Power, Eileen, and C.G. Coulton, eds. The Goodman of Paris (Le Ménagier de Paris) A Treatise on Moral and Domestic Economy by a Citizen of Paris, c. 1393. George Routledge & Sons, Ltd. London, 1928.

[c. 1420] Chiquart. Du Fait de Cuisine. c. 1420. Translated by Elizabeth Cook, http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Du_Fait_de_Cuisine/du_fait_de_c_contents.html

[1420] Chiquart's 'On Cookery': A Fifteenth-Century Savoyard Culinary Treatise, ed. and tr. by Terence Scully, 1986. New York: Peter Lang.

German

[c. 1345] Daz Buch von guter spise. Würzburg, c. 1345. Transcribed, 1844. Translated by Alia Atlas, http://cs-people.bu.edu/akatlas/Buch/buch.html

[c. 1553] Welserin, Sabina. Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin. c. 1553. Translated by Valoise Armstrong, 1998, http://daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html

[c. 1581] Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, tr. M. Grasse (Gwen Catrin von Berlin), 1999-2002. http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_Rumpolt1.htm

Spanish

[c. 1529] Ruperto de Nola, Libre del Coch, tr. Lady Brighid ni Chiarain, http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS/Guisados1-art.html (translation of the recipes only)

[1529] The Libro de Cozina of Master Ruperto de Nola, tr. Vincent F. Cuenca, 2001. Full English translation with commentary.

Secondary Sources

These are either commercial collections of medieval recipes together with modernised versions, or general theoretical discussions of medieval cookery. There are a lot of very dodgy sources out there; these are ones I recommend.

Ruth Anne Beebe. Sallets, Humbles and Shrewsbery Cakes: A collection of Elizabethan recipes adapted for modern kitchens. David R. Godine, Boston, 1976. Recipes from Thomas Dawson, Gervase Markham, John Murrell.

Maggie Black. The Medieval Cookbook. The British Museum Press, London, 1992.

Cariadoc and Elizabeth, A Miscellany. Collection of redacted recipes from a wide range of sources, including whole sections on Arabic dishes. http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/miscellany_pdf/Miscellany.htm

P. W. Hammond, Food and Feast in Medieval England, 1993. Wrens Park.

Constance B. Hieatt, Brenda Hosington, Sharon Butler. Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks. Toronto University Press, Toronto, 1996. Adapted recipes from a wide range of sources.

Madge Lorwin. Dining with William Shakespeare. Atheneum, New York, 1976. Tudor and Elizabethan recipes.

Cindy Renfrow. Take a Thousand Eggs and More: A collection of 15th century recipes (Vols 1 & 2). 1993. Cindy Renfrow is active in the SCA; these recipes are taken from Two Fifteenth-Century Cookbooks.

Barbara Santich. The Original Mediterranean Cuisine: medieval recipes for today. Chicago Review Press, Chicago, 1995. Recipes from Platina and other Italian cookbooks.

Terence Scully. The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages, 1995. London: Boydell.

C. Anne Wilson. 'Banquetting Stuffe': The fare and social background of the Tudor and Stuart banquet, ed. C. Anne Wilson, 1991. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Stefan’s Florilegium: a wonderful online archive of information from various SCA mailing lists, including whole sections on food with both original recipes and adaptations. http://www.florilegium.org

My own recipes and adaptations are at http://users.iafrica.com/m/me/melisant/cook/cook.htm.


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