The Gode Cookery Selected Site of the Month

Just in time for Easter! The Thorngrove Table is the "foodblog" of Christina Nevin, and her post for April 3, 2007, is entitled, "Waiter, There's Something In My... Easter Basket: C.14th Tart de Bry ." As Christina writes, "Easter was an occasion of great celebration in medieval times in the Western Christian world - not just for religious reasons, but for culinary reasons also." Read her recipe for Tart de Bry (from Forme of Cury) as well as a recipe for "14th c. Macaroni Cheese."

http://thorngrove.typepad.com/table/medieval_food/index.html

JANUARY 2007

Medieval French food for Jewish New Year
by Gillian Polack, Ph.D.

An excerpt from the site:

"This essay is a reconstruction based on probabilities. We know something about medieval Jewish festive food through descriptions by French Jews given in the work of scholars.... and we know the Jewish food laws (kashruth). We also have, in tested modern versions, a lot of recipes for the French prosperous classes in the Middle Ages.... French medieval culinary history now has a large and growing literature. I have combined these sources to produce a feast menu - all the foods were those which wealthier Jews would have had a chance to sample, and as many dishes as possible reflect actual medieval Jewish traditions for Jewish New Year."

http://www.triviumpublishing.com/articles/medievaljewishnewyear.html

AUGUST 2006

Feasts, Fairs and Festivals: Mirrors of Renaissance Society

by Linda Maynard Powell

Written for her ninth grade students at Cooperative High School, this website is explained by Linda Maynard Powell as: "Studying these festivals has something to do with the experience of the student. Rebirth and discovery are two of the most important themes of the festival, both in ancient times and even in our own times. Students often experience feelings of both during holidays, for holidays can be times of growth, even though the student may not know it. The festival was a time of "renewal" of self and society, a reminder of the natural year, and a symbol of spiritual resurrection. It was a time for an individual to discover or affirm how he fit into the community structure, through common, ritualized experience. Studying Renaissance festivals can help students see themselves and their own developement."

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1986/3/86.03.06.x.html

MARCH 2006

Foods of Ireland - Irish recipes

by About.com

"The custom of imbibing alcohol on St. Patrick's Day comes from an old Irish legend. As the story goes, St. Patrick was served a measure of whiskey that was considerably less than full. St. Patrick took this as an opportunity to teach a lesson of generosity to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper that in his cellar resided a monstrous devil who fed on the dishonesty of the innkeeper. In order to banish the devil, the man must change his ways. When St. Patrick returned to the hostelry some time later..."

Want to find out how the story ends? Then you'll have to visit this About.com site to do so, and while there, discover the legendary origin of Pota Phadraig and other interesting facts concerning St. Patrick's Day and Irish foods.

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa031599.htm

FEBRUARY 2006

Valentine's Day history - Love in the time of birds and bards
by Helyn Trickey/CNN

So why is Valentine's Day, a holiday dedicated to the sweet bloom of love, celebrated in a cold month more suited to hats and gloves than to thoughts of love?

This website from CNN.com explains why lovers everywhere can thank two guys from the 14th century for this day of hearts and flowers: renowned bard Geoffrey Chaucer - famous for penning "The Canterbury Tales" - and a not-so-famous saint who went by the name of Valentine.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/valentines/stories/history/

JANUARY 2006

No Selected Site for this month - Gode Cookery on vacation!

DECEMBER 2005

Traditional Holiday Wassail - A History of Merriment

by Michelle Southern

Have a Merry Christmas cocktail in true medieval fashion! Michelle Southern, the cocktail editor at BellaOnline, brings you everything you need to know about the quintessential Yule beverage known as Wassail, including its legendary beginnings in Anglo-Saxon times and a traditional recipe featuring both brown ale and wine. Waes Hael!

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art15227.asp

NOVEMBER 2005

Works on Food and Cookery

An excerpt from this beautifully presented site:

"There are two opposing attitudes to medieval eating in the modern conception. One is the rough and tumble, chomping on whole chickens, slurping the gravy and chucking things to the dogs model. The other is a hyper-refined conception of lords and ladies, exquisitely attired, daintily observing the most refined of manners while nibbling on all manner of exotic delicacies and enjoying fascinating diversions. Both are probably excessive extrapolations from what is known about medieval upper class eating. Much of the direct literature on cooking and food preparation comes from the later middle ages, when food, eating and table manners became part of the significata of a desperate era of social competition and conspicuous extravagance."

http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/word/food.htm

OCTOBER 2005

Festività Delle Quattro Stagioni

For Gode Cookery, October means Alabama, as we travel to Florence, AL, to cater the Alabama Renaissance Faire Feast. This year, our menu is an Italian Renaissance Feast with the theme of the Four Seasons: Festività Delle Quattro Stagioni. See our website for the complete menu by Lisa Holcomb-Blair, with source documentation and the original recipes.

http://www.godecookery.com/al2001/alabam05.html

SEPTEMBER 2005

The PSC Medieval Society Kitchen

The Medieval Society of Plymouth State College (Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA) was founded by students and faculty to study the people, culture and history of the Middle Ages, and is proud to have established a "tradition of academic purpose, excellence and fun!" Both the purpose & fun are found in the Society's light-hearted website, which features recipes fron the Society's "kitchen." Sadly, the recipes found on the website are not documented; they are, however, modern, working versions of authentic dishes, which any student of medieval cookery should recognise. The "Noodles" recipe, for example, is nothing more than the "Makerouns" recipe from Forme of Cury, while the "Squash Broth," with ground pork as an ingredient, is quite clearly "Gourdes in Potage," also from Forme of Cury. Other recipes include "Mushroom Pasties" (Champignons en paste, from Le Menagier de Paris), "Gilded Meatballs with Currants' (Pommes d'Ors), "Buttered Greens" (Wortes), and "Elderflower Cheese Tarts" (Sambocade). There are 25 recipes in all, organized in two different "feasts," with a bibliography of secondary source material.

Purists will dislike this website's irreverent approach and lack of primary source documentation; others should note that this is one of the few non-documented medieval recipe collections on the Internet which features actual period dishes.

http://oz.plymouth.edu/~medsoc/kitchen.html

AUGUST 2005

Bernwood Ancient Hunting Forest - Medieval Recipes

"Getting to know Bernwood Forest" is the theme of this website by the Buckinghamshire County Council, which uses historical facts, graphics, and an accent on the Middle Ages to educate its readers on Bernwood, a medieval Royal Hunting Forest. 13 recipes, culled from several online sources, are featured on the Medieval Recipes page - but be sure to check out the rest of the site for fascinating information on Bernwood, both historical & contemporary.

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/archaeology/bernwood_medieval_recipes.htm

JULY 2005

No Selected Site for this month - Gode Cookery on vacation!

JUNE 2005

Food and Feasts by Traumwerk

"Of all the entertainments available in medieval Britain, eating had universal appeal. Sumptuous feasts were available only to the rich, and most of the existing menus and recipes were for their delectation alone. But although their repasts were more modest, even the comparatively humble marked festivals with special gastronomic delights..."

An interesting website, compiled by a variety of contributing editors. A variety of recipe links take you to Sabina Welserin, Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books, & others.

http://metamedia.stanford.edu/traumwerk/index.php/Food%20and%20Feasts

MAY 2005

Professio Antiquus - Ancient Arts Online

Professio Antiquus - Ancient Arts Online is a compendium of research and information focusing on the domestic arts of the Ancient world. Created & maintained by Roman culinary expert Lisa Holcomb-Blair, the website & the ancientartsonline domain feature a Roman cookery page & a section devoted to medieval & other historical cookery; Ancient Roman, Early Period, and Dark Age costuming research are found in the Clothing in Early Times page, while articles on natural dyeing techniques and other clothing related interests are located on theTextile Arts page. In addition is a Scholarly Works section focusing on articles of intensive research and documentation on all aspects of the Ancient Arts.

http://www.ancientartsonline.com/index.htm

APRIL 2005

Hudson Claypotter

Hudson pots are to be found in museums and large houses; most of the pottery used in the kitchen areas of Hampton Court Palace, London, have been made by John. His most rewarding commission has been the floor, ridge tiles and wares for Barley Hall, a reconstructed 15th century house in York.

John Hudson has exhibited at the International Ceramics Symposium at Faenza, Italy in 1980 and has worked and exhibited at the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition at Sabae in 1995.

He has also made tea ceremony wares for Ura Senke Tea - Foundation of Kyoto, Japan, and items for Colonial Williamsburg, USA, and the Walraversijde Museum, Belgium. He is a long term member of the Medieval Pottery Research Group and is a current member of its Council.

The Hudson Claypotter site contains information on all of John's creations, including his 14th & 15th c. reproductions.

http://www.hudsonclaypotter.com/hudson_pottery.php

MARCH 2005

Did the Ancients Know the Artichoke? A Review of the Evidence
by Clifford A. Wright

Clifford A. Wright is a cook & author specializing in the cuisines and food history of Italy & the Mediterranean. This amazing, albeit somewhat controversial, article originally submitted to the Journal d'Agriculture Traditionnelle et de Botanique Appliquée, March 22, 1996, examines the history of the artichoke and Wright's argument that what we believe was the artichoke in ancient times was in actuality the cardoon. A must-read for the food historian!

http://www.cliffordawright.com/history/artichoke.html

FEBRUARY 2005

Redacting Medieval Recipes
by David Salley

David Salley is an active member of The Society for Creative Anachronism, and is known for his skills and knowledge of heraldry & medieval games. His website proves that he can cook, too. Here you will find David's redactions, or modernized versions, of medieval recipes, including Chicken a Padua, Toasted Cheese, Sweet and Sour Fish, Beef and Cabbage, Prince Biscuit, Salmon Dumplings, Noumbles, Tuna Steaks, Peas, Leek and Walnut Soup, Salmon Mold, Medieval Style Perch, Leeks and Onions, Armored Turnips, Douce Ame, Icelandic Chicken, and Stuffed Chicken.

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dpsalley/Recipes/

JANUARY 2005

Six recipes from The Medieval Kitchen
by Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi

Here are 6 sample recipes from The Medieval Kitchen, one of the more recently published medieval cookbooks currently available. The recipes in this compilation come from several authentic sources and are handsomely translated and redacted (i.e., made into a modern recipe) by the authors; the modern recipes themselves are delicious, and most importanly, will work for any cook regardless of experience.

The sample recipes at this website include Chicken with fennel, Fine Spice Mixture, Stuffed anchovies and sardines, Sienese tart, Sky-blue sauce for summer, & How to make an orange omelette.

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/706842.html

The Medieval Kitchen may be purchased from The Gode Cookery Bookshop.

ALL GODE COOKERY SELECTED SITES FOR 2004

Early English Recipes | Clotild's Brief Intro to Period Cooking | St. Patrick's Day Feast - More than Corned Beef and Cabbage | La sera dell 'epifania - An Italian Twelfth Night Feast | The Smell of the Middle Ages | Food Network's "The Secret Life of..." | Odriana's Cookery Information | Give me a recipe with humour | Du fait de cuisine | How do medieval-themed restaurants get it wrong? | Historic Food - The Website of Food Historian Ivan Day | Medieval and Tudor Christmas Courts

ALL GODE COOKERY SELECTED SITES FOR 2003

ALL GODE COOKERY SELECTED SITES FOR 2002

ALL GODE COOKERY SELECTED SITES FOR 2001

Master Osgot of Corfe's Royal Feast Recipes | John Baptista Porta's The Fourteenth Book of Natural Magick | Building and Using a Medieval-Style Hemispherical Bake Oven | The School of Salerno: The 1608 English translation of The Medical Poem of Salerno by Sir John Harington | Medieval History Scholar Finds Women Chief Brewers, Children Drank Ale | The Quest for Burger King | The Debatable Brewers' Guild | Flowers as Food | Food and Feud in Saga Iceland | Age, Gender, and Status Divisions at Meal Time in the Roman House: a Synopsis of the Literary Evidence | The Reconstructed Medieval Kitchens of Stirling Castle | The Consumption of Spices and Their Costs in Late-Medieval and Early-Modern Europe: Luxuries or Necessities?

ALL GODE COOKERY SELECTED SITES FOR 2000

ALL GODE COOKERY SELECTED SITES FOR 1999

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