The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04
OLDEST ENGLISH COOK nook.
A Three Course Banquet Which Involved
wholesale slaughter.


The oldest English ookery book Of which
we have any knowledge was first printed
and published in the year 1850 from a manu-
Earl of Oxford. The printer was one s.
Pegge. who edited the book and wrote a
very interesting preface for it.
The original manuscript. which is entitled
-Forme Of Curry = contains 100 recipes and
was written about the year 1890 by one of
the master cooks Of King Richard H., who
is said by the author to have been OF n q
the best and ~royalest viands Iepicuresl of
all Christian kings"
After reading the "Forme OF Curry . we
are inclined to adopt the cooks estimate
of his royal master. says the Gentlemdn's
Magazine. Certainly the recipes are in a
royal style, for the cook is hidden to take
pigs" to take hens" to take geese to
take rabbits (here called ~"oonynges or
c~oneys") with a vagueness as to quantity
that is wholly delightful and a sublime
disregard Of domestic economy.
A vast deal Of incidental information is
to be picked up from the study Of this old
book. For instance, we gather that the
art OF carving was unnecessary. therefore
unknown till quite the end of the twelfth
Ohbu consequently HO M .
quired or used at table. and we find the
recipes are mostly for soups. broths. pot
ages. hashes. h~otchpotches and ragouts.
Neither animals. birds. nor fish were
ever brought to table whole or in joints,
but were cut up in the kitchen into pieces
called "gobbets.' The pestle and mortar
played so important a part In the prepara-
ton of food that many dishes were called
SNORT ~ from n md vuora aafap aithar
with the fingers or with a Don
Forks were not generally used at table
until the reign Of James 1. in England.
They we're, however known in Europe
long before this. The first fork mem
toned in history belonged to a Byzantine
lady, who, on coming to Venice as a bride
in the middle OF the eleventh century,
brought with her a golden prong" as it
is called in the pamphlet describing IL.
This fork, which probably had only two
prongs, evidently caused a great sensation,
for st. Peter Damian, aSterward Bishop
OF Ostia, mentioned It in a sermon, wherein
he severely rebuked the lady for her luxury
and extravaganza in actually taking up
her food with a golden prong when God
had given her fingers for that purpose.
About the middle OF the twelfth century
many joints and birds were served whole,
the art of carving began to be practised
and knives consequently were introduced:
but even in the days of Richard ii. Joints
were not common, and English people
lived much more after the French fashion.
II was not until Eli1abethan times that
England became celebrated for its roast
beef. In the fourteenth century food
came to table cut up in these gobbets.
The whole country Is set agog nowadays
by the giving OF a 500 a plate banquet.
Hlf a1nh an AFFAIR aRAnOR nrAfkw Nawn2 -
Judged by fourteenth century standards.
For example, the Bishop Of Durham gave
a feast to Richard II. in 1887, at which
there were only three courses. But this was
the third one:
Potage Bruete Of Almonds. Stewed Lumbarde.
Roast Partridge. Roast Pescocks. Roast Quail.
A Dish OF Jelly. Long Frtters. And . Subtiety.
The first two courses, by the way, in
cluded roast herons, pigs, cranes, pheasants.
swans, boars' heads and ended in each case
with a subtlety.'
These -subtleties' were devices in sugar.
pastry and Jelly OF great size. representing
all sorts Of things; Sometimes they were
~allegorical and religious, sometimes thew
represented hunting scenes and wild ant
mals-lions,, tigers, leopards I'M 80 forth
were modcllCd-and sometimes the in
terror OF a church, With It's affairs.
They were intended to be ~eaten-at anv
rate, on some occasions, though perhans
they did duty at more then one feast. Each
course ended with = subtlety, called also
a warner. because It gave warning OF the
next course.
To please h eye as well az the palate
was the duty OF these medieval cooks.
and they laid great stress on the garnishin9
Of their dishes, which they called fiourishe
ing" or "strewing." They often Rilded or
silvered the caves they used for decorating
their dishes.
They were also very fond OF coloring
and -endoring," or gliding. the food itseif
For this purpose saffron, mulberrier. sandal
wood, snnfiower. alkanet and starch were
used. The subtleties were both colored
and .glded and comfts Of every color were
used. ~
Both red and white wines were drunk:
some were home made, some came from
France and Greece, and Rhenish wins was
also much drunk. Beer or bare Il frst
he master cooks recipes.