I don’t usually post about local business, but when I do, it’s because they’re so cool I can’t help but share. The last one was Thwaite’s, for their epic meat pies and sausage. This time, it’s Cuisine en Locale. In addition to doing a sort of CSA of prepared foods (woot!), rather than a box
This is a great historic Persian treat, that is, in a way, like medieval gatorade. The base recipe is sugar and vinegar, but the possibilities for added flavors and ingredients are as limitless as your imagination. I’ve included both a basic, traditional recipe, and one of my favorite new versions- strawberry, ginger, mint. The traditional version is
Thoughts: This whimsical snack, at first blush, seemed wonderfully simple to put together. I blithely made a batch of biscuits, filled them with honey, and baked. They were not a success. In addition to my wandering away from the oven for a bit too long, leaving the biscuits to brown, the honey soaked into the
Thoughts: Last year, when we posted the recipe for a modern Strawberry Pie, many of you objected that there was no medieval version accompanying it. We’d tried several recipes, and thought they were all gross, so never posted them. To make amends, I’ve been looking for a good medieval recipe ever since, and finally found
“Tea. Adoulla leaned his face farther over the small bowl and inhaled deeply, needing its aromatic cure for the fatigue of life. The spicy-sweet cardamom steam enveloped him, moistening his face and his beard, and for the first time that groggy morning he felt truly alive.” –The Throne of the Crescent Moon, by Saladin Ahmad
“’Freshwater trout,’ announced Mihi, ‘from the Adrilankha River, stuffed with carrot slivers, fresh rosemary, salt, crushed black pepper, a sprinkling of powdered Eastern red pepper, minced garlic, and sliced lemon wedges. Accompanied by fresh goslingroot, quick-steamed in lemon butter.’ Then, wielding the serving spoons like tongs, he reverently delivered some fish and vegetable onto our plates… I can’t tell you
Thoughts: This medieval leek recipe is flavorful and interesting. The leeks and salt pork cook until they are so soft that they almost melt, leaving the slivered almonds to make a textural statement. Each bite transitions from the saltiness of the broth, to the soft flavors of the leeks and pork, then ends with a
“Cinna invites me to sit on one of the couches and takes his place across from me. He presses a button on the side of the table. The top splits and from below rises a second tabletop that holds our lunch. Chicken and chunks of oranges cooked in a creamy sauce laid on a bed
I love this. It’s a compilation of the food words from my master document, which lists all the meals that show up in the books. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears (thankfully, “dog” is pretty tiny). It’s also fun to make up new combinations of your own, like “Mushroom Pie
“Tiria and Lycian took the birds to the buffet table, allowing them to choose what they liked. Brantalis opted for soft cheese and watercress sandwiches, which he immersed in a bowl of pea and cabbage soup and gobbled down with evident relish.” –High Rhulain, by Brian Jacques What an ideal light lunch! The