February 2020 – Monk's Modern Medieval Cuisine

Fit for a king?

This week I take a look at the problem of visual aesthetics when reconstructing two of Richard II’s recipes During the last two weeks I finally got back into some recipe development. It’s easy to become preoccupied with writing about the recipes of Richard II’s cookery book and not actually cooking them. Don’t get meContinue reading “Fit for a king?”

Language of Cookery 3: 14th-century English Pappardelle?

Exploring the linguistic influences on medieval English cuisine Medieval English recipe names are frequently odd. And sometimes, as a translator, I’m led down a dodgy etymological path by a name that looks like a mangled concoction of Middle English and Old French or Anglo-Norman, only for it to turn out to be something quite different.Continue reading “Language of Cookery 3: 14th-century English Pappardelle?”

Language of Cookery 2: Ground beans?

In the second of my short language notes I take a look at a culinary essential of Richard II’s cookery book For to make grounden benes. Take benes & drye hem in an ovene & hulle hem wel and wyndowe out the hulkes & waysche hem clene & do hem to seeþ in god brothContinue reading “Language of Cookery 2: Ground beans?”