Memories of Miss Memory

Ever wanted a recipe for lard? No? Not your thing? Well how about an artichoke pie? Ever wanted to know the recipe for plague water ? Well these and many more brilliant recipe’s from mediaeval cookbooks with names like “the Good Huswifes Jewell” and “The Widowes Treasure” are available from the British Library Online Cookery section to peruse when deciding on the menu for your next dinner party.

I am particularly fond of the notion of “Fish” days and “Flesh” days (they certainly had a way with words in the 16th Century) ‘the order howe all maner of meates should be served to the table, with their proper sawces both for flesh and fish.’

Some of the recipe’s seem to defy the concept of food for enjoyment - for example - why on earth would one serve live birds in a pie?

I was also delighted to find a recipe for A Quaking Pudding, which is described as a wobbly blancmange flavoured with rose water! This is critical reading for foodies!

So for your delight, I have transcribed the recipe for “A cake for a Princess” which i will one day make for someone’s birthday and hope that it doesnt taste strange. (the yeast bit worries me slightly)

Take half a peck of Flower (flower=flour, whats a peck?)
Half a pint of Rose Water
A pint of Ale yeast
A pint of cream.
Boil it.
A pound and a half of butter (no wonder they didn’t live long)
Six eggs (leave out the whites)
Four pounds of currants
One half pound of sugar
One nutmeg
a little salt

Work it very well, and let it stand half an hour by the fire, and then work it again, and then make it up (cryptic?), and let it stand an hour and a half in the Oven; let not your Oven be too hot.

I wonder why you boil the cream and yeast? this is a bit of a mystery…
and what does “make it up” mean?
i think my princess cake will need a little experimentation

These texts are not only filled with culinary delights, but also tidbits of classic mediaeval home science that every “huswife” should know, for example, recipes for confectionery, syrups, dyes and iprocras, and black ink, as well as concoctions to make beards grow, or to provoke sleep.

I see now, this was the “gentlewoman’s” way of becoming immortal, ‘which by these singuler practices hath obtained such fame, that her name shalbe remembred for ever to the posterities.’

sigh, if only making good apple pie could have the same effect today….but instead, we have sara lee.