The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-08-01
ANCIENT COOKERY.
How Meals Were Prepared and Serv-
ed In Chauccr's Time.


ed In Chauccr's Time,
An ancient cookbook has been dis
covered. written in the English OF
Chaucer's time which was published
about 1900. 1t is called 1.-The Form OF
Curry" and contains 196 recipes Ac-
cordlng to the preface 1T techth a
man for TO make commune potage &
commune meetls for howshold, rs they
should he made, crafty and holsomly."
Judging from the spiclng and season
ease unknown TO the fourteenth cen.
tury. Garlic vinegar cloves, CHINA.
mon, wine and even ale appear In al.
most every recipe and In appalling
quantities. For example, ''salat'
was made OF ''parsel, sawgc, garlic,
chibolleS young onions). leek, borage,
myntes, fenel X ton tresses (crcsses).
rev, rosmayrc, purslayne: lave & washe
hem clcne, pike hem. pluck hem smale
with thyn hondc, & myng (mix) hem
well with rave ollie Lay on vinegar
& salt, Il serve 1t forth"
Pork seems to have been the favor
ite meat with the Englishmen OF this
century. And this Is not strange when
one remembers their taste for spice
strong tiavors and cloylng 'sweets.
Veal comes next In popularity, but
beef il not mentioned In one of the 10G
recipes. One Is amazed at the populari-
ty Of the whale, grampus, seal, swan,
crane, heron and peacock. The swan
was served up In royal style and vows
OF chivalry were made upon IT, IL was
skewered and roasted in Il sitting pos.
ture. Say the directions: Make u stiff
bed Of paste about the thickness OF
your thumb, color II green, comb II
out, and Ii will look like II meadow OF
green grass. Take your swan and gild
him over with gold; then have n kind
of loose, flying cloak OF vermlllon
color within and painted with arms
without; then set the swan upon this
bed, cover some part OF him with the
cloak, stick about him small banners
upon little sticks, the banners painted
with the arms most agreeable TO the
persons seated ut the table"
At II grand feast when Edward |.
knlghted his eldest son. on the eve Of
his Scottish expeditions, two swans,
gorgeously caparlsoned were introduc-
ed with n flourish of trumpets. Upon
them the king swore In the presence of
God and the ladies that he would
avenge the death of John Comyn and
the persidy of Robert Bruce.
But I'm spite OF the popularity OF the
swan for great occasions. It was the
peacock which. In the romantic Ian
guGge of the age Of chivalry, was 1.-THE
food of lovers and the meat of kings"
He appeared on the festal board with
his gorgeous feathercd skin skewered
around his roasted body.
One very popular concoctlon was
called "tarts of flesh" and the quaint
recipe reads: Take veal Ysode and |
grind 1t small, Take hard ayren ysode |
(bolled eggs * ygrounde & there
to put prunes hoole, dates ycarved,
~ 49, N''NN' hOuiiu lliltS, NOutS, COIl-
mon in Italy, * ralslns, torrance, hool
spices, * powder salt sugar & make
a littell coffin, Il do this fars therein,
Il take Il serve 1t forth" Another
much richer tart was made thus: Bray
the pork smale In mortar. Take
fygges & boil them tendre In small ale.
II bray them, & tendre cheese there
with, n pepper, salt & saron. Then
take sugar, ayren (eggs). 4 -four &
make a paste with a roller, thanne
make thereof smale pellets & fry them
braun In clean greece"
Though the oyster was known and
eaten In the fourteenth century. It was
thought to lack flavor, so they seethed
1t In wine with ground almonds and
rice, powdered ginger, sugar and mace.
A curious thing about old cookery
books Is their silence concerning auan-
tity. Take pigges yscalded;" take
eelys,' take cOnynges or rabbits" Is
all the information which Is given.