All Gode Cookery Selected Sites of the Month for 2002

JANUARY 2002

Under the Greenwood Tree: the Medieval Aesthetics of Woodland
by Jeremy Harte

An excerpt from the site:

They had real dungeons in the Middle Ages, and real dragons if rumor be true. They had knights in shining armour, too, and damsels in distress; wicked barons, wandering minstrels and holy hermits were not unknown. They did not have any psychiatrists, however, and so escaped being counseled on how to give up a fantasy world for real life - which is probably just as well, because the real life of mediaeval people was packed with the sort of figures who have been the stock-in-trade of fantasy writers ever since.

This is an article from At The Edge, a website which is dedicated to "exploring new interpretations of past and place in archaeology, folklore and mythology." Jeremy Harte's well-written and researched piece explores the influence of the forest in the Middle Ages and attempts to dispel the current theory that medieval people considered the woods to be only a place of fear & terror. While not strictly a historical food website, Under the Greenwood Tree touches upon issues that any food historian will find interesting & informative.

http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/edge/gtree.htm

FEBRUARY 2002

Medieval & Renaissance Mediterranean Cookery 
by Marianne Perdomo

In both Spanish & English, Marianne Perdoma's scholarly site recreates the cooking found in two 15th century books, written by Ruperto de Nola and Martino da Como, and in a third book, "Manual de mujeres en el cual se contienen muchas y diversas recetas muy buenas" (Women's manual in which there are many diverse and excellent recipes), anonymously published in the 16th century. Her site features recipes such as Manjar Blanco sobre, Capones, Broth of sprinkled chick peas, & Capón armado, and articles on subjects such as herbs & spices, measuring weights & units in late 15th century in Spain, and a "tiny" article on banquets, with "an Italian-Aragonese sample from the 1470s."

http://www.historiaviva.org/cocina/index-ing.shtml

MARCH 2002

Pompeiiana
by Pompeiiana, Inc.

Here is a website which celebrates the food of ancient Rome through a series of excellent articles & essays & a magnificent collection of recipes, all redacted for the modern kitchen. Illustrations of pottery, tableware, and dining scenes accent the written works which are contained on easily accessible pages in clear print. Included in a special section is the cookbook known as Apicius which features not only recipes and cooking instructions but a listing of Roman weights & measures and ingredient substitutions. This is undeniably one of the finer sites to consult when doing research for a Roman dinner or feast.

http://www.lewis-kappes.com/LK/Pompeiiana/pompeiianahomepage.htm

APRIL 2002

The Tudor Kitchens of Hampton Court Palace

Although a bit sparsely illustrated, this official website for the recreated kitchens of Hampton Court Palace provides entertaining & insightful information on the complex arrangement of kitchens, courts, dressers, & cellars used by Henry VIII to feed his royal household of 1200 individuals. Fascinating aspects of the scullery, such as the Boiling House & Fish Court, are shown & discussed, bringing to life the working conditions of this 16th century kitchen, happily restored in 1991.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/hcp/wts2.htm

MAY 2002

Food in Tudor England

Here is a companion site for last month's Hampton Court Kitchens selection, a Tudorhistory.org website with emphasis on the food of this period in English history. The contents include Animals for food, Banquets, Foods from the New World, Preparing preserved foods, Preservation Techniques, Table manners, The Medieval Menu, and Utensils and tableware. There is both a Sources page and a Glossary, and the Recipes section features 15 receipts directly coming from the Tudor kitchens at Hampton Court Palace.

http://tudorhistory.org/life/food/index.html

JUNE 2002

Heirloom Fruit Trees
by Margaret A. Byer

This site "was created to gather online resources about heirloom fruit trees around the world." Those interested in historical or antique varieties of fruit trees will be delighted to find here a storehouse of knowledge & resources, arranged in the categories of Buy, Culture, History, Identify, See & Taste, Uses, & Links. Here is a selection from Culture:

"Successful fruit tree culture depends on: pollination, compatibility, and scheduling; "chilling hours" [cumulative hours of less than 45 degrees Fahrenheit between December 1 and February 1, related to temperature zone]; soil conditions; tree pruning; pests -- disease, insect and animal. Of these variables, pollination compatibility is most important, because it largely determines the arborist's choice and placement of fruit trees."

Other sections include links to online resources featuring recipes and many sources for purchasing antique varieties today.

http://web.simmons.edu/~byer/fruitree/index.html

JULY 2002

Historic Castings from Rayne Foundry

If you have ever desired to prepare a medieval dinner with authentic cooking equipment, then this is the place you need to visit. Wonderful reproductions of medieval & Renaissance cauldrons, pots, & kitchen accessories, all at affordable prices, are the hallmark of Rayne Foundry. As their website says:

"With living history displays it pays to have authentic cooking equipment which will stand detailed scrutiny by the ever more sophisticated and knowledgeable spectators at historical events. Often it's the close up re-enactment in the living history area that fascinates the public more than the battle associated with it. It is a great boost to confidence to know that your cooking pots and other items have been faithfully reproduced from originals of the period.

  Historic Castings are pleased to offer a range of products which will stand up to close scrutiny as well as being good to use. We have been assisted by the Mary Rose Trust in ensuring that a growing number of products in our range are replicas of actual cooking utensils found on the wreck of the Tudor warship.

As well as the cauldrons themselves we also produce lids, and hangers to complete the range of pots as well as chaffing dished, pestles and mortars and trivets. Our range also includes a Roman cooking pot.

Historical Castings are also a registered manufacturer of cannon barrels in cast iron and bronze of all period."

http://www.re-enact.com/Rayne%20home1.htm

AUGUST 2002

A Retreat to Woodmere: Brother Cadfael's Herb Garden

Subtitled Medieval Cooking and Medicinal Herbs Growing in the Woods of Shropshire, this site explores the relationship between Ellis Peters' fictional character, Brother Cadfael, and the use of herbs during the Middle Ages. Included is the recipe TO MAKE A SALLET OF ALL KINDS OF HERBES AND FLOWERS, from The Good Huswifes Jewell, Thomas Dawson, 1596, and a list featuring a selection of herbs used in medieval times.

http://www.ktis.net/~woodmere/brother.htm

SEPTEMBER 2002

Katja's Medieval Cooking & Food Page

Chris P. Adler, in the SCA aka Katja Davidova Orlova Khazarina, is an accomplished medieval cook who has prepared dozens of feasts, translated & redacted many period recipes, and written an impressive amount of papers & articles on medieval cookery. From this, her main page on period cooking, link to Katja's Research Papers/Class Handouts, where you'll find articles including such important topics as An Overview of Renaissance Kitchen Equipment, Is Honey Butter Period?, No Eels, Please! Non-Weird Period Food, Creepy Cuisine ...or, Yes, Some Period Food Is Weird, New World vs. Old World Foodstuffs, & Comparing & Choosing Medieval Cookbooks. Her redacted recipes feature dishes she has entered in various arts & sciences competitions and artisan forums/demos and range from Tart in Ymbre Day to Excellent Small Cakes.

http://www.geocities.com/katjaorlova/MedFood.html

OCTOBER 2002

Somerville Manor

From the website:

Somerville Manor is an interactive medieval living history farm, located two miles west of the village of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Somerville Manor is open to the public for group or individual visits. The citizens of Somerville Manor are ready to show you what life was like for your ancestors in Europe 700 years ago. 

If you would like to travel back in time to a world of chivalry and honor, a world of hand-crafted skills and simpler living, then a visit to Somerville Manor is a must. Your visit to Somerville Manor may only last a few hours or even over night, but your memories of your visit to another time will last a lifetime.

http://www.somervillemanor.org/

NOVEMBER 2002

The Goat in the Garden

From the website:

"The Goat in the Garden is a unique farm in Northern California raising heirloom garden plants and endangered livestock from the Medieval era. We see the Goat in the Garden as someday becoming a small, quiet island out of time where our guests, friends, and family can step back, enjoy, eat, relax, and learn. Please join us at this website as we begin our journey toward the Dream."

http://www.thegoatinthegarden.com/

DECEMBER 2002

Weald and Downland Open Air Museum

The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum is the leading museum of historic buildings in England and has been designated by the government for its outstanding collections of national importance. The museum is set in 50 acres of beautiful Sussex countryside and is a fascinating collection of nearly 50 historic buildings dating from the 13th to the 19th century, many with period gardens, together with farm animals, woodland walks and a picturesque lake.

At the museum's website, visitors may take a quick or virtual tour, read the museum's latest news, and find information on travel details, opening times, where to stay in the area, group visits, club events, & wedding & birthday celebrations. Food historians will be especially pleased with the recreated working Tudor kitchen where they may sample food prepared on site.

Special culinary events hosted by the museum in 2003 include the Easter Fine Food Fair, Tudor Cookery Days, Medieval Meal in the Winkhurst Tudor Kitchen, & The Taste of the Tudor Christmas.

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/home-page-english.htm