I have a slew of recipies I figured I could share with all.

BEEF BOURGUIGNONNE

1 pd boneless beef roast-cut into cubes
2 Tbsp oil
1 large onion
1 clove garlic-minced
1 1/2 cup Burgandy wine
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups whole mushrooms
4 carrots cut into pieces
8 ounces pearl onions
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbsp flour
3 cups cooked noodles (or home-made ones)


In large pot cook half of meat in 1 Tbsp of oil and remove from pan.
Add 1 Tbsp of oil, rest of meat, onion and garlic. Cook until tender and drain off fat. Return all meat to pot.

Stir in Burgandy wine, beef broth, thyme, marjoram and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots and pearl onions. Return to boil and reduce heat then simmer for 30 minutes.

Combine cold water and flour, then add to meat mixture. Stir until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more.

Serve with noodles.

(historically pasta can be documented as well - this a great recipe and one of my favs - apologies to the vegans if there are some)

Here are a few more I used in putting together a feast for about 150 people. Everything was great! Use these quite a bit at home now too!

SPANISH MUSHROOMS

Makes approximately 5 lbs of mushrooms:
60oz of fresh mushrooms 1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar 2/3 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, sliced 3 Tbsp dried basil, or a handful of fresh basil
salt water

Boil the mushrooms for about 10 minutes in salt water, drain and put in storage container. Mix all other ingredients, pour over mushrooms. Cover and store in cool place overnight (I use the fridge).

GINGER CREAM SAUCE (A ginger dipping sauce for chicken or vegetables )

· 2 cup mayonnaise, chilled
· 1 cup dairy sour cream
· 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
· 1/4 cup minced parsley
· 1 to 2 Tbs. finely chopped candied ginger
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 Tbs. soy sauce
· dash salt

Combine mayonnaise and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Garnish top with additional candied ginger bits. Makes about 2 cups.
Makes a wonderful dipping sauce for chicken and raw vegetables.


SPINACH TART
Goodman p. 278/23 -"A Tart" (GOOD)
This recipe makes two tarts. This tart in my opinion was the best looking savory tart on the table.

1/3 pound spinach, chopped 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons chervil, dried 1 teaspoon fennel seed, ground in a mortar
5 eggs 1/2 pound cheddar cheese (Cariadoc has 2/5 pound)
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese (Cariadoc has 2/5 pound) 1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 pie shells (9") (Cariadoc shows one, but it made enough filling for two pies) Bake pie crust for 10 minutes at 400. Chop or grate spinach and parsley Grate cheese Mix filling ingredients in a bowl. Put filling in crust and bake about 40 minutes at 350.

LECHES FRYED IN LENTON(Slices Fried in Lent)
Sass To the King's Taste, p. 96-7

3 tablespoons butter 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin 2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/3 cup raisins 2 cups prunes, pitted and halved
1/2 cup almond milk 1/2 teaspoon saunders (red sandalwood powder): substitute a couple drops red food coloring
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon mace 1/2 teaspoon crushed aniseed
pinch nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar pie shell (10" specified, 1 used a 9" deep dish)

Bake pie pastry at 425 for 10 minutes. Peel, core, slice apples and pears; pit and chop dried fruits. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Toss apple and pear slices in butter and fry about 5 minutes. Stir in the dried fruits. Blend almond milk and sandalwood. Stir this into the fruit mixture. Stir the remaining ingredients into the fruit mixture. Place fruit mixture in pie pastry. Bake pie at 350 for about 35 minutes or until the fruit is soft.

Tart of Almonds
(Cook 130 pamphlet: To the Queen's Taste, p. 103)

1 1/2 cups almonds, blanched, coarsely ground (a coffee grinder is wonderful)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons rose water
pie shell, (8" specified)

Bake the pie shell at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake 5 minutes. Let cool. Combine almonds, cream, sugar and rosewater in a heavy saucepan. Boil gently about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Just before serving, if you like, spread a thin layer of strawberry or cherry preserves on top.

SWEETS (candies)
CANDIED CITRUS PEELS makes 3 cups

3 oranges
3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Cut peel of each orange and lemon into 4 sections with sharp knife. Remove peel carefully with fingers. Scrape white membrane from peel with spoon (back of peel will appear porous when membrane is removed). Cut peel lengthwise into strips about 1/4 inch wide. Heat peel and enough water to cover to boiling in 1 1/2 quart saucepan; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes; drain. Repeat simmering process.
Heat 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3/4 cup water to boiling in 1 1/2 quart saucepan, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissoved. Add peel. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes; drain in strainer. Roll peel in 1/2 cup sugar; spread on waxed paper to dry. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature no longer than 1 week.

PANFORTE DI SIENA
Traditionally, anyhow, Panforte di Siena in one form or another fortified the Crusaders on their long journeys. While I have no documentation for this particular recipe, there is an interesting file on Compuserve in the Living History library showing Middle Italian texts and translations (by Baroness Viviana di Castelloza [Vian Lawson]) of chocolate recipes in A.S.F. Carte Bardi II A.116.
This recipe downloaded from Living History library on Compuserve (PANFORTE.TXT) This is my FAVORITE candy from this feast.

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned 1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup candied orange peel soaked in brandy 1/4 cup cocoa powder (best quality)
1/2 cup cake flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey powdered sugar
THERE IS NO FAT. THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE.

Turn oven on to 350 and toast hazelnuts until golden - about 15 minutes. Return oven to 300 after toasting. Line a pie plate with parchment paper so that the paper comes up the sides too. This is crucial. Maybe wax paper will work. PAM both the plate before the paper and then the paper. This is a major sticker. Drain orange peel if you have soaked it in brandy. Combine well all ingredients except honey and sugar. Stir. Stir. Stir. Heat honey and sugar until soft ball stage, 240 degrees F. Careful. It gets there real fast so watch for scorching. Turn out to a large bowl and add the dry ingredients. Combine. You have a dense mass difficult to combine which is why you need a large bowl. Place in lined pie plate and spread - shouldn't be more than 3/4 inches high. Wet your hands to spread and smooth it out. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn it out to an oiled plate and remove paper. When cool, cut into small squares. I then shake the totally cooled pieces in a bag with powdered sugar (to which cinnamon can be added). Cocoa powder is good, also, for shaking in. Store in air tight container. Keeps forever. Note: This is not a "dessert" but more adult candy. Good for snacking with a glass of wine or brandy. Stuff keeps for weeks in an air-tight container which is why the Italian Crusaders brought it to their wars in the Middle East.

PEAR LATWERGEN
Steam them in a pot. Crush thereafter with a spoon. Set thereafter in a small kettle on a tripod over a small fire. Thereafter [have] good embers. Stir. Put honey and spices therein. Still stir it much. Put coarsely ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg therein. Still stir it much, and reduce the fire until the spices heat up well, and take it from there. Pound it out on a wide plate or board. Roll it like a krapfen dough. Let it cool well. Thereafter cut pieces therefrom and keep.
Von Speisen, Naturlichen vnd Kreuter Wein, Aller Verstandt
Good latwergen from people-pears and other good pears
Redaction from class handout by Caterina Sichling von Nuremberg © 1996 Alia K. Atlas (This candy is like a fruit leather. )

1 cup steamed pear puree (2 or 3 soft pears)
1/2 cup honey
1/16 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and core pears. Quarter them and place in a baking dish with a tight cover. If it leaks too much steam, the pears might burn; if this is your only option, you can add a little water (1/4 cup) or make a paste of flour and water and seal the lid on, leaving a space unfilled, so that air can escape. Cook the pears at 350 for an hour. Remove the pears from the oven, let cool, and puree. They will be extremely soft. For a smooth texture, use a food processor, or a lot of patience. This should produce 1 cup of pureed pears. Put the pear puree in a pot on a high heat with a candy thermometer. Add the honey. Cook until thermometer reads 260 degrees, or the mixture reaches hardball. This will take about 20 minutes, and the mixture may splatter, as the water is boiled out. Add the spices, keeping the mixture at 260 degrees, and cook for another two minutes. Remove from the stove. Oil a cutting board, marble is highly recommended. Let the pear mixture cool slightly, and then pour onto the cutting board. Using a spatula, smooth the mixture out to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Once it has cooled so that it isn't sticky, you may mold it in oiled molds, or cut it into pieces. Let fully cool and store. Wear gloves when simmering and stirring the pear puree. The burns from this are painful. It splatters all over as the water boils out.

CREAM CHEESE MINTS - MUST TRY THESE!! makes 8 dozen mints

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/4 cup soft butter
2 pounds powdered sugar
few drops food coloring
1/2 teaspoon peppermint, wintergreen or lemon extract

Combine cream cheese and butter in heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir over low heat until cheese is soft, butter is melted, and the mixture is thoroughly blended. Add the powdered sugar and stir until well combined. Add your choice of food coloring and flavoring. If desired, you may divide the whole batch to make 2 or 3 color choices, adding extract to taste. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place on a sheet of waxed paper. Press with fork, or stamp with decorative cookie stamp to form design on top. Let stand, uncovered, about 4 hours or overnight until mints are firm and outside is dry, but inside is still moist and creamy. I found that I had to freeze them for about 10 minutes when I used molds to get them to pop out. I did not have luck getting them out of plastic sheet molds unless they were round (medallions or strawberries).

APRICOT BALLS

1 pound dried apricots, ground fine
1/4 cup orange juice
grated rind of one orange
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup nuts, finely chopped
Cook all ingredients except nut meats in double boiler 30 minutes, stirring often. Add nut meats. Cook 5 minutes more. Cool. Form into small rolls or balls and roll in powdered sugar. If first sugar is absorbed too much, sift more over the balls later.

Okay, last few for a bit...someone mentioned mushrooms....yummy!


BAKED STUFFED MUSHROOMS(Mushrooms stuffed with cheese & parsley in wine )

· 1 lb. fresh mushrooms with caps
· 1/2 to 1 stick (4 to 8 Tbs.) of melted butter
· 1 cup bread crumbs
· fresh chopped parsley
· 1 Tbs. oil
· 1 crushed garlic clove
· 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
· 1/2 cup white wine
· 1 minced medium onion

Remove mushroom stems and chop. Place caps on buttered baking sheet and set aside. Sauté chopped stems, onions, and garlic in oil. Mix other dry ingredients. Add them to melted butter and wine in a sauce pan and stir together. Mold a small amount on the cap. Bake 20 minutes at 350 F.
Serve warm.

GARLIC MUSHROOMS (Mushrooms marinated in wine, olive oil, & garlic )

· 8 lbs. mushrooms
· 2 qt. red wine vinegar
· 1 cup red wine
· 1/3 lb. fresh garlic, diced
· 1 bunch parsley, diced
· 1 qt. olive oil
· salt

In a large, non-metal container, mix together the vinegar, wine, garlic, parsley, and a little salt. Rinse mushrooms & drain well; trim off ends of stems & any bad spots. Pack the mushrooms in airtight non-metal containers. Add marinade to about 1 1/2 inch from the top, then top with olive oil. Cover & refrigerate. Invert container once a day while storing, to distribute marinade evenly. Can be served after only a day, but it is better if it is older than 4

SPICED BUTTER (Butter whipped with cream, nutmeg, & cardamom)

· 1 lb. butter
· 2 Tbs. cream
· 2 Tbs. sugar
· 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
· 1/2 tsp. cardamom
Whip butter; add cream and whip in seasonings.

HONEYED BUTTER (A classic accompaniment to fresh bread )

· 2 cups honey
· 1 cup butter
Let butter stand in room temperature until soft. Add honey and stir until it is perfectly blended. Cover tightly and keep cold.
Blend with chopped nuts or spices

HERBED BUTTER (Butter flavored with honey & herbs )

· 1 Tbs. each parsley & sweet basil
· 2 lbs. butter, softened
· 2 Tbs. additional butter
· 4 Tbs. honey

Melt the 2 Tbs. of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the herbs & allow to cook just until aromatic. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the honey and the herb mixture to the remainder of the butter and blend thoroughly. Spoon mixture into individual serving dishes, allow to set, then serve with bread.
Blend with chopped nuts or spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, etc.) for a variation

BASIC SHORT PASTRY (Pie pastry made with wheat flour & lemon juice - PERFECT for the tarts if you try them!)

· 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
· 1/4 tsp. sea salt OR 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
· 3/4 cup (1 & 1/2 sticks) well chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
· 5 to 6 Tbs. ice cold water
· 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Combine flour & salt in medium bowl and blend well. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 Tbs. water with lemon juice and toss mixture with fork to blend evenly, adding more water if dough is too dry. Gather into ball. Preheat oven to 375º F. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll into circle slightly larger than a 10 inch tart pan or pie plate. Ease pastry into pan or plate, and trim or crimp edges. Prick shell all over with fork. Line with sheet of waxed paper and fill with pastry weights, rice, or dried beans. Bake 30 minutes. Remove weights and paper and continue cooking until bottom of shell is lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
For Cheese Short Pastry: add 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to flour.

BASIC PASTRY (Recipe for basic pie pastry)

· 2 cups flour
· 1 tsp. salt
· 2/3 cup shortening
· 1/2 cup water
Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Add water, a spoonful at a time. Knead until pastry forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl.


ENJOY!

thanks for the recipes...they look good...Cleave is THE chef around here so I'm sure he'll have something to add....and from what Dunc says, Meg ain't too bad either...LOL. Me, I just like to cook....must have gotten that from my Sicilian grandmother...she used to make me get up at 6 AM and help her make make pasta and everything else for Sunday dinner.

I love to cook, but love to have people to cook for. Toss it up to my Portuguese side. Boy those Sicilians sure can cook too!!

I hear you on that... I'll cook a huge home made meal and invite about 10 friends over on a Sunday...when I'm alone I eat coco puffs or something stupid....go figure

The recipes look good to me! What little research I've done into medeival cooking, I can see much similarities in the ingredients, except the chocolate. Thought it wasn't around until 1600's or so, since it's native to South America. I like the Ginger Cream Sauce...I was suprised to find ginger, saffron and cardamom in medieval cooking, but sure enough, it's there. Somewhere down the line, I have plans to do modern versions of this type of cooking...the "slow food" craze is still going, and medieval style cooking fits right in. I don't want to reinvent 13th cen. cooking unless I'm doing an authentic feast or something, but the methods are still very valid ones. Spit roasting for example is still popular as the best way to cook foul and meats, and baking bread and such in hearth brickovens is considered fancy today!..go figure, kinda like how lobster was once s**t food, and now it's the supreme meal! Same goes for handmade cheeses, wine that is foot pressed in small batches, cured meats, sausages, etc... My goal is to get back to that hand crafted food made with local fresh ingredients, including the meat. I'll try to find a recipe I like and post it next time. Galla, have you done any catering?

Bread...you know, not too many do bread really well these days. Even when you specify to a caterer that you want a gourmet bread, cheese and fruit table loaded with various hearty breads...seems they just cant understand that request. I have often thought a good booth at Faire would be a hearth baked bread ....as fresh as you could pull off.

This has made me hungry and no time to cook any of it!
Maybe later this afternoon I can try my hand at some thing, maybe the mints first encase I screw up one of the perfectly good recipies.

Cleave, we find resources showing that cocoa seeds were used as early as the 1100's in Italian recipies (even though history tells us it did not arrive until the mid 1400's). Typically the plant is grown with in 20 degrees of the equator, which leaves quite a bit open (phillipines and west indies). A theory I have always held is that there must have been another (not so known) location that produced the plant and was involved with trades throughout the Mediteranean area. Granted, it would not have even been close to what we have today...much more bitter in natural form. They would have had to be inventive to get a sweet version of the cocoa.

I also have research information showing uses for it's medicinal properties, so perhaps (as it was with butter) the primary usage of today was not realized so readily. Here is a really good site of a plant introduction timeline.


Timeline of Plants and Foods

Oh too...Duncan, you will love the mints! Easy too!

Thanks Galla!
This points back to the fact that there were trade routes in ancient times that many ex-sperts and others do not except could have supplied items like the ones you mentioned, spices and herbs all over the world.
No friend Cleave I don't mean you, you have one of the most open minds I've seen to the cooking arts.
The whole thing brings to mind the infamous topic in another web site forums about tomatoes or the lack there of and the proof that was never excepted by those who would not see.

Well we do all know that Columbus was not the first to discover the americas. Evidence of the Vikings has been unearthed putting them in New England territories AND South America & Mexico. Perhaps the Vikings (well known mercinaries and believed to be traders) brought it through?

Just a theory....

Very could well have, they did keep small areas for live plants on board their long ships and no reason not to carry some trade goods on a long voyage.
Then long before that time was the Irish monks in a dingy who crossed the Atlantic.
I worked as an advance scout here abouts for the Cambridge University looking for traces of the vikings and found many.

Hadn't heard about the Irish monk in the dingy. Interesting. Monks were well known for their gardening skills too.

I don't believe the Vikings were all as blood thirsty as most would like to give them credit for. Evidence shows they were explorers and also great with crops and livestock. But too, during wars and such, I am sure they were magnificent warriors to boot!

Oh and to the catering question...nope, not really.

I have produced historically accurate feasts for around 150 or so, but that was a bit different. I never got paid...and to think I would be so stupid as to volunteer for all of that! Sheesh.

Well, I definately can't challenge a historian! What's funny about it is that it didn't become popular back then as when it's "2nd" discovery came around. Usually a new spice gets exalted when introduced. Perhaps they just didn't know how to prepare it right, and was thought of as that bitter brown stuff or something. What did the Italians use it for?

Actually if I recall right, cocoa plants were used in medicine. The Italians actually added it to dishes and cooked with it. Perhaps they just clued in earlier. Who knows?

Wow. You really know your history! Did you ever teach? I only really liked it when someone told historical accounts in a down to earth manner, like telling an interesting story. Otherwise, I catch up on sleep. Have any of you guys heard an Eddie Izzard stand up comedy routine?
If not, you should run out right now and rent one. FUNNY!!! He does these long historical accounts from a comedian's viewpoint that'll split your blond roots! (Or red ones... ) My signaute actually comes from a routine about how the English would sound if they were in charge of the Inquisition..."CAKE OR DEATH?!!!" "Uh, cake for me, please..." "VERY WELL, THEN! GIVE HIM CAKE!!!...YOU THERE!!! CAKE OR DEATH?!!!" "Uh, cake for me as well..." ("DAMN! WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF CAKE! WE WEREN'T EXPECTING SUCH A RUSH!") "YOU!!! CAKE OR DEATH?!!!"
"Uh, cake?..." "WE'RE ALL OUT OF CAKE!!!" "Well, I'll have the chicken, then..." "OH!, ALL RIGHT.......gravy?"

Hmm...will have to see if I can get the video in Smallville here (actually live about 20 mi from town. That just sounds way hilarious! Thinking Harry Potter is on the line up for this afternoon though...it's family day at our house. Joy, joy.

I hope I don't sound like a teacher (at least any I remember)! LOL They always bored me a bit as well, and have taught a few classes and only one on history. Thinking the "History of Italian Renaissance Clothing", at least that I can recall. I like hands on teaching. Seems to get the masses more involved (hard to sleep with a torch in your hand).

Oh too...feel free to argue whenever you feel the need...not a professional historian - just self taught. I can usually remember the important details, but many times have to run back through my notes and find the good stuff. Guess it helps to have been studying plants for the last 15 years. Have to have something to keep myself busy!

Well then perhaps you could be of assistance to me in my "other life" as a chef. I've been recently interested in food history. Part of that is knowing when and where and why certain culinary plants, vegetables and herbs came from, were used, etc. to understand where certain cuisines today arrived from. You see, I have a theory that a lot of the classical dishes and styles that stuck up chefs base their philosophy and flavor combinations on are taken for gospel when there were probably many other factors involved that had nothing to do with creating those things. My ultimate goal is to de-mystify cooking and understand it for what it really is, so I can have a real foundation for growth. There are too many "facts" of cooking that are based on not completely understood circumstances. So with that in mind, if plants is one of your forte's can I just, like ask you about Caraway Seed or something and find out anything interesting? Don't want to add off-topic data to the forums, so perhaps we can talk about medeival plants and herbs. Game?

Sure, love to help out in any way possible, and promise to not make it too borning. This might be better in the Horticulture section though. See if I can work on something for that area.