Yes, since the election results have been tallied here in Michigan, we thought that we would brush up on our French. After all, hasn't Rich Lowry of the National Review called Michigan "The France of the Midwest", or, is that "The Sick Man of the Midwest"? No matter, it's all true.

Ah, wait, Michigan is  "The France of North America," according to Michael LaFaive of the Mackinac Center. I knew it was something like that.

This recipe is named after French King Henry IV (1553-1610) whose desire was for all his subjects to be able to poach a chicken every Sunday.

To Serve 6:
4 lb roasting chicken with liver reserved
2 to 2 1/2 quarts boiling water, salted
4 or 5 carrots
2 or 3 turnips
1 small cabbage, core removed
6 slices French or Italian bread, dried in a moderate oven

Stuffing:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 to 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Reserved chicken liver, chopped
2 oz ham, diced
2 oz lean salt pork, rind removed, diced, blanched in boiling water for 10 min, drained
2 or 3 shallots, chopped
salt

Prepare the stuffing first. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the bread crumbs, parsley, chicken liver, ham, salt pork and shallots.
season with salt and stir the mixture well.

Loosely stuff the chicken and truss it as for roasting. Place it in a pot with the boiling water.
If you are using old carrots and turnips, cut them into pieces and add them to the pot at this stage.
Cover and cook over medium heat. If the carrots and turnips are young and tender, leave them whole and add them along with the cabbage after 30 to 40 minutes.
Continue cooking for further 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is done.
To serve the stock, strain it into a soup tureen over oven dried bread slices.
To serve the main dish, carve the chicken, arrange it on a warmed platter surrounded by all the vegetables. Moisten the dish with a few spoonfuls of stock.

From: Time Life Books The Good Cook: Poultry

From: Time Life Books The Good Cook: Poultry

So what if ice houses didn’t regularly appear until 1660. Always remember, and don’t ever forget: It’s my web site. Besides, I’m sure I’ll eventually find Dr Bullein saying how good ice cream is for you. He would probably say, "The ice creame is More pleasant than profitable."

Take a fine pan Like a pudding pan ½ a ¼ of a yard deep, and the bredth of a Trencher; take your Cream and sweeton it with Sugar and 3 Spoonfulls of Orrange flower water, & fill yor pan full, yn cover itt with a Tin cover, & lay it close up wth Batter; have redy a coarse cloath Laid on ye ground ban break yor Ice in pretty Lumps had reddy 3d of Salt pettor, 2d of Roch alum 3d of bay Salt, beat ye Allum and Salt peetor very well & mingle it wth yr Ice and bay Salt. Lay Some (of) this into a Stean pott, yn set yor Creame on ye Ice on yr pott and strow ye rest all over it, and yn clap ye Cloath all over ye pott and wch will be immediately frose; yn Let it stand just 2 hours and no Longer; order yor dinner exactly; take yor warm hand and work about ye pan to Loosen ye Creame yn it may turn out on a Salver, first take of all ye Buttor send quick to yr Table or it will melt again.

Take Prunes, and put Claret Wine to them, and Sugar, as much as you thinke will make them pleasant, let all these seeth together till ye think the Liquor looke like a sirrope, and that your Prunes be well swollen and so keep them in a vessel as you do greene Ginger.

8 oz Prunes
¼ pt Claret
4 oz sugar

Soak the prunes overnight in the claret, then simmer the prunes, claret and sugar for 10-15 minutes until the prunes are fully swollen and tender. They may then be eaten directly, or sealed in sterilized jars for future use.

Ah, shucks, this isn’t real cheesecake. They were named cheese cakes because the potatoe-based filling resembled one made with farmer, or pot cheese.

To make 8 tartlets

½ short crust dough (1/4 kg)
2 medium sized potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed. About 1 ½ cups (375 ml)
4 Tbsp butter, melted (60 ml)
½ cup superfine sugar (125 ml)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp grated lemon peel (30 ml)
¼ tsp lemon extract (1 ml)
1 cup dried currants, soaked in warm water for 15 min and drained (1/4 liter)
rum

Bray saffron, ginger, clove, grains of paradise, long pepper and nutmegs, and moisten with the greasy sewe in which the carp has been cooked, and add thereto verjuice, wine and vinegar and let it be thickened with a little toasted bread, well brayed and colorless (natheless strained bread maketh the best sauce) and let it all be boiled and poured over the cooked fish, then put onto plates.

1 1/2 lb catfish or carp
5 threads saffron
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/8 t grains of paradise
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t nutmeg
2 T "greasy sewe" (liquid from cooking fish)
2 c tart red grapes well mashed and strained through cheese cloth (for verjuice)
2 t red wine
4 T wine vinegar
3 T bread crumbs

Tudor Times Variation: Use mackerel, pretend it’s "Squary Scad"

The original version calls for 12 sweet and 3 bitter almonds. Go on, knock yourself out. (Bitter almonds contain traces of poisonous prussic acid, and are unavailable in the US) The updated recipe suggests you use ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) almond extract along with the consommé to give a slightly bitter taste. (This way, you can mask the taste of the arsenic you may be using on your less favorite guests and/or family members. "It’s just bitter almonds", you can say with a cheerful grin)

This recipe was taken from Time Life Books Soups, and was originally extracted from a 16^th century recipe book. "Soup a la reine used to be served every Thursday at the court of the Valois and Queen Marguerite de Valois, it is said, was very fond of it". (Click to find the House of Valois, and a site devoted to Marguerite)

To serve 4 to 6

1 whole chicken breast, cut from a slightly under-roasted, still warm chicken, skin removed, and meat sliced
1 slice of bread, crust removed
2 ¼ cups consommé
15 blanched almonds
6 hard boiled egg yolks
1 ¼ cups light cream
salt

Add the bread to the consommé and bring to a boil. Pound finely in a large mortar the breast of chicken, almonds and egg yolks. When the mixture has been well pounded, add the consommé with the bread, and the cream. Rub the mixture through a sieve, season and keep the soup hot in a double boiler set over simmering water.

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Yield: 6 servings

1 Fresh ham or fresh pork -shoulder, whole or half, Bone in or boneless
2 lg Onions, chopped
2 lg Carrots, chopped
2 Stalks celery, including -leaves, chopped
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 ts Brown caraway seeds
1 ts Black caraway seeds (if not -available, use brown)
1 ts Celery seed
2 ts Ground cinnamon
1/2 ts Ground cloves, or 1 teaspoon -whole cloves
1 tb Whole allspice, or 1 -teaspoon ground allspice
1 tb Grated orange zest
1 tb Black peppercorns
1 lg Bay leaf
Salt, to taste (optional)
1 1/2 c Red table wine
1/2 c Red wine vinegar
1/2 c Olive oil
1/2 c Cognac (optional)

Trim every bit of fat possible off the meat and discard. Place the meat in a large non-metal container. Mix all of the other ingredients together and pour over the meat. Marinate the meat in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 8 days. Turn the meat several times during marinating so that no section is allowed to become dry.

When ready to roast, transfer the meat to a large heavy roaster pan (an enameled iron roaster with a lid would be ideal). Remove the bay leaf, peppercorns, whole allspice and whole cloves (if used) from the marinade and pour the marinade over the meat.

Roast the meat in a 350 F oven, basting frequently. Allow 30 to 40 minutes per pound. The inside temperature should be 165 F to 175F as measured with a meat thermometer. Remove the cover during the last 1/2 hour. You should be able to "cut with a fork" when done. If the pan becomes too dry, add additional red wine and/or water, 1/2 cup at a time. You will want at least 1 cup of liquid remaining in the pan when the roast is done.

Transfer the roast to a carving platter and allow it to cool slightly before carving. If desired, serve surrounded with small baked apples or spiced crab apples.

Hunter’s Sauce: Strain the liquid and vegetables from the roasting pan. Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender. Return the liquid to the roasting pan and skim off as much fat as possible. Add 1/2 cup of hot water to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up the particles adhering to the pan. Reduce the liquid to 1 cup.

Puree the vegetables in the food processor or blender. Add the reduced cooking liquid and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. If the sauce is too thick, thin to the desired consistency with hot water. Serve in a silver or pewter pitcher, bowl or sauceboat. [First Published in The Baltimore Sun; Dec 22, 1991]

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Yield: 8 servings

2 lb Turnip, small white; peeled-& cut in bite-sized pieces(*) 
1/3 c White wine; mixed with 2/3 c Water 
12 Chestnuts; peeled 
1/2 tb Dried sage; chopped 
1 tsp Honey 

Young, small turnips should be cooked in water without wine for the first boiling. Then throw away the water and cook slowly in water and wine, with chestnuts therein, or, if one has no chestnuts, sage. Parboil the turnips in water for 5 minutes; Drain. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup wine. Add chestnuts and sage. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer about 30 min.-- From Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks

(*)As best as I can glean from my hurried readings of the Book of Simples, Turnips have no vertue. They have little, if any, taste, either. This explains why you have to add all these other ingredients. 

Looking for more aphrodisiac entrées? Try Lewd Food: The complete guide to aphrodisiac edibles.  Interesting tidbits on Henry VIII can be found therein  

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What to do when unexpected company drops by? Well, if you didn’t have the presence of mind to hide behind a tapestry to feign your absence when you heard the thunder of hoof beats announcing the arrival of unexpected callers, here’s what to do:

Pull on your outer garments, go to the door, and greet your guests warmly. Now, this is the important part: Do not let these people in. After greeting them, announce that you "were just going out". Pull the door firmly behind you. Leave, and do not return until your surprise visitors have left.

If you insist on feeding these intruders, there is no better way than this:

"A meat dish to make quickly for supper when guests drop in unexpectedly, and there is nothing else in the house: For ten dishes, take twenty long slices of cold dinner meat and beef, small like slices of bacon, and fry them in fat in a pan on the fire. Take the yolks of six eggs and a little white wine, and beat them together until you are tired. Combine this with the juice of the meat and old verjuice (new verjuice will make it turn) Boil this mixture without the meat, and then set it out in dishes along with two strips of meat per dish. When there is not enough meat to go around, some people dish up the broth and set before four people a platter with five slices of meat, and the broth with it." From A Medieval Home Companion—Housekeeping in the 14^th Century

These are the proportions I use when making a salet dressing similar to the one mentioned by Dr Bullein in the section on the vertues of lettice. "I meane if it (the lettice) be not muche washed in water, adding cleane salet Oyle, Suger, and Vineger to it, it abateth carnal luste; and muche use of it dulleth the sight."

Can’t say I’ve noticed any abatement in sight, or lust. Better luck to you.

1/3 cup oil
3 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Vinegar

Optional Add ins:

1 Tablespoon parsley
½ teaspoon salt
dash pepper

Shake all ingredients in a tightly covered jar. (G’wan—use the little Good Season’s Shaker thing you have tucked away in the cupboard, and splash a dash of red pepper (Tabasco) sauce in, hang the orange-flower or rose water) Refrigerate for a couple hours, or overnight. Toss the dressing in salad just before serving.

An old Tudor was someone who was about 45 to 48 years old, the life expectancy being rather short in those days. This recipe was not tested in the Tudor Times brewpub/kitchen.

From Oregon Brew Crew

Recipe for 5 gal
Malts:	11 lb.	Durst Pilsner Malt
	0.75 lb.	DWC Carapils Malt
	0.25 lb.	17L Crystal
	0.25 lb.	Honey Malt

Hops:	1.0 oz.	Perle 		(AA = 8.4) 	added pre boil
	1.0 oz.	Saaz 		(AA = 3.5) 	15 min.
	1.0 oz.	Saaz 		(AA = 3.5) 	5 min.

Yeast:		Brewtek Swiss Lager Yeast

Brewer's Notes:
Mash pilsner malt with rests at 120F, 145F, 158F, and 168F. Times at each temp not specified. Add carapils, crystal, and honey malts at 158F rest. Boiling Time 90 min.. Primary 14 days at 50F in glass. Secondary 6 weeks at 32F in glass. Forced CO2 to carbonate.

I enjoy bananas with ice cream, fortunately, bananas were not unknown in England in 1500

6 bananas -- halved lengthwise
1/4 C. Grand Marnier
1/3 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 C. chopped walnuts
3/4 C. fresh orange juice
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Optional: vanilla ice cream or sour cream

Arrange bananas in shallow baking dish. Combine orange juice and Grand Marnier; pour over bananas. Dot with butter. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, basting occasionally. Sprinkle with nuts and brown sugar; continue baking until sugar is melted and nuts are glazed and toasted, about 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream, or ice cream, if you really want to thumb your nose at history.

Fresh Ham Boiled with Hay and Beer

I really don’t know when this recipe was invented, but it sounds so rustic and charming. This recipe was first published in 1892, but all of the ingredients were certainly around during the Renaissance. (Not tested in the Tudor Times Kitchen)

3 to 4 lbs fresh ham roast (1 ½ to 2 kg)
salt
½ lb fresh sweet hay (1/4 kg)
8 to 10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 carrot sliced
1 turnip sliced
1 onion sliced
1 leek sliced
3 cups dark beer (3/4 liter)
1 Tbsp flour (15 ml)

Salt the ham, wrap it in a cloth, put it in a pan with the hay, and cover the ham and hay generously with cold water. Cover the pan – leaving the lid slightly ajar – and bring the water to a boil; remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Then bring the water back to a boil once more; remove the pan from the heat and let the ham cool.

Take the ham out of the cloth and put it in another pan. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves and vegetables. Pour in the beer, cover the pan and cook over low heat until the meat is done, about one hour, turning the meat several times.

Remove the meat to a serving platter. Strain and degrease the cooking liquid, and blend in the flour. Bring this sauce to a boil, reduce its volume slightly if necessary and pour the sauce over the ham.

From Time Life Books The Good Cook: Pork

Oxford born Lambert Simnel was taken to Ireland in 1487 and promoted by Yorkist plotters as Edward Plantagenent, Earl of Warwick, the imprisoned nephew of Edward IV. He was crowned as Edward VI. Captured after the battle of Stoke, he was pardoned as harmless and allowed to survive as a servant. That story has little, if anything, to do with the following recipe. I just wanted you to know that I do have a really keen grasp of the Tudor times.

Actually, the simnel cake is one of the oldest English sweet breads. (It sounds suspiciously like a fruit cake to me, and, as such, was not tested in the TT kitchen) Traditionally baked for Mothering Sunday (the 4^th Sunday in Lent) as a gift from children to their parents, it probably originated in pre-Christian times. The name may be derived from the Roman white flour called similia. (Or, Henry VII shouting, "Bury Simnel!") This flour was used in a cake decorated with balls of dough for the feast of Matronalia, a Roman version of Mother’s Day.

In Shrewsbury, simnel cakes are garnished with marzipan balls to represent the Twelve Apostles. This recipe from Bury is close to the medieval version of the cake. Another little known fact is that most of the fruit cakes seen for sale at Christmas time were actually baked in the 13^th century. Since no one ate them then, they survive on the shelves today, gathering dust, just like my cookbooks.

To make one 7 to 8 inch (18 to 20 cm) cake

1 ¼ cups flour   300 ml
½ tsp baking powder  2 ml
2 tbsp butter   30ml
2 tbsp lard   30 ml
6 tbsp superfine sugar   90 ml
½ tsp ground cinnamon   2 ml
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg   2 ml
2 cups dried currants, soaked in hot water for 15 min and drained   ½ liter
¼ cup chopped candied fruit peel   50 ml
1 egg, lightly beaten
whole blanched almonds or walnuts
candied cherries
thinly sliced candied citron peel

Rub the butter and lard into the flour and then add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, currants and chopped candied peel, mixing well. Add the egg, and mix all of the ingredients into a very stiff dough, adding a little mile if necessary. Form the dough into a round, flat cake, and place it on a buttered baking sheet. Decorate the cake with the nuts, cherries and citron peel, and bake in a preheated 400 F (200C) oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Margaret Bates The Scottish and Irish Baking Book from Time Life The Good Cook, Breads.

Egurdouce of Fysshe (Sweet and Sour Fish)

To serve 4

1 ½ lbs flounder, cod, or other white fish
salt and pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
¼ cup cooking oil
¾ cup white (not too dry)
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 small onion, sliced
2 tsp raisins
2 tsp currants
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf

Cut fish into serving size pieces. Lightly salt, pepper and dust with flour on each side. Fry fish in the oil until golden, and drain on paper towel. Boil together wine, vinegar, sugar, onion, raisins, currants, and seasoning. Cook until onion is transparent and just fork tender. Arrange the fish on a warm platter. Spoon the onion on top and pour over the sauce.

From Royal Cookbook, Favorite Court recipes from the World’s Royal Families

In the 16^th Century, "Coddle" meant parboil or stew. Dublin Coddle is now eaten especially on Saturday nights when the men come home from the pubs, and is washed down by draughts of stout.

To serve 6

6 slices (rashers) of bacon
1 lb port sausages, pierced on all sides with a fork (1/2 kg)
4 medium sized onions, sliced
salt and pepper
1 cup water (1/4 liter)

Put the bacon, the sausages and the onions into a sauce pan. Season and add the water. Lay wax paper on top. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

From Time Life Books The Good Cook: Pork

First published in 1609. The prime mate liked these instructions at the end: "No green vegetables should be served with this dish. They could come beforehand, or afterwards, as an entirely separate course".

To Serve 4:

4 squabs
4 bunches thyme, parsley and marjoram
2 Tbsp butter (30 ml)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (15 ml)

Mutton stock:

meaty mutton or lamb bones
1 quart water (1 liter)
1 bouquet garni
1 medium sized carrot, sliced
1 medium sized onion, sliced

Rice pudding:

¼ cup raw unprocessed long-grain rice (50 ml)
2 cups light cream (or cream and milk) (1/2 liter)
½ tsp ground mace (2 ml)
1 large lemon, peeled thinly

Simmer the stock ingredients for 3 to 4 hours (this can be done in advance). Strain and reduce the stock to 3 cups (3/4 liter) Season with salt and black pepper.

To prepare the rice pudding: put the rice, cream, lemon peel and mace into a casserole. Cook in the oven at 250F (120C) Stir the crust occasionally and, if the rice becomes too dry, add some creamy mild. Leave for 2 to 3 hours – the slower a rice pudding is cooked, the better it tastes.

Insert the bunches of herbs into the squabs’ cavities. Them brown the squabs all over in the butter and oil. Next tuck them closely together in a casserole, breasts down, and pour in the boiling mutton stock, which should barely cover them. Simmer with the rice until cooked, either on top of the stove or in an oven preheated to 375 F (190 C); in the latter case, it is important that the casserole should be at a boil when you put it in.

When the flesh begins to show signs of parting from the breastbone, separate them completely, so that each squab is divided into two large pieces. Lay them on a serving dish and keep them warm.

Reduce the stock until it has a good strong flavor. It can be thickened a little if you like, but the author thinks that a strongly flavored thin gravy is preferable since the rice will provide the desirable thickness.

Season the rice pudding with sugar and more mace to taste. Smother the squabs with the pudding and squeeze the peeled lemon over it.

Time Life Books The Good Cook: Poultry

Since so many people have asked the prime mate for his secret recipe, here it is. Perfect for office pot-lucks. Cooks all morning, and voila!, it’s ready in time for lunch

1 package of Frozen Meatballs
1 Bottle of Lea & Perrins BBQ Sauce
1 Sliced onion
Bourbon to taste

Combine frozen meatballs, BBQ Sauce and sliced onion in a crock pot. Place on "low" heat for about four hours. A ½ hour before serving, splash in the remaining bourbon. Heat for ½ hour more, stir and serve.

Variation: You can substitute those itsy bitsy hot dogs for the meatballs, and use Open Pit BBQ sauce with the little hot dogs.

Notes:

Be sure to use the crock pot that is the most difficult to clean. Also, leave the crock pot on all afternoon, even though it’s almost empty. This gives it that great, hardened crust on the sides of the crock pot. Done properly, it will take on the look and consistency of hardened lava.

Clean-up? It’s a breeze, just leave the crock pot in a big brown paper bag on the Tudor Times kitchen table, and the serving/cleaning wench will attend to it right away. You, as King, are far too important to bother about such things.

(Note to first time visitors: Keep scrolling, we do have some rather interesting offerings farther down)

Prediction: Eating too many of these is a sure sign of the end days of your diet!

Queen Elizabeth I was quite fond of marzipan. I went looking for a recipe in the good old Time Life Good Cook Books that sit gathering dust on the shelf, and lo and behold—stumbled across this offering from none other than that 16^th century physician and sayer of sooth, Michel de Nostredame, or Nostradamus as he has come to be known. Seems he published more than quatrains. Hm. Well, there are only four ingredients in this easy confection, which was first published in 1552.

From Candy: "An electuary, a term used to describe the consistency of boiled sugar, is a thick, medicinal syrup. The sugar-boiling equivalent is the hard-crack stage, 310 degrees F (154 C) on a candy thermometer. Nostradamus suggests decorating this candy with edible gold leaf. He also says that almonds can be candied in the same manner."

To make about 3 pounds (1 ½ kg)
2 ½ lb. pine nuts (about 5 cups) 1 ¼ kg
2 cups sugar ½ liter
2 to 3 tbsp rose water 30 to 45 ml
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Roast the pine nuts in a preheated 250F (120C) oven for about 15 minutes, or until they are lightly colored.

In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the rose water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook the syrup until it is as thick as an electuary. In the winter or in wet weather, you will have to boil the syrup for a little longer; in summer, you will find the syrup is ready as soon as it boils without foaming and making a noise. Noise is a sign that there is still some moisture left in the syrup.

Remove the syrup from the heat, dip the pan briefly in cold water to stop the cooking, then rest the base of the pan on a barrel top or other surface that will hold it well.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula to beat the mixture briskly until it turns white. When the mixture begins to cool, add the egg white. Beat the mixture again and set it over low heat. Cook it for two to three minutes, until the moisture from the egg white has evaporated and the mixture is as thick as it was before the white was added.

Add the pine nuts to the thick syrup. Mix them in well. While keeping the pan on low heat so that the mixture does not cool, use a narrow-bladed spatula to remove walnut sized portions of the mixture. Set these pieces well apart on parchment paper and let them cool.

Michel de Nostredame Excellent Et Moult Utile Opuscule From Time Life The Good Cook - Candy

Ring in Y2K with a treat based on a recipe from the 1^st century

To Serve 4

2 ½ cups milk (625 ml)
5 eggs lightly beaten
½ cup honey (125 ml)
freshly ground pepper

Mix the milk and honey, then add the eggs. Work the eggs with the milk into a smooth mixture. Strain the mixture into a 1 quart ( 1 liter ) earthenware pot, set it in a pan partly filled with boidling water and cook it in a preheated 325 F (160 C) oven for about 30 minutes, or until set. Grind pepper over the custard and serve.

Time Life books The Good Cook: Desserts

Said to have been introduced to Scotland from Italy in the 16^th Century. It was originally served on Twelfth Night (Jan 6), but is now baked for New Year’s Eve (Hogmanay). This was first published in 1806.

To make one 10 inch (25 cm) bun

8 cups flour (2 liters)
Two ¼ oz (two 7 ½ g) packages active dry yeast, or two 3/5 oz (18 g) cakes of yeast
2 cups tepid water (360 ml)
24 Tbsp butter (3/4 lb-1/3 kg) cut into pieces
2 tsp salt (10ml)
1 tsp whole allspice (5ml)
1 tsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger root (5 ml)
3 or 4 whole cloves
¾ cup chopped candied orange peel (175 ml)
¾ cup chopped candied lemon peel (175 ml)
¾ cup chopped blanched almonds (175 ml)
4 cups raisins, soaked in hot water for 15 min and drained (1 liter)
4 cups dried currants, soaked in hot water for 15 min and drained (1 liter)
½ tsp grated nutmeg (2 ml)

Note: For extra flavor, the orange peel, lemon peel, raisins and currents may be soaked in rum, brandy or fruit liqueur for one to two hours beforehand, rather than the hot water.

Mix the yeast with the water. Mix it with the flour and salt, using your hands to work it in, until all of the ingredients are moist. Turn the dough out onto a floured board, mix in the butter and knead for about 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Put it into a warmed bowl, cover it and leave it in a warm place until doubled in bulk – about two hours. To make the flavoring, pound the allspice, ginger and cloves together in a mortar. Mix the spices with the chopped peels and add the almonds, raisins, currants and nutmeg.

Punch down the dough and knead it briefly until the air has been expelled. Slice off one third of the dough and reserve it. Flatten the larger piece of dough into a round about 1 inch ( 2.5 cm) thick. Sprinkle the flavoring mixture onto the dough. Then fold the dough over the flavoring, and knead well until the flavoring is evenly distributed.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the remaining dough into a sheet ¼ in thick (6 mm) and large enough to encase the fruit dough in the center. Pull the plain dough around the fruit dough, folding any excess plain dough into pleats on top of the bun. Press the pleats together firmly and turn the bun over. Gently flatten the bun until it is about 3 inches thick (8cm). With a long needle, pierce the bun through to the bottom all over, to allow steam to escape during cooking. Lay the bun on a buttered and floured baking sheet. To ensure that the burn keeps its shape, encircle it with the hoop of a spring-form cake pan or with a ring of stiff cardboard covered with foil. The hoop or ring should be larger than the bun to allow for expansion during cooking.

Bake the burn in a preheated 375 F (190 C) oven for one hour, then remove the hoop or ring to let the sides of the bun brown. Bake for 30 minutes until the bun is golden brown.

From Time Life books The Good Cook: Breads

Spiced Wine

Musk and ambergris were used in the original recipe. Go ahead, knock yourself out. Crushed hot chilies were used in the 17^th century version.

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

1 quart red wine ( 1 liter)
1 ½ cups sugar (375 ml)
1 inch cinnamon stick (2.5 cm)
12 whole cloves
2 blades mace
2 inch piece fresh ginger sliced (5 cm)
1 tart apple, peeled and sliced
12 almonds, crushed to a paste

Place the wine in a bowl with the sugar, spices and apple. Cover the bowl and let the mixture infuse for 30 minutes, or, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Place the almonds in a jelly bag or sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Pour the wine into the cloth, stir it and leave it to drip into a large bowl. Bottle the wine. If the wine is to be stored, cork it well; otherwise, it can be drunk immediately.

Orig from L’escole parfaite des officers de Bouche. Adapted from Time-Life The Good Cook: Beverages

To make about 2 cups

2 Seville (bitter) oranges, the peel thinly pared and cut into very fine julienne, and the juice strained. Be sure that none of the bitter white pith is left on the peel.

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (45ml)

4 cups Veloute sauce (1 liter) recipe follows

In a heavy saucepan, simmer the veloute sauce until it is reduced to about half its original volume. Meanwhile, parboil the julienne for three minutes, then drain them and dry them with a cloth. Stir the orange and lemon juices into the reduced veloute, then strain the sauce through a sieve into a warmed bowl or sauce boat. Stir in the strips of orange peel.

To make 4 cups of Veloute sauce:
8 Tbsp butter (120 ml)
½ cup flour ( 100 ml)
8 cups veal, chicken, fish or game stock (1 liter)
heavy cream

Orig published in "La Cuisine Classique". Taken from Time-Life The Good Cook: Sauces.

To make about 1 ½ quarts. (1 ½ liters)

6 apples, roasted or baked until soft, peeled, halved and cored
brown sugar
1 nutmeg grated
ground ginger
5 cups ale, heated (1 ¼ liters)

Mix the pulp of the apples with brown sugar to taste, the nutmeg and a small quantity of ginger. Add the Ale, made moderately warm. Stir the whole well together and, if sweet enough, it is fit for use.

Orig published in "Oxford Night Caps". Taken from Time-Life The Good Cook: Beverages.

You make lemonade when life hands you lemons, why not whip up some bone marrow pie to take care of any skeletons in your closet?

(Not tested—too squeamish for the bone marrow extraction directions set out below)

To make one 8 inch (20 cm) pie

1 lb short crust dough ( ½ kg)
1 cup diced beef marrow (1/4 liter)
1 dinner roll, soaked in water and squeezed dry
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup sugar (125 ml)
¼ cup rum or kirsch (50 ml)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (5 ml)
¼ cup finely chopped blanched almonds (50 ml)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Mix together the marrow, soaked dinner roll, eggs, sugar, rum, cinnamon and almonds to form a smooth mixture.

Roll out the dough and use two thirds of it to line a tart pan. Fill with the marrow mixture and cover with the remaining dough. Seal the edges, brush the top with the egg yolk and make three slits in the top. Bake in a preheated 400 F (200 C) oven for 25 minutes, until the top is brown and a knife inserted in a slit comes out clean. Serve hot.

Taken from Time-Life Books The Good Cook: Pies and Pastries

Notes: Hindshanks contain more marrow.

To extract the marrow from beef bones: Ask your butcher to saw beef shank bones into 3 to 4 inch (8 to 12 cm) sections. This will make it easier to remove the marrow. Loosen the marrow from one end of the bone with a small, sharp knife, and gently prize it out until the bone is empty. To store: enclose the marrow in one layer in plastic freezer wrap, using a "drugstore" wrap. Press down on the package with your hands to exclude the air. Then, wrap the parcel in heavy duty foil. Label the package and freeze it.

Quinces are related to apples and look a bit like pears. You can substitute either in this recipe with acceptable results.

This was adapted from a 14^th Century recipe, originally appearing in "Food In England" by Dorothy Hartley. She determined that "coffyrs of paaste" referred to small tartlet shells, and that the quinces were precooked.

It really sounds more like a baked apple to me—with the pastry wrapped around the fruit and baked enough. Y’know—like a coffer enclosing a treasure, only here, the fruit and spices. But, hey, who am I to translate this stuff?

To make twelve 3 inch tartlets

1 lb short-crust dough ( ½ kg)
6 quinces peeled and cored
6 Tbsp ( 90 ml) sugar or ¼ cup (50 ml) honey
pepper
ground ginger
ground allspice

Put the quinces in a baking dish, and fill them with sugar or honey combined with a little pepper, ginger and allspice. Bake in a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven for 45 minutes, or until the quinces are soft but still hold their shape. Allow the quinces to cool, and halve them.

Roll out the dough, cut it into rounds and use it to line small tartlet pans. Place a quince half in each pan and bake in a preheated 400 F (200 C) oven for 20 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry are lightly browned. Serve hot or cold.

Taken from Time-Life Books The Good Cook: Pies and Pastries. (This book also has a nice Irish Baked Apple recipe, which uses-what else?- Irish Whiskey. A great variation on a classic fruit dessert)

Recipe by Molly Chappellet, Chappellet Winery as Printed in Wine & Spirits

Pumpkins were used in 16^th Century Italian Cuisine, and there are still life paintings from the 16^th century depicting this beta carotene powerhouse. I happen to like pumpkin soup. The spices used in this recipe are interesting, and to me, evoke a Renaissance-ish flavor. It’s fun to serve in hollowed out little pumpkins, too.

Serves 10-12

3 shallots, minced
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp shredded fresh ginger
8 cups cooked pumpkin, pureed
3/8 tsp grated nutmeg (why not use ½? This seemed silly)
3/8 tsp powdered cumin (Ok, I can see using less than ½ tsp with this spice)
¼ tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp each turmeric & mace
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups 1% milk
zest of one lemon
¾ cup chenin blanc or other dry white wine

In a large soup pot, sauté shallots in the butter until translucent. Add shredded ginger; cook a minute more. Add the pumpkin, spices and chicken stock. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk and bring back to a simmer until heated through. Add milk(*), wine and lemon zest and bring back to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a large, hollowed-out white pumpkin, or a series of smaller ones.

(*) these are the instructions as printed in Wine & Spirits. I took it to mean divide the milk and add it one cup at a time.

Robin Hood’s Merry Men in Sherwood Forest never had it this good! Not a real ‘renaissance’ recipe, but, certainly the ingredients have existed since the 16^th century.

6 servings

Mushroom Bullion:

2 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced
1 pound mixed wild mushrooms
½ cup white port, such as Osborne
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart water
Salt & pepper to taste.

Mushroom Foam:
¼ cup mushroom bullion (see below)
2 tsp cold butter

Garnishes:
Chives, finely chopped
Aged sherry, such as Osborne

To make the Mushroom Bullion:

Melt butter in a large pot. Add garlic and shallots and cook over moderately low heat for 20 minutes, until translucent. Add mushrooms and sweat until soft and aromatic. (*)

Add white port, and cook until reduced by half. Add chicken stock and water. Cover. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make Mushroom Foam:

Blend ¼ cup of the bullion and 2 tsp of cold butter with a hand blender until foamy.

To serve:

Ladle bullion into a soup bowl, top with chives and a bit of mushroom foam. Finish by floating several dashes of sherry on the surface of the bullion.

Notes: Of course, the taste will vary according to the mushrooms you select and the spirits you use. For the mushrooms, Chef DiSpirito recommends chanterelles, cepes, or black trumpets. Good luck finding any of those.

(*) Please don’t ask what the prime mate thought this meant. But, that’s why he’s the prime mate.

Caudle (Kandeel)

Caudle is a drink traditionally served in the Netherlands to guests visiting the mother of a new baby.

To make about 5 cups (1 ¼ liters)

6 whole cloves
4 inch cinnamon stick (10 cm)
½ lemon, the peel thinly pared
1/3 cup water (75 ml)
2/3 cup sugar (150 ml)
12 egg yolks
3 cups Rhine wine

Put the spices and lemon peel into the water and place over low heat to infuse for about 30 minutes; do not let the liquid boil. Strain the liquid. Put the sugar in a heavy nonreactive pan and stir in the egg yolks. Slowly mix in the wine and the spiced water. Put the pan in a larger pan partly filled with almost boiling water and set over low heat, or place it on a heat-diffusing pad over low heat. Stir the mixture constantly until it is creamy. Serve warm in cups or glasses.

Lightly toast two slices of bread. In a small bowl, mash the nanner. Spread the nut paste on one slice of the bread, and the flattened nanner on the other. Spread butter on the other sides of the bread. Hold bread over the hot coals, on a long stick, until the outside is nicely browned.

And the Ingredients:
1 small ripe banana
2 slices white bread
3 Tablespoons of peanut butter
2 Tablespoons of butter

Lightly toast two slices of bread. In a small bowl, mash the banana. Spread the peanut butter on one slice of the bread, and the banana on the other. Fry this in melted butter until golden brown.

A Fool or Trifle A recipe of Lady Elinor Fettiplace (1570-1647)

4 egg yolks
1 pint warm cream
½ cup white sugar
3 teaspoons rosewater—be sure that you have the culinary, not the cosmetic variety. Go ahead--use vanilla if you are not sure
Nutmeg, freshly ground to taste
Slices of brioche or sponge cake, or good white bread
Medium Dry Sherry or Maderia

Lay the bread or cake in your serving dish or bowl and soak in good-quality medium dry sherry or Maderia. Cook the egg yolks in a double boiler with the cream and sugar until the custard thickens—but does not boil. Season with the rosewater and nutmeg. Keep stirring until it cools, adding more cream to achieve the consistency you want. Pour over the cake and leave to cool—the longer the better so that the flavors can mingle.

From: Renaissance Recipes—Painters and Food. Gillian Riley. Out of Print, but Amazon will search for you, risk free. The pictures are simply stunning, and well suited to the text. And the recipes, well, you really didn’t expect me to be able to cook, too, did you? Grow up.

Notes from the Tudor Times Kitchen: Remember, there is no such thing as "cooking sherry". If you can’t drink it on it’s own, then you shouldn’t be cooking with it.

Reserve a sufficient quantity of the sherry for your own use during the cooking process. It will make the time pass much more pleasantly.

I think that "custard" is misused here—I could not get this to thicken to a consistency that I would even remotely consider "custard" on my first attempt with these instructions. After an hour of cooking over the double boiler with the stuff in danger of boiling, it still was a thin liquid. With my afternoon nap time fast approaching, and becoming very cranky, I made a roux of flour and water to try to thicken it somewhat. This worked a little, but it was still on the thin side. Cooling and pouring it over the cake did thicken it a little more, since the cake was sopping it up, and chilling it in the refrigerator while I napped also helped. I ended up putting a selection of seasonal berries over the dish to divert attention, and hoped that everyone would think the "custard" was a "sauce" instead. After the second and third days, it had more of a firm consistency. This was three days in a refrigerator, mind you.

I happen to know actual Scottish cooks who don’t hesitate to use commercial puddings, like Jell-o, or Thank You brands in their trifles, and this may be why I’m having a small problem with the consistency in this recipe. They use commercially prepared lady fingers, too.

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Brithyll a Chig Moch (Trout and Bacon) Welsh

Take and strain them with the yolks of four eggs, and a little white bread grated, then season it up with sugar and sweet butter and so bake it.

To Make Short Paest for Tarte

Take fyne floure and a curscy of fayre water and a dysche of swete butter and a lyttel saffron, and the yolkes of two egges and make it thynne and as tender as ye maye.

Cut butter into flour, then crush saffron into 1 t of water; mix that and the rest of the water with the egg yolk and stir it into the flour-butter mixture.

A Spice Rub

1 tsp Cinamon