I'm cooking a
feast for a local branch of the
Society for Creative Anachronism, working entirely from
recipes that date between 1400 and 1550. Of course the recipes don't use modern
weights and measures or, in some cases, any measures at all. The renditions I've posted come from a variety of sources; some from cookbooks of translated recipes, and others from my own experimentation.
This meal is designed for 72 people, of whom 56 will get a carnivorous dishes in each course and 16 will get an equivalent vegetarian dish. Of course, this division is not a Renaissance trait, but a concession to modern reality (although some meat recipes were written with vegetarian modifications to be used in Lent).
As was common in the Renaissance and before, the courses do not have particular themes. I've added a first course of food that will be on the table because the feast is being given at a camping event in July--we'll probably have a lot of hungry people sitting down to eat, and it's good to make sure that they have food waiting for them. Again, this is a concession to the modern situation.
Menu and recipes are provided below. The cost for each diner will be US$5.
First Course:
- Bread
- Cheese and Herbed Butter
- Summer Fruits
- Candied Orange Peel
Second Course:
Third Course: