Medieval Arab Dinner

Hummus with Ground Nuts

Take boiled chickpeas and pound finely. Take vinegar, good oil, tahini, pepper, atraf tib (spice blend, recipe in: https://www.theophanus-cauldron.net/atraf-al-tib/), mint, parsley, thyme, a little of walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, cinnamon, caraway, dried coriander, salt, salted lemons, and olives. Spread. Leave one day and one night and serve.

-Kanz al-Fawa'id fi Tanwi al-Mawa'id

Lamb with Greens and Yogurt

Boil a ratl of meat. Remove the scum. Cook it part way. Add to it chopped green leaves of chard. Cook it until it is well done. Remove the meat, its broth and the chard. Then put in a pound of yogurt and a uqiyah of rice. Continue to stir until rice is cooked. Add to it the meat, swiss chard and the broth. The broth should be a little. Cook it and remove. Sprinkle mint leaves on it. After ladling it into a bowl, put pounded garlic on top. Turnips can be used instead of chard, same goes for spinach.

- Ibn al-'Adim, Kitab al-Wuslah (...)

Honey and Almond Candy

Take good honey as much as you wish and pour it into a large copper pot with a rounded bottom and light a gentle fire beneath it. Take off its froth, strain it and discard. Take washed olive oil or the oil of hulled sesame seeds. If the amount of honey is one ratl, then take half a ratl of sesame oil or olive oil. Take starch in the amount of a quarter of the honey allowing it to absorb lest it to become sour. Take the amount of saffron that you want an add it to the cornstarch. Pour it into the pot over the honey and sesame oil and stir gently over a gentle fire until it pulls from the sides. Add almonds, as much as you prefer, letting it ticken until the sesame oil is absorbed and hardens, is ready. Remove from the heat. Spread on a platter, God willing.

- Al-Warraq, Abu Muhammad al-Muzaffar (...)

Bibliography: Salloum, Habeeb et al. - Scheherazade's Feasts, Foods of the Medieval World, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.

Comments

Beef and Cheese Pie, 16th Century, Netherlands (Empada de Carne e Queijo, Séc. XVI, Países Baixos).

1 shortcrust pastry - 380g of beef - 100g cheese (I used brie) - a pinch of saffron and ginger For beef pies. Take beef and that you shall cut very small and put into this in the winter manner: cheese, ginger and saffron. I baked in the oven at 200ºC, for about 35 minutes. Bibliography: Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen, Netherlands, 1510 inhttp://medievalcookery.com/search/display.html?einno:91:PIE 1 massa quebrada - 380g de carne de vaca - 100g de queijo (eu usei brie) - uma pitada de açafrão e gengibre Para empadas de carne. Pegue na carne e corte-a bem pequena e coloque-a à maneira do inverno: queijo, gengibre e açafrão. Assei no forno a 200ºC, por cerca de 35 minutos. Bibliografia: Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen, Netherlands, 1510 inhttp://medievalcookery.com/search/display.html?einno:91:PIE

The Table of Catarina of Austria, Queen of Portugal (16th century).

On the 14th of January, 1507, was born in Torquemada, Catarina of Austria. She was the daughter of Queen Joana of Castile,"the mad" and the Archduke of Austria and Duke of Burgundy, Philip, "the handsome", who died before she was born. She was named in honor of her maternal aunt, Katherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII of England. She remained with her mentally unstable mother, imprisoned at Tordesillas castle, until she was about to marry. Joana was still able to fulfill her duties as a mother and made sure Catarina had the same excellent education as herself, preparing her well for future life at court. Catarina was fluent in Latin, Greek and Spanish. She had religious, humanist and classical knowledge. She was also an excellent dancer, embroider and could play the organ. In 1525, Catarina married her cousin, King João III of Portugal. Even though it was an arranged marriage, Catarina and João truly loved each other and spend together as

Clarea from Water (Honey Tea), 16th Century, Spain

50 ml water - 1 table spoon of honey - half tea spoon of cinamon - a pinch of ground cloves and ginger CLAREA DE AQUA To one azumbre of water, four ounces of honey; you must cast in the same spices as for the other clarea; you must give it a boil with the honey over the fire, and when it is off the fire you must cast in the spices (the spices are the same as the next recipe underneath). SPICES FOR CLAREA (Different Recipe, with alcohol, the above one just uses the same spices). Three parts cinnamon, two parts cloves, one part ginger, all ground and strained through a sieve , and for one azumbre (6) of white wine, put an ounce of spices with a pound of honey, well-mixed and strained through your sleeve (7) of good thick linen, and strained through it often enough that the wine comes out clear. Bibliography: Ruperto de Nola, Libro de guisados, manjares y potajes intitulado libro de cozina (...) 1529, translated by R. Carroll-Mann in http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS

The Queen's Meal - Food History Notes

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