Redacting Recipes from Period Sources
Micaela Burnham, copyright October 2018
Micaela Burnham, copyright October 2018
To redact means to edit or prepare for print or publication. In the SCA we use the term to describe using period cooking manuscripts and converting them into usable modern recipe formats. Period cooking manuscripts are very different from our modern cookbooks until the 16th century, when you start seeing some actual measurements and better descriptions of processes. Before that, "recipes" are little more that a list of ingredients with minimal descriptions, if any, of the cooking process.
In period, these manuscripts were simply notes about dishes, written down to both help the cook remember something that worked well, and/or to share with other professional cooks. These were also written by people who were literate, which was unusual for anyone below a certain status. This tells us that professional cooks were educated, and therefore at least middle class, from either a merchant family or educated by the Church, or their employer. Professional cooks were those used by the wealthy. They cooked for royalty, landed nobles, popes, and other people of high station who could afford the best foods and a large kitchen staff. These are the same people who entertained: they had balls, feasts, tournaments, hunting parties, and so on. So when we look at cooking manuscripts from Rome, medieval and Renaissance Europe, the Middle East, and India, we are seeing what was eaten by the "best people," the "quality." There are a few exceptions where recipes are included in household management type books, or physician's books where recipes were incorporated into remedies for the sick. There are also bits of literature, stories and poems where food of the middle and lower classes are described.
Before you can hope to redact recipes yourself, you have to do the background work. It is vital that you educate yourself about the culture of the place and time that your recipes came from. You need to know the types of food and other ingredients that were available, how their ingredients differ from modern ones, the cooking methods that were used, the basic cooking techniques, how the food was served, what their menus were like for different events, and basically everything you can find out about the culture of food in that time and place. Pay attention to seasonal ingredients. Until fifty years ago, all fresh fruits and vegetables were used in season, or they were preserved in some way. Seasonal eating is still the norm in many places. There are other ways to determine what foods people ate and how they were prepared as well. Archeological finds have provided us with a wealth of information about Roman cuisine, Anglo-Saxon, and Viking culture foods and cooking. Sometimes trade agreements mention ingredients, especially spices. Also shipping manifests, inventories, and laws concerning food. Often researching specific ingredients, like sugar, can lead you to a wealth of information.
Fortunately, most of the modern books about historical food include a lot of information on these topics. They also will often have modern redactions as well. Even outside the SCA, historical cooking has become popular, and there are more and more books being written on the subject. Of course, like any book on any subject, some of these are better that others. I recommend that anyone who is new to redacting from period sources start out using books that include both the original text, in the original language and/or with the modern translation, as well as the modern redactions. Most of these books will have them side by side. This gives you the opportunity to see some of original words and learn their meanings. Even when the original is in another language, it is very helpful to start leaning their cooking and food language. Like all arts and sciences, cooking has "terms of art" which are unique to that discipline. We still have them today: roast, blanche, sauté, broil, and so on. It is important to get familiar with the words in the time and place of your research. Make lists or spreadsheets to keep on hand when you look at other sources. You will be surprised at how quickly you can become at least semi-fluent in the languages of period cuisines. Do not use books--ever--that don't include the period recipe, at least in translation, and reference it to a specific document or book. Many years ago a book called Fabulous Feasts came out. Everyone bought it because we had limited source material. A few years later, it was found to be entirely faked. There have been less egregious cases where the authors have misidentified sources, used the wrong standards of measurements for that culture, or mistranslated something. If the original recipe is included, you have the ability to check those things. Also, books that claim to be "in the style of" are just that. A modern recipe in the style of that culture, not an accurate recipe.
Once you become proficient using other people's redactions, and feel that your knowledge of the culture is sufficient, you are ready to move on to doing your own redactions. This is a trial and error process, and we learn from making mistakes. We have all made mistakes and still make them because we cannot know with 100% certainty that we are correct.
As mentioned earlier, most SCA period recipes have minimal amounts of information. How do we fill in those gaps? We need to know the ingredients, basic amounts and proportions, how to cook it, and for how long. This is where looking at, and working with, redactions by others will help you. If you have a recipe that is similar to one you have a redaction for, you can use that information to help you figure out the new one. If you've kept lists of words where the meanings are know, that will help you as well. If you have paid attention to the culture of the cuisine, the cooking methods, and ingredients, you will be able to use that information in your redactions. I also recommend keeping some modern books at hand to help with the ratios of ingredients and cooking times. The Joy of Cooking (the 1945-1980 editions are best for this purpose) and Julia Child's cookbooks are extremely helpful. Also you can look at modern recipes from the culture you are working with. Often their "traditional" dishes have similarities to the pre-17th C dishes. You will notice that SCA period recipes rarely mention salt. This doesn't mean they did not use it. It means professional cooks knew how to salt to taste. Sometimes an entire process is left out because professional cooks knew that it has to be done. For example, if you are making ravioli, and you have put on your top sheet of pasta and sealed and scored it between each square, you know that the next thing you do is to cut them apart. Everyone knows that you don't dump an entire sheet of ravioli into a pot of boiling water. Use common sense at all times.
Redacting from foreign languages is particularly tricky. Professional historical food experts make mistakes with this. As an example, one of the first translations of the Roman cooking manuscript, Apicius, had a lot of translation errors because the authors and translators weren't familiar with the type of Latin is was written it. It was written in the Vulgate form, a type of Latin spoken by everyday people. The translators used classical Latin, the language of orators, philosophers, historians, and poetry. They translated a word as "chopped" that actually meant "pureed." There were a number of errors of this type. When translating a recipe, always translate to English (or your primary language) before redacting. Then look at it carefully, checking the details to make sure that it is consistent, and that it makes sense. Just because they left out steps doen not mean that you should.
Where do you start? Use your lists of words. You will be surprised at how helpful this is. Use the redaction of similar recipes that you have worked with. Look for on-line translations of the book. There are many manuscripts that have been translated that have only been published on line. Do not use Google translate or other translation programs unless you want totally hilarious, but completely wrong results. Keep in mind these manuscripts were not written in a modern language. Think of how Chaucer's English, Middle-English, compares to modern English. Then imagine running a Chaucer poem through a translate program. What is helpful are foreign language to English complete dictionaries. These are the ones that include details of historical usage over time. Check the Oxford English Dictionary, which has a great deal of historical context and the history of the words, often dating back to the original Latin, Greek, Old English, etc. Again, look out for terms of art. Very good dictionaries usually include these in definitions. Finally, use common sense. Use what you know about both modern and medieval cooking. Use what you know about that particular culture and how they eat today.
Redaction is a process of constant learning. The more you learn, the more you realize how wrong you were and how much you have yet to learn. You have to be comfortable with that. The more we learn about the culture, the ingredients, and the cooking methods, the more we realize how little we actually know. That's what makes it fun. Do not be afraid to practice. Dive in and try something even if you know it is likely wrong. Experiment. Have a good time with it. After all, it's food.
Annotated Bibliography
The Life of Luxury, Archestratus (lived around 330 BCE), Translation and commentary by John Wilkins and Shaun Hill, 1992, ISBN 090732553X
The original work was written by a Greek poet living in the Greek colony on Sicily, but much of the original text was lost. Some of the fragments were contained in a later book by Athenaeus. This has translations, but no redactions. It is largely about fish, and fish products like the sauce called garum by the Romans. Many of the "recipes" are simple enough that an actual redaction may not be needed. There is a great deal of informative commentary about food preparation and dining customs, as well as drawings taken from archeological finds of works of art. The style is a bit academic, but it is a fairly easy read.
The Classical Cookbook, Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger, 1996, ISBN 0-89236-394-0
This book covers a time period from 750 BCE to 450 CE in Greece and Rome, It is taken largely from Apicius. The original recipe in English translation is followed by the redaction. Some of the redactions are questionable because they add ingredients not in the original recipe, or use a common modern ingredient without sufficient explanation.
Food in Antiquity, Don Brothwell and Patricia Brothwell, 1969, 1998 American edition, ISBN 0-8018-5740-6
Not a recipe book, but a book about food in the ancient world. Ingredients, cooking methods, equipment, and so one. There are also excellent drawings and photos.
Apicius (title and original "author"), Christopher Grocock and Sally Grainger, translators and authors of the commentary, 2006, ISBN1-903018-13-7
This work is a compilation of cookery books/manuscripts from over a fairly long period of time; from the 1st through the 4th C of the Common Era. It is the work of many authors, one of whom was probably named Apicius. This is an excellent translation, and a must have book for anyone serious about Roman cuisine. There is also a wealth of information about all things eating and cooking. There are no redactions, but the translations are side by side with the original Latin text.
Around the Roman Table, Patrick Faas, 1994 ISBN 0-312-23958-0
This is an excellent book with a large amount of detail about ingredients, influences, how fine dining became a part of Roman life, and much more. There are some redactions, and the ones that I have used turned out well. There are also excellent illustrations.
Roman Cookery, Mark Grant, 1999, ISBN 1-897959-39-7
Again there is a good introduction with information about ingredients and cooking. This is a compilation of Roman food manuscripts, and much of it is taken from Apicius. There are redactions for every recipe included in the book. Although the book is useful, I think some of his translations are not very good, and I do not agree with many of his ingredient choices. For instance, he calls for Cheddar cheese in one of the recipes, but there is no evidence that the process of "cheddaring" was known in this period. A hard goat cheese would be a better substitution. He is also skimpy with the spices (he's British). Many of those ingredients should be doubled to make them more authentic to period. The Romans liked strong complex flavors.
Byzantine Cuisine, Henry Marks, 2002, no ISBN as this was privately published
Much of the information here comes from a series of physicians as well as some satirical poems and stories. His timeline runs from the 4th-13th C. The translations, by all accounts, are deeply flawed. However, this is the only work that addresses Byzantine cuisine specifically, and it is worth looking at. There are "redactions" but these are sometimes based on virtually nothing. As a whole, I cannot recommend any of the redactions as they are based not only on poor translation, but many of the ingredients are not included in the original works.
A Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food, a two book set, Processing and Consumption and Food and Drink, Ann Hagen, 1994 edition, and 1995, ISBN 0-9516209-8-3 and 1-898281-12-2
These are not recipe books, nor do they have redactions of any sort. They do have amazing detail of ingredients, process, growing crops and animals for food, food preservation methods, etc. This is a scholarly work, and it can be a bit of a difficult read until you get used to the style. It one of the few books available on this period.
An Early Meal--A Viking Age Cookbook and Culinary Odyssey, Daniel Serra and Hanna Tunberg, 2013, ISBN 978-91-981056-0-5
This is an excellent book on Early Norse food and cuisine. The recipes are taken from largely archeological evidence at three of the main Viking sites. There is lots of detail about process, ingredients, and the seasonality of foods. This is a must read for anyone interested in Viking food.
An Early Northern Cookery Book (Libellus de arte coquinaria), translated and edited by Rudolf Grewe and Constance B. Hieatt, 2001, ISBN 0-86698-264-7
These are compiled 13th C cooking manuscripts, written variously in Danish, Icelandic, and Low German. There is a lot of good information on the cooking and cuisine of the period. The recipes appear side by side with the original text. There are no redactions, but the simplicity of some of the recipes make them easy to redact.
War Fare, by Bonnie Feinberg and Marian Walke, 2010, ISBN 978-0-578-06232-7
This is a book by SCA cooks for SCA cooks. Written by two of the founders of the Sated Tyger Inn, and later Battlefield Bakery, this book is a must have for SCA cooks. The section on bread was eye opening for me, even after being an SCA cook for 20 years.
The Book of Sent Sovi, Joan Santanach, ed., Robin Vogelzang, trans., 2008, ISBN 978 1 85566 164 6
This is one of the few books on medieval Catalan cuisine. Probably written in the early 14th C. There are no redactions, but there are side by side recipes in the original language and English. Lots of information about the manuscript, but not much on foods and dining except what you can glean from the recipes. I like this book, and there are some great recipes.
The Book of Good Food (Daz bůch von gůter spise), Melitta Weiss Adamson, second edition 2004, ISBN 3-90 1094 12 1
This is a German manuscript, probably early 14th C. The original text is included, followed by the translation. There are no redactions. There is not a lot about food and cuisine, and a great deal about the manuscript itself. Some of the recipes are quite simple, and others extremely complex.
The Medieval Cookbook, Maggie Black, 1992, ISBN 0-7141-0583-x
Lots of pictures and commentary about food, dining, and cooking. This is a compilation of information taken from food manuscripts, poetry, household management texts, and clerical writings in medieval England. It has redactions throughout, and includes the original text and source above each one. I have used this book many times with good results, although I am not always happy about the substitution of modern ingredients, and the addition of ingredients that don't appear in the original text. She is one of the few authors that delves into middle class and clerical foods.
Food and Feast in Medieval England, P.W. Hammond, 1993, 1996 edition, ISBN0-7509-0992-7
This is not a recipe book, but it is an excellent source of information on cooking, table manners, serving, etc. There are lots of good pictures from period and of period cooking equipment. It also discusses the food of the lower classes.
The Medieval Cook, Bridget Ann Henisch, 2009, paperback 2013, ISBN 978-1-84383-826-5
Another book about cooking rather than recipes. Enormous amount of information about food of all classes as well as preparation, and even the entertainments put on at dinner by the nobility.
The Vivendier, Terence Scully, trans, and notes., 1997, ISBN 0 907325 815
This is a mid-15th C French book of recipes. There are no redactions, but a great deal of commentary is included with each recipe. The original recipe, the English translation, and author's notes are included with each recipe. This is an excellent book.
The Original Mediterranean Cuisine, Barbara Santich, 1995, ISBN 0907325 59 9
This is taken from a French 15th C cooking manuscript, but deals with several coastal Mediterranean areas. There is a lot of information on the kitchen, ingredients, trade in food stuffs, Arab influence on food, and more. This book does have redacted recipes. Each page has the redacted recipe, followed by the original recipe, the translation of the original recipe, and author's notes on each recipe. A great book for those starting out with redactions.
Cocatrice and Lampray Hay, Constance B. Hieatt, trans, and ed., 2012, ISBN 978-1-903018-84-2
This is a book of English recipes from the 15th C, and written in Middle-English. There are no redactions. The author includes the original recipe (many of which are readable to English speakers), the translation, and lengthy commentary on the recipe. An excellent book for those moving into doing their own redactions.
The Medieval Kitchen, Recipes from France and Italy, Odile Redon, Franҫoise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi, Edward Schneiger, trans., 1998, ISBN 0-226-70684-2
14th and 15th century recipes from multiple sources. There is tons of information about cuisine and dining. There are redactions. And though they do not include the original recipes, they do have English translations of the original recipes with reference to what manuscript it came from, followed by the modern recipe with detailed directions. Great book for those starting out with redacting.
To the King's Taste, Lorna J. Sass, 1975, ISBN 0-87099-133-7
When I joined the SCA in 1976, this was the only period cookery book that I saw for many years. It is based on the 14th C cooking manuscript know as The Forme of cury. It includes the original Middle English recipe, the modern translation, and a redaction with instructions and notes. Most of the recipes are very easy to make. My only caveat on this book are some mistranslations, and substitution of modern ingredients.
Pleyn Delit, Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler, 1985 (revised paperback), ISBN 0-8020-6366-7
This is taken from the cooking manuscript known as Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books, a well known 15th C source, used in many of the available books on medieval cooking. It includes the original English recipes followed by redactions. The redactions are quite good, with helpful commentary.
Take a Thousand Eggs or More, A Collection of 15th Century Recipes, vols. 1 and 2, Cindy Renfrow, Second edition 1998, ISBN 0-9628598-4-2
This is by the same author as A Sip Through Time, although I think this is a better book. She includes the original text, mostly in Middle English, followed by a modern translation, followed by her redaction. Her redactions are generally good. I have used them successfully.
Fetes Gourmandes au Moyen Age, Jean-Louis Flandrin and Carole Lambert, 1998, ISBN 2-7433-0268-2
This is the "coffee table book" of medieval French cuisine. The book is written in French. The recipes come from a variety of manuscripts. The original recipes appear in the exact original text (calligraphers would love this) photographed and reprinted on onion skin paper, with the modern French translation beneath. The left hand side has the redaction with instructions and other information relevant to the recipe. Behind the onion skin is a full page high quality photo of what the dish looks like once prepared. There are other color photos throughout the book, plus interesting asides about cooking related things. If you don't read French, you will probably want to give it a pass, unless you can find a used copy. It is quite expensive.
Du fait de cuisine/On Cookery, Terence Scully, 2010, ISBN 978-0-86698-402-7
This is based on the cookery book of Master Chiquart of 1420. There are recipes but no redactions. The original French is followed by a modern English translation. Good index and glossary, as well as details about Master Chiquart.
On Right Pleasure and Good Health, original author Platina, Mary Ella Milham, trans., 1998, ISBN0-86698-208-6
This is a work from mid-15th C Italy. The original Italian recipes are on the left, with modern English translation on the right. This is not just recipes, but also remedies, as well as tips on maintaining good health. Ingredients are discussed in depth, often with information as to where they fit in to "humor" theory.
Dining with William Shakespeare, Madge Lorwin, 1976, ISBN 0-689-10731-5
This is by far the best book on 16th century English cooking that I have found. Multiple sources are used and appropriately cited. The original recipes are included, followed by the redaction with directions. It is oddly organized, but in a very Tudor way. There are separate menus for feasts, each in honor of a play by Shakespeare. The redactions are brilliant, if very British. There is also a great deal of interesting information about food, beverages, entertaining, utensils, and so forth. This is one of my favorite books to cook from. Excellent subject index, recipe index, and bibliography.
The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi (1570), Terence Scully, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8020-9624-1
The original work from 1570 was written by a man who was cook for two popes as well as other high ranking clergy. He was well known in his own time--the celebrity chef of his day. Scappi is also credited with the beginnings of modern cuisine for the development of techniques not used before, which carried on into later periods, and some of which are used today. The book contains over 1000 recipes. Many of the original recipes include amounts and have more detailed cooking instructions than you see in earlier cooking manuscripts. The original Italian recipes are not included, but there is a modern English translation for every recipe. The book in 787 pages long, so I think we can forgive the omission of the Italian. The biggest problem with the book, is that the translator substituted modern weights and measures instead of the well known period ones, which have been extensively researched. The biggest mistake here is using a modern 16 oz pound, when the pound Scappi knew was 12 oz. Because of this, recipes that are highly dependent on correct proportions, like custards, pastry creams, and baked goods will not work. Other experts have taken issue with some of the translated words as well. Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad has an excellent "cheat sheet" on correcting some of these issues called "Lost in Translation." I do not have current contact info on her, but she is SCA, and can probably be tracked down, and may have a website with the info you need.
A Drizzle of Honey, David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson, 1999, ISBN 0-312-19860-4
This book purports to be a historical reproduction of Sephardic Jewish cuisine in Spain in the 15th-16th centuries. Let me start by saying I have issues with this book on several levels. Part of this information is from "trial testimony" of the Spanish Inquisition, which means it was obtained under torture. That makes it likely to be less accurate, and also gives us permission to use information obtained in this fashion a "pass." Some also comes from other sources such as non-Jewish writers, other Iberian cooking manuscripts, and some Islamic references. The recipes in this book are NOT redactions. They were developed by the modern authors based on these sources. Unfortunately, they do not do a very good job. I have issues with almost every recipe in the book due to the addition of modern ingredients, the complete lack of knowledge about almori (This is an ingredient, also called murri, made from barley or other grains that is wrapped in fig leaves and aged, that was a staple in Islamic cooking, and also used by the Sephardic Jews.) and how it was made, and modern processes in the cooking. This is more about "folk culture" than actual historical cuisine.
Food and Drink in Medieval Poland, Maria Dembińska, Magdalena Thomas, trans., revised and adapted by William Woys Weaver, 1999 edition, ISBN 0-8122-3224-0
14th-15th C Polish cuisine. Well researched with tons of interesting details (animal shaped cheese molds!) and information on Polish culinary history. Detailed descriptions of how class affected diet, kitchens and cookware, ingredients, and lots of woodcuts and drawings. The recipes are redacted, with detailed notes. It also includes English translations of the recipes, but not the original Polish. You will encounter ingredients you may not have heard of before such as "smallage" and "Good-King-Henry." There are few Eastern European cooking books, so this one is particularly helpful.
The Domostroi, Carolyn Johnston Pouncy, trans. and ed., 1994, ISBN 0-8014-2410-0
This is a translation of a household book. These were very popular across Europe in the 16th C and are basically manuals for new wives on how to do their job. The book is an actual translation, original not included. It does have some interesting parts about food preservation and cooking. It is the only book with this kind of information within SCA periods that I know of for Russia.
In a Caliph's Kitchen, David Waines, 1989, ISBN 1-869844-60-2
The recipes are from several culinary collections from the 9th through the 13th centuries. The areas are Iraq, Egypt, and upper parts of North Africa. There are sections on the kitchen, ingredients, and processes. The original recipes were in Arabic and possibly Farsi, and do not appear in the book. However you do get the direct translation into English, and which manuscript the recipe came from. There are redactions, which appear to be mostly accurate to the translations.
Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World, Lilia Zaouali, M,B. De Bevoise, trans. from the French and Italian versions, 2007, ISBN 978-0-520-26174-7
There is lots of good information on the cooking in Iraq, particularly Baghdad in the 10th C. There are color plates of works of art, and information on aspects of ingredients and cooking as well as terminology. There are semi-redactions (no amounts are given) just below the translation of the recipe in English, and it is organized into sections by types of dishes much like a modern cookbook.
Medival Arab Cookery, Maxime Rodinson, A.J. Arberry, and Charles Perry, trans. and eds., 2001, ISBN 0907325 91 2
This is a compilation of scholarly articles that deal with food and dining. The articles contain rich amounts of detail on food, serving, cooking, ingredients, the spice trade, and the food of The Arabian Nights. There are good translations of recipes, but no redactions.
The Nìmatnāma Manuscript of the Sultans of Mandu (The Sultan's Book of Delights), Norah M. Titley, trans., 2005, ISBN (paperback) 13: 9778-0-415-65046-5
This is food of India in the 15th C. The recipes are translated but not redacted. The book does contain the original work in Urdu, which is included in the back of the book, as well as its many illustrations and miniatures. It also includes recipes for perfumes and remedies for illnesses. I would recommend some study of Indian cooking before tackling any redactions.
Cheese and Culture, Paul S. Kindstedt, 2012, ISBN 9 781603 584111
This is the history of cheese and cheese making from the earliest civilizations. It reads almost like a novel, and draws information from archeology and written records. The book can date certain types of cheese to specific periods of history. If you are using cheese in your dishes, you should have a background in what was period for that recipe. This is a great book.
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html, Valoise Armstong, trans., 1998. This is an online translation of a 16th C cookery book of Sabina Welserin. The original German is not included. However, this translation by an SCA person, has received good reviews from academics and the academic press. Excellent bibliography. It has no redactions, but I have used this many times with good success.
Books that I do not recommend
All the King's Cooks, The Tudor Kitchens of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace, Peter Brears, 1999, ISBN 0 285 63533 6
The author of this book has become someone not to trust on either sources or redactions. He does not include any original recipes, so there is no way to check how well they were redacted. He has also been caught saying that a certain recipe came from a certain source, when it did not. Most experienced cooks will no longer use any of his books as reliable sources.
Fabulous Feasts, Madeliene Pelner Cosman
This book first came out in the late 1970s or early 1980s, at a time when there were very few other books out on medieval cooking. SCA cooks immediately started cooking from it and discovering that many of the dishes were unlike anything else they had seen, and that they were unpalatable. The author had originally made claims about an unknown cooking manuscript, but when demands were made to see it, she admitted that there was none, and that she had made up the recipes as being "in the style of period recipes." Shortly thereafter she left her job in academia--she worked at a school that she herself had founded, which closed shortly thereafter. She then became a devoted follower of the works of Ayn Rand, and wrote several papers negative to immigration, and implying that "illegal immigrants" were pushing US medical services to the breaking point. My guess is that she made that stuff up too. She has passed away. Let's hope all of her writings do as well. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK.
In period, these manuscripts were simply notes about dishes, written down to both help the cook remember something that worked well, and/or to share with other professional cooks. These were also written by people who were literate, which was unusual for anyone below a certain status. This tells us that professional cooks were educated, and therefore at least middle class, from either a merchant family or educated by the Church, or their employer. Professional cooks were those used by the wealthy. They cooked for royalty, landed nobles, popes, and other people of high station who could afford the best foods and a large kitchen staff. These are the same people who entertained: they had balls, feasts, tournaments, hunting parties, and so on. So when we look at cooking manuscripts from Rome, medieval and Renaissance Europe, the Middle East, and India, we are seeing what was eaten by the "best people," the "quality." There are a few exceptions where recipes are included in household management type books, or physician's books where recipes were incorporated into remedies for the sick. There are also bits of literature, stories and poems where food of the middle and lower classes are described.
Before you can hope to redact recipes yourself, you have to do the background work. It is vital that you educate yourself about the culture of the place and time that your recipes came from. You need to know the types of food and other ingredients that were available, how their ingredients differ from modern ones, the cooking methods that were used, the basic cooking techniques, how the food was served, what their menus were like for different events, and basically everything you can find out about the culture of food in that time and place. Pay attention to seasonal ingredients. Until fifty years ago, all fresh fruits and vegetables were used in season, or they were preserved in some way. Seasonal eating is still the norm in many places. There are other ways to determine what foods people ate and how they were prepared as well. Archeological finds have provided us with a wealth of information about Roman cuisine, Anglo-Saxon, and Viking culture foods and cooking. Sometimes trade agreements mention ingredients, especially spices. Also shipping manifests, inventories, and laws concerning food. Often researching specific ingredients, like sugar, can lead you to a wealth of information.
Fortunately, most of the modern books about historical food include a lot of information on these topics. They also will often have modern redactions as well. Even outside the SCA, historical cooking has become popular, and there are more and more books being written on the subject. Of course, like any book on any subject, some of these are better that others. I recommend that anyone who is new to redacting from period sources start out using books that include both the original text, in the original language and/or with the modern translation, as well as the modern redactions. Most of these books will have them side by side. This gives you the opportunity to see some of original words and learn their meanings. Even when the original is in another language, it is very helpful to start leaning their cooking and food language. Like all arts and sciences, cooking has "terms of art" which are unique to that discipline. We still have them today: roast, blanche, sauté, broil, and so on. It is important to get familiar with the words in the time and place of your research. Make lists or spreadsheets to keep on hand when you look at other sources. You will be surprised at how quickly you can become at least semi-fluent in the languages of period cuisines. Do not use books--ever--that don't include the period recipe, at least in translation, and reference it to a specific document or book. Many years ago a book called Fabulous Feasts came out. Everyone bought it because we had limited source material. A few years later, it was found to be entirely faked. There have been less egregious cases where the authors have misidentified sources, used the wrong standards of measurements for that culture, or mistranslated something. If the original recipe is included, you have the ability to check those things. Also, books that claim to be "in the style of" are just that. A modern recipe in the style of that culture, not an accurate recipe.
Once you become proficient using other people's redactions, and feel that your knowledge of the culture is sufficient, you are ready to move on to doing your own redactions. This is a trial and error process, and we learn from making mistakes. We have all made mistakes and still make them because we cannot know with 100% certainty that we are correct.
As mentioned earlier, most SCA period recipes have minimal amounts of information. How do we fill in those gaps? We need to know the ingredients, basic amounts and proportions, how to cook it, and for how long. This is where looking at, and working with, redactions by others will help you. If you have a recipe that is similar to one you have a redaction for, you can use that information to help you figure out the new one. If you've kept lists of words where the meanings are know, that will help you as well. If you have paid attention to the culture of the cuisine, the cooking methods, and ingredients, you will be able to use that information in your redactions. I also recommend keeping some modern books at hand to help with the ratios of ingredients and cooking times. The Joy of Cooking (the 1945-1980 editions are best for this purpose) and Julia Child's cookbooks are extremely helpful. Also you can look at modern recipes from the culture you are working with. Often their "traditional" dishes have similarities to the pre-17th C dishes. You will notice that SCA period recipes rarely mention salt. This doesn't mean they did not use it. It means professional cooks knew how to salt to taste. Sometimes an entire process is left out because professional cooks knew that it has to be done. For example, if you are making ravioli, and you have put on your top sheet of pasta and sealed and scored it between each square, you know that the next thing you do is to cut them apart. Everyone knows that you don't dump an entire sheet of ravioli into a pot of boiling water. Use common sense at all times.
Redacting from foreign languages is particularly tricky. Professional historical food experts make mistakes with this. As an example, one of the first translations of the Roman cooking manuscript, Apicius, had a lot of translation errors because the authors and translators weren't familiar with the type of Latin is was written it. It was written in the Vulgate form, a type of Latin spoken by everyday people. The translators used classical Latin, the language of orators, philosophers, historians, and poetry. They translated a word as "chopped" that actually meant "pureed." There were a number of errors of this type. When translating a recipe, always translate to English (or your primary language) before redacting. Then look at it carefully, checking the details to make sure that it is consistent, and that it makes sense. Just because they left out steps doen not mean that you should.
Where do you start? Use your lists of words. You will be surprised at how helpful this is. Use the redaction of similar recipes that you have worked with. Look for on-line translations of the book. There are many manuscripts that have been translated that have only been published on line. Do not use Google translate or other translation programs unless you want totally hilarious, but completely wrong results. Keep in mind these manuscripts were not written in a modern language. Think of how Chaucer's English, Middle-English, compares to modern English. Then imagine running a Chaucer poem through a translate program. What is helpful are foreign language to English complete dictionaries. These are the ones that include details of historical usage over time. Check the Oxford English Dictionary, which has a great deal of historical context and the history of the words, often dating back to the original Latin, Greek, Old English, etc. Again, look out for terms of art. Very good dictionaries usually include these in definitions. Finally, use common sense. Use what you know about both modern and medieval cooking. Use what you know about that particular culture and how they eat today.
Redaction is a process of constant learning. The more you learn, the more you realize how wrong you were and how much you have yet to learn. You have to be comfortable with that. The more we learn about the culture, the ingredients, and the cooking methods, the more we realize how little we actually know. That's what makes it fun. Do not be afraid to practice. Dive in and try something even if you know it is likely wrong. Experiment. Have a good time with it. After all, it's food.
Annotated Bibliography
The Life of Luxury, Archestratus (lived around 330 BCE), Translation and commentary by John Wilkins and Shaun Hill, 1992, ISBN 090732553X
The original work was written by a Greek poet living in the Greek colony on Sicily, but much of the original text was lost. Some of the fragments were contained in a later book by Athenaeus. This has translations, but no redactions. It is largely about fish, and fish products like the sauce called garum by the Romans. Many of the "recipes" are simple enough that an actual redaction may not be needed. There is a great deal of informative commentary about food preparation and dining customs, as well as drawings taken from archeological finds of works of art. The style is a bit academic, but it is a fairly easy read.
The Classical Cookbook, Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger, 1996, ISBN 0-89236-394-0
This book covers a time period from 750 BCE to 450 CE in Greece and Rome, It is taken largely from Apicius. The original recipe in English translation is followed by the redaction. Some of the redactions are questionable because they add ingredients not in the original recipe, or use a common modern ingredient without sufficient explanation.
Food in Antiquity, Don Brothwell and Patricia Brothwell, 1969, 1998 American edition, ISBN 0-8018-5740-6
Not a recipe book, but a book about food in the ancient world. Ingredients, cooking methods, equipment, and so one. There are also excellent drawings and photos.
Apicius (title and original "author"), Christopher Grocock and Sally Grainger, translators and authors of the commentary, 2006, ISBN1-903018-13-7
This work is a compilation of cookery books/manuscripts from over a fairly long period of time; from the 1st through the 4th C of the Common Era. It is the work of many authors, one of whom was probably named Apicius. This is an excellent translation, and a must have book for anyone serious about Roman cuisine. There is also a wealth of information about all things eating and cooking. There are no redactions, but the translations are side by side with the original Latin text.
Around the Roman Table, Patrick Faas, 1994 ISBN 0-312-23958-0
This is an excellent book with a large amount of detail about ingredients, influences, how fine dining became a part of Roman life, and much more. There are some redactions, and the ones that I have used turned out well. There are also excellent illustrations.
Roman Cookery, Mark Grant, 1999, ISBN 1-897959-39-7
Again there is a good introduction with information about ingredients and cooking. This is a compilation of Roman food manuscripts, and much of it is taken from Apicius. There are redactions for every recipe included in the book. Although the book is useful, I think some of his translations are not very good, and I do not agree with many of his ingredient choices. For instance, he calls for Cheddar cheese in one of the recipes, but there is no evidence that the process of "cheddaring" was known in this period. A hard goat cheese would be a better substitution. He is also skimpy with the spices (he's British). Many of those ingredients should be doubled to make them more authentic to period. The Romans liked strong complex flavors.
Byzantine Cuisine, Henry Marks, 2002, no ISBN as this was privately published
Much of the information here comes from a series of physicians as well as some satirical poems and stories. His timeline runs from the 4th-13th C. The translations, by all accounts, are deeply flawed. However, this is the only work that addresses Byzantine cuisine specifically, and it is worth looking at. There are "redactions" but these are sometimes based on virtually nothing. As a whole, I cannot recommend any of the redactions as they are based not only on poor translation, but many of the ingredients are not included in the original works.
A Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food, a two book set, Processing and Consumption and Food and Drink, Ann Hagen, 1994 edition, and 1995, ISBN 0-9516209-8-3 and 1-898281-12-2
These are not recipe books, nor do they have redactions of any sort. They do have amazing detail of ingredients, process, growing crops and animals for food, food preservation methods, etc. This is a scholarly work, and it can be a bit of a difficult read until you get used to the style. It one of the few books available on this period.
An Early Meal--A Viking Age Cookbook and Culinary Odyssey, Daniel Serra and Hanna Tunberg, 2013, ISBN 978-91-981056-0-5
This is an excellent book on Early Norse food and cuisine. The recipes are taken from largely archeological evidence at three of the main Viking sites. There is lots of detail about process, ingredients, and the seasonality of foods. This is a must read for anyone interested in Viking food.
An Early Northern Cookery Book (Libellus de arte coquinaria), translated and edited by Rudolf Grewe and Constance B. Hieatt, 2001, ISBN 0-86698-264-7
These are compiled 13th C cooking manuscripts, written variously in Danish, Icelandic, and Low German. There is a lot of good information on the cooking and cuisine of the period. The recipes appear side by side with the original text. There are no redactions, but the simplicity of some of the recipes make them easy to redact.
War Fare, by Bonnie Feinberg and Marian Walke, 2010, ISBN 978-0-578-06232-7
This is a book by SCA cooks for SCA cooks. Written by two of the founders of the Sated Tyger Inn, and later Battlefield Bakery, this book is a must have for SCA cooks. The section on bread was eye opening for me, even after being an SCA cook for 20 years.
The Book of Sent Sovi, Joan Santanach, ed., Robin Vogelzang, trans., 2008, ISBN 978 1 85566 164 6
This is one of the few books on medieval Catalan cuisine. Probably written in the early 14th C. There are no redactions, but there are side by side recipes in the original language and English. Lots of information about the manuscript, but not much on foods and dining except what you can glean from the recipes. I like this book, and there are some great recipes.
The Book of Good Food (Daz bůch von gůter spise), Melitta Weiss Adamson, second edition 2004, ISBN 3-90 1094 12 1
This is a German manuscript, probably early 14th C. The original text is included, followed by the translation. There are no redactions. There is not a lot about food and cuisine, and a great deal about the manuscript itself. Some of the recipes are quite simple, and others extremely complex.
The Medieval Cookbook, Maggie Black, 1992, ISBN 0-7141-0583-x
Lots of pictures and commentary about food, dining, and cooking. This is a compilation of information taken from food manuscripts, poetry, household management texts, and clerical writings in medieval England. It has redactions throughout, and includes the original text and source above each one. I have used this book many times with good results, although I am not always happy about the substitution of modern ingredients, and the addition of ingredients that don't appear in the original text. She is one of the few authors that delves into middle class and clerical foods.
Food and Feast in Medieval England, P.W. Hammond, 1993, 1996 edition, ISBN0-7509-0992-7
This is not a recipe book, but it is an excellent source of information on cooking, table manners, serving, etc. There are lots of good pictures from period and of period cooking equipment. It also discusses the food of the lower classes.
The Medieval Cook, Bridget Ann Henisch, 2009, paperback 2013, ISBN 978-1-84383-826-5
Another book about cooking rather than recipes. Enormous amount of information about food of all classes as well as preparation, and even the entertainments put on at dinner by the nobility.
The Vivendier, Terence Scully, trans, and notes., 1997, ISBN 0 907325 815
This is a mid-15th C French book of recipes. There are no redactions, but a great deal of commentary is included with each recipe. The original recipe, the English translation, and author's notes are included with each recipe. This is an excellent book.
The Original Mediterranean Cuisine, Barbara Santich, 1995, ISBN 0907325 59 9
This is taken from a French 15th C cooking manuscript, but deals with several coastal Mediterranean areas. There is a lot of information on the kitchen, ingredients, trade in food stuffs, Arab influence on food, and more. This book does have redacted recipes. Each page has the redacted recipe, followed by the original recipe, the translation of the original recipe, and author's notes on each recipe. A great book for those starting out with redactions.
Cocatrice and Lampray Hay, Constance B. Hieatt, trans, and ed., 2012, ISBN 978-1-903018-84-2
This is a book of English recipes from the 15th C, and written in Middle-English. There are no redactions. The author includes the original recipe (many of which are readable to English speakers), the translation, and lengthy commentary on the recipe. An excellent book for those moving into doing their own redactions.
The Medieval Kitchen, Recipes from France and Italy, Odile Redon, Franҫoise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi, Edward Schneiger, trans., 1998, ISBN 0-226-70684-2
14th and 15th century recipes from multiple sources. There is tons of information about cuisine and dining. There are redactions. And though they do not include the original recipes, they do have English translations of the original recipes with reference to what manuscript it came from, followed by the modern recipe with detailed directions. Great book for those starting out with redacting.
To the King's Taste, Lorna J. Sass, 1975, ISBN 0-87099-133-7
When I joined the SCA in 1976, this was the only period cookery book that I saw for many years. It is based on the 14th C cooking manuscript know as The Forme of cury. It includes the original Middle English recipe, the modern translation, and a redaction with instructions and notes. Most of the recipes are very easy to make. My only caveat on this book are some mistranslations, and substitution of modern ingredients.
Pleyn Delit, Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler, 1985 (revised paperback), ISBN 0-8020-6366-7
This is taken from the cooking manuscript known as Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books, a well known 15th C source, used in many of the available books on medieval cooking. It includes the original English recipes followed by redactions. The redactions are quite good, with helpful commentary.
Take a Thousand Eggs or More, A Collection of 15th Century Recipes, vols. 1 and 2, Cindy Renfrow, Second edition 1998, ISBN 0-9628598-4-2
This is by the same author as A Sip Through Time, although I think this is a better book. She includes the original text, mostly in Middle English, followed by a modern translation, followed by her redaction. Her redactions are generally good. I have used them successfully.
Fetes Gourmandes au Moyen Age, Jean-Louis Flandrin and Carole Lambert, 1998, ISBN 2-7433-0268-2
This is the "coffee table book" of medieval French cuisine. The book is written in French. The recipes come from a variety of manuscripts. The original recipes appear in the exact original text (calligraphers would love this) photographed and reprinted on onion skin paper, with the modern French translation beneath. The left hand side has the redaction with instructions and other information relevant to the recipe. Behind the onion skin is a full page high quality photo of what the dish looks like once prepared. There are other color photos throughout the book, plus interesting asides about cooking related things. If you don't read French, you will probably want to give it a pass, unless you can find a used copy. It is quite expensive.
Du fait de cuisine/On Cookery, Terence Scully, 2010, ISBN 978-0-86698-402-7
This is based on the cookery book of Master Chiquart of 1420. There are recipes but no redactions. The original French is followed by a modern English translation. Good index and glossary, as well as details about Master Chiquart.
On Right Pleasure and Good Health, original author Platina, Mary Ella Milham, trans., 1998, ISBN0-86698-208-6
This is a work from mid-15th C Italy. The original Italian recipes are on the left, with modern English translation on the right. This is not just recipes, but also remedies, as well as tips on maintaining good health. Ingredients are discussed in depth, often with information as to where they fit in to "humor" theory.
Dining with William Shakespeare, Madge Lorwin, 1976, ISBN 0-689-10731-5
This is by far the best book on 16th century English cooking that I have found. Multiple sources are used and appropriately cited. The original recipes are included, followed by the redaction with directions. It is oddly organized, but in a very Tudor way. There are separate menus for feasts, each in honor of a play by Shakespeare. The redactions are brilliant, if very British. There is also a great deal of interesting information about food, beverages, entertaining, utensils, and so forth. This is one of my favorite books to cook from. Excellent subject index, recipe index, and bibliography.
The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi (1570), Terence Scully, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8020-9624-1
The original work from 1570 was written by a man who was cook for two popes as well as other high ranking clergy. He was well known in his own time--the celebrity chef of his day. Scappi is also credited with the beginnings of modern cuisine for the development of techniques not used before, which carried on into later periods, and some of which are used today. The book contains over 1000 recipes. Many of the original recipes include amounts and have more detailed cooking instructions than you see in earlier cooking manuscripts. The original Italian recipes are not included, but there is a modern English translation for every recipe. The book in 787 pages long, so I think we can forgive the omission of the Italian. The biggest problem with the book, is that the translator substituted modern weights and measures instead of the well known period ones, which have been extensively researched. The biggest mistake here is using a modern 16 oz pound, when the pound Scappi knew was 12 oz. Because of this, recipes that are highly dependent on correct proportions, like custards, pastry creams, and baked goods will not work. Other experts have taken issue with some of the translated words as well. Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad has an excellent "cheat sheet" on correcting some of these issues called "Lost in Translation." I do not have current contact info on her, but she is SCA, and can probably be tracked down, and may have a website with the info you need.
A Drizzle of Honey, David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson, 1999, ISBN 0-312-19860-4
This book purports to be a historical reproduction of Sephardic Jewish cuisine in Spain in the 15th-16th centuries. Let me start by saying I have issues with this book on several levels. Part of this information is from "trial testimony" of the Spanish Inquisition, which means it was obtained under torture. That makes it likely to be less accurate, and also gives us permission to use information obtained in this fashion a "pass." Some also comes from other sources such as non-Jewish writers, other Iberian cooking manuscripts, and some Islamic references. The recipes in this book are NOT redactions. They were developed by the modern authors based on these sources. Unfortunately, they do not do a very good job. I have issues with almost every recipe in the book due to the addition of modern ingredients, the complete lack of knowledge about almori (This is an ingredient, also called murri, made from barley or other grains that is wrapped in fig leaves and aged, that was a staple in Islamic cooking, and also used by the Sephardic Jews.) and how it was made, and modern processes in the cooking. This is more about "folk culture" than actual historical cuisine.
Food and Drink in Medieval Poland, Maria Dembińska, Magdalena Thomas, trans., revised and adapted by William Woys Weaver, 1999 edition, ISBN 0-8122-3224-0
14th-15th C Polish cuisine. Well researched with tons of interesting details (animal shaped cheese molds!) and information on Polish culinary history. Detailed descriptions of how class affected diet, kitchens and cookware, ingredients, and lots of woodcuts and drawings. The recipes are redacted, with detailed notes. It also includes English translations of the recipes, but not the original Polish. You will encounter ingredients you may not have heard of before such as "smallage" and "Good-King-Henry." There are few Eastern European cooking books, so this one is particularly helpful.
The Domostroi, Carolyn Johnston Pouncy, trans. and ed., 1994, ISBN 0-8014-2410-0
This is a translation of a household book. These were very popular across Europe in the 16th C and are basically manuals for new wives on how to do their job. The book is an actual translation, original not included. It does have some interesting parts about food preservation and cooking. It is the only book with this kind of information within SCA periods that I know of for Russia.
In a Caliph's Kitchen, David Waines, 1989, ISBN 1-869844-60-2
The recipes are from several culinary collections from the 9th through the 13th centuries. The areas are Iraq, Egypt, and upper parts of North Africa. There are sections on the kitchen, ingredients, and processes. The original recipes were in Arabic and possibly Farsi, and do not appear in the book. However you do get the direct translation into English, and which manuscript the recipe came from. There are redactions, which appear to be mostly accurate to the translations.
Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World, Lilia Zaouali, M,B. De Bevoise, trans. from the French and Italian versions, 2007, ISBN 978-0-520-26174-7
There is lots of good information on the cooking in Iraq, particularly Baghdad in the 10th C. There are color plates of works of art, and information on aspects of ingredients and cooking as well as terminology. There are semi-redactions (no amounts are given) just below the translation of the recipe in English, and it is organized into sections by types of dishes much like a modern cookbook.
Medival Arab Cookery, Maxime Rodinson, A.J. Arberry, and Charles Perry, trans. and eds., 2001, ISBN 0907325 91 2
This is a compilation of scholarly articles that deal with food and dining. The articles contain rich amounts of detail on food, serving, cooking, ingredients, the spice trade, and the food of The Arabian Nights. There are good translations of recipes, but no redactions.
The Nìmatnāma Manuscript of the Sultans of Mandu (The Sultan's Book of Delights), Norah M. Titley, trans., 2005, ISBN (paperback) 13: 9778-0-415-65046-5
This is food of India in the 15th C. The recipes are translated but not redacted. The book does contain the original work in Urdu, which is included in the back of the book, as well as its many illustrations and miniatures. It also includes recipes for perfumes and remedies for illnesses. I would recommend some study of Indian cooking before tackling any redactions.
Cheese and Culture, Paul S. Kindstedt, 2012, ISBN 9 781603 584111
This is the history of cheese and cheese making from the earliest civilizations. It reads almost like a novel, and draws information from archeology and written records. The book can date certain types of cheese to specific periods of history. If you are using cheese in your dishes, you should have a background in what was period for that recipe. This is a great book.
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html, Valoise Armstong, trans., 1998. This is an online translation of a 16th C cookery book of Sabina Welserin. The original German is not included. However, this translation by an SCA person, has received good reviews from academics and the academic press. Excellent bibliography. It has no redactions, but I have used this many times with good success.
Books that I do not recommend
All the King's Cooks, The Tudor Kitchens of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace, Peter Brears, 1999, ISBN 0 285 63533 6
The author of this book has become someone not to trust on either sources or redactions. He does not include any original recipes, so there is no way to check how well they were redacted. He has also been caught saying that a certain recipe came from a certain source, when it did not. Most experienced cooks will no longer use any of his books as reliable sources.
Fabulous Feasts, Madeliene Pelner Cosman
This book first came out in the late 1970s or early 1980s, at a time when there were very few other books out on medieval cooking. SCA cooks immediately started cooking from it and discovering that many of the dishes were unlike anything else they had seen, and that they were unpalatable. The author had originally made claims about an unknown cooking manuscript, but when demands were made to see it, she admitted that there was none, and that she had made up the recipes as being "in the style of period recipes." Shortly thereafter she left her job in academia--she worked at a school that she herself had founded, which closed shortly thereafter. She then became a devoted follower of the works of Ayn Rand, and wrote several papers negative to immigration, and implying that "illegal immigrants" were pushing US medical services to the breaking point. My guess is that she made that stuff up too. She has passed away. Let's hope all of her writings do as well. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK.
