Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 7 Hare or goose powdryde in Wortys

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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7.  Hare or goose powdryde in Wortys
Take goode brothe of beef and of othyre goode flesh & mary bonys do hit in a potte sett hit ovyre the fnyre chop ane hare in pecys and do there to and yf thu wille weshe hyme yne the same brothe that thu wille boylle hyme yne thene draw the brothe thorow a straynere withe all the brode thene take caulys & the white of lekys and othyre herbes and ottemele and hew heme smalle to gedyre and yf hit be ane olde here lete hyme boyle welle or thu caste yne the wortys yf he be a yonge hare cast hyme and thy wortys to gadyr also take a goose of a day and a nyghte powdrynge chop here & put here in the wortys yne the same maner.

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Finally we have a recipe that isn't centered around cabbage or beans, though it does call for both cabbage and oatmeal.  This recipe parallels number 148 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak hayre or goose poudred in wort put good brothe of flesshe in a pot and maribones and set it on the fyere and chope the haire in peces, and put ther to and draw the brothe throughe a streyn with the blod then tak coles the whit of leekes other erbes and otemele and shred them smale to gedur and it be an old hayre let hir boile welle or ye put in your wortis and it be a younge hayre put in the hare and the wort to gedure and els tak a goos of a nyght and a day murdring and chope hir in the wort in the sam manner and serue it.   [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There is a similar recipe in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books.

Hare in Wortes. Take Colys, and stripe hem faire fro the stalkes. Take Betus and Borage, auens [correction; sic = MS. anens.] , Violette, Malvis, parsle, betayn, pacience, the white of the lekes, and the croppe of the netle; parboile, presse out the water, hew hem small, And do there-to mele. Take goode broth of ffressh beef, or other goode flessh and mary bones; do it in a potte, set on the fire; choppe the hare in peces, And, if thou wil, wassh hir in the same broth, and then drawe it thorgh A streynour with the blode, And then put all on the fire. And if she be an olde hare, lete hire boile well, or thou cast in thi wortes; if she be yonge, cast in all togidre at ones; And lete hem boyle til thei be ynogh, and ceson hem with salt. And serue hem forth. The same wise thou may make wortes of A Gose of a ni3t, (Note: night) powdryng of beef, or eny other fressh flessh. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

The word "powdered" here means salted (i.e. covered in powdered salt), and apparently only applies to the goose.  Interesting that the version in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books specifies that the goose is only to be salted for one night, and that the Wagstaff recipe doesn't mention salting the goose at all.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 6 Cabogys

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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6.  Cabogys
Take white cabogys kutt heme fro the stalkes in grete pesys weche hem clene perboyle heme wesche presse out the watyre and hew heme but a lytyll and in flesche tyme do fayre brothe of bethe or of caponys or of othre good flesche in a potte whene hit boyllethe do ther to thi cabochis and mary bonys al to brokyne boile hit up do there to safroun and salt whene hit ys boyllyde y now alay hit up with gratyde bredde and boulle yt a lytyll and serve hit forth.

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As expected, this little recipe parallels number 147 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak cabages wortis tak whit cabage and fined them smale and mak them up, also tak whit cabages and cut them from the stalks and wesche them and parboile them and presse out the water and hew them smale in flesshe tym put fat brothe of beef in a pot of capon brothe or the brothe of other good flesche and when it is boiled put in thy cabages and maribones all to brokene and boile them up do ther to saffron or salt and alay it upe with grond bred and luk it be chargant of canebyns and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There are a couple of interesting differences.  The first part from Noble ("To mak cabages wortis tak whit cabage and fined them smale and mak them up"), seems redundant and doesn't appear in the Wagstaff version.  Perhaps it was a copyist error.  Noble also has the added instruction at the end to make sure the recipe is either as thick as canebeans, or is thick with canebeans.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 5 Butturde Wortys

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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5. Butturde Wortys
Take al maner of good herbes that thu mayste gete peke heme wesche heme hewe heme boyle hem in fayre watyre put buttyr ther to claryfyyde a grete dell whene they be boylyde y now salte heme lete none otemele come there yne dyse brede too smale gobettys and do yne dyschys and powre there wortys there upone and serve hem forth.

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No surprise, this recipe parallels number 146 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak buttered wortes tak good erbes and pik them and wesche them and shred them and boile them in watur put ther to clarified buttur a good quantite and when they be boiled salt them and let none otemele cum ther in then cutt whit bred thyn in dysshes and pour on the wort.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

As I mentioned in the post about the first recipe, I love how this one just chimes in with "let none otemele come there yne" even though there is no previous mention of oatmeal in the recipe.  This suggests that oatmeal was typically added to cooked greens.


This recipe shows up in other sources as well.

To make buttyrd Wortys. Take all maner of gode herbys that ye may gette pyke them washe them and hacke them and boyle them vp in fayre water and put ther to butture clarefied A grete quantite And when they be boylde enowgh salt them but let non Ote mele come ther yn And dyse brede in small gobbetts & do hit in dyshys and powre the wortes A pon and serue hit furth.  [MS Pepys 1047 (England, ca. 1500)]

Buttered Wortes. Take al maner of good herbes that thou may gete, and do bi ham as is forsaid; putte hem on the fire with faire water; put there-to clarefied buttur a grete quantite. Whan thei ben boyled ynogh, salt hem; late none otemele come there-in. Dise brede small in disshes, and powre on the wortes, and serue hem forth.  [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Kristen Wright has a good modern interpretation of this recipe on her website.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 4 Canabens With Bacone

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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4.  Canabens With Bacone
Do suete brothe yne a potte wesche the canabens clene and do there to and boyle yt up put no lykure there to loke thay be salte & serve heme take ribbys of bacone boylyde do a way the skyne and ley heme one a dysche and serve heme forthere as ue serve vensone yne brothe.

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Keeping with the pattern so far, this little recipe parallels number 145 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak canebyns with bacon tak and put swete brothe in a pot then wesche canebyns clene and put to none other licour but boile them up and let them be salt and serue them then tak ribbes of bacon boled and do away the skyn and lay them in another disshe and serue them as ye do furmente and venysen. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

The only significant difference is that in the version from Noble, the recipe refers to frumenty, but Wagstaff only mentions venison in broth.


While not directly related, there's a similar recipe in Forme of Cury.

For To Make Gronden Benes. I. Take benes and dry hem in a nost or in an Ovene and hulle hem wele and wyndewe out þe hulk and wayshe hem clene an do hem toseeþ in gode broth an ete hem with Bacon. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

All told, I've found six different recipes in medieval cookbooks for beans with bacon.  It was obviously a popular combination that is still common in the modern day.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 3 Canabens

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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3.  Canabens
Take kanbens wesch hem and yf thu wilte stoppe heme a lytyll & make heme vp with mylke of almondys put there to sugure and salt out of lentyne make heme vp with cowe mylke and put there to  sygure and salte and buttyrre claryfyde.

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This short little recipe is clearly a parallel of one from A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak another canebyns take canebines and wesshe them and step them a litille and mak them up with mylk of almondes put ther to sugur and salt, and out of lent mak it up with mylk and clarified hony then salt it and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

The use of honey in A Noble Boke off Cookry instead of sugar is interesting given that sugar's place in English cooking was pretty well established by the fifteenth century.  Wagstaff also adds some butter.  Still, the recipes are essentially the same, making the first three recipes match 142 to 144 in Noble.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 2 For to make canabenes

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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2.  For to make canabenes
Take white benes ley hem in watyre rennynge too days and change the watyre take hem & ley heme dry thene dry heme harder vppone a stone or apone a este than shylle theme atte a tjylle and do a way the evehys and close the benys iij or iiij at the most and thene make hem clene and so may thou kepe heme as longe as thou wylte.

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This recipe shows some of the problems with transcribing a handwritten manuscript.  There are words here that are unclear, and it could be a problem with spelling, with my reading or with the scribe who wrote it in the first place.

Using a parallel recipe from A Noble Boke off Cookry makes it a bit clearer.

To mak canebyns tak whit benes and lay them to stepe in rynynge water ij dais and ij nights and change the water eury day then tak them up and let them are and put them in an ovene to hardyne and shelle them at the mylne and put away the hulles and clef the benes in ij or iij or iiij at the most and fry them and ye may kep them as longe as ye will.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

The word "tjylle" is most likely meant to be "mill", and "evehys" to be "hulls", but no matter how I look at the script I can't get the letters to resolve that way.

Interesting that the first two recipes in this book look to be the same as recipes 142 and 143 in A Noble Boke off Cookry, but of course the cookbooks of the time often copied from others.  We'll have to see how long the trend continues.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 1 (untitled)

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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1. (untitled recipe)
Take caules and stryp hem fro the stalkes and betes borage an ane vyolet malues percely betayne prymrose paciens the wyghthe lekes croppes of netels perboyle hem & ley hem one a borde presse out the watyre hewe hem small and do ther to otemele take the brothe of the congure turbut othire good fysche as of salmone do hit in a pott withe the foresayde herbes whene the broth ys at the boylynge caste in the wortys & the gerbes boyle hem vp loke they be salte and yf thou lacke brothe boyle elys take hem vp stripp of the fysche from the bonys grynde hit tempre hit with the selfe brothe do al to gadyre in a pott vn to the wortys be forsayde & boyle hem vp also then mayste yf thou wil setje mustulis sett hem over the fyre and do to hem as moche watyre as thay may flete yne boyle hem tyll they opyne then poure onto the brothe thorow a streynour pyke the mustulys grynde hem tenpere hem vp withe the silfe brothe and draw hem thoroughe a streynour taje tge sane nabber if gerves as thu dedist by fore and the brothe of the mustulys sette ouer the fyre boyle hem vp when the herbes be boulede y noughte caste in the mustulys drowe yne salte and yf thou wylte thou mayste draw pesyne thorow a streynere ande make vp the wortys with fayre watyre put there yne clere oylle lete them be frydde in by fore the boylynge & lay vp withe the forsayde pesone and lete none ottemele come ther yne also thou mayste yf thow will perboyle the white of lekeys and presse out the watyre hew theme smalle take canbenys and fayre watyr & sett hem on the fyre & when they boyle doyne the white of lekys loke none ottemele come there yne salt theme & serve theme forthe & cet.

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The first recipe in the manuscript isn't listed in the table of contents, probably because of its lack of title.  While there are many cabbage (cole) recipes in the medieval corpus, there are two that seem to be related to this one.

The first is a recipe for "Worts" that is a very close match:

To mak wortes tak coles and stripe them from the stalks then tak betees avens borage violettes mallowes parsly betayne prymrose pacyens the whyt of lekes and cropes of nettilles and parboile them upon a bord and pres out the water and mynce them smalle put ther to otemelle and tak the brothe of turbot congur samon or other fisshe and put them in a pot with the for said erbes and when the pot is at boillinge call in the erbes and the wort and boile them up and salt them and ye tak brothe tak eles and boile them and tak them upe and strip the fisshe from the bones and grind it up with the sam brothe and put them all to the wort and sethe them up. Also ye may sethe muskelles with as mych water as they may swym in and boile them tille they be opyne then streyne the brothe and tak some erbes as ye did befor and put it to the muskall brothe and set them on the fyere and boile them and when they be boiled put to the erbes and the brothe and put to the drawen muskalls and salt them, and ye may tak pessen drawe through a streyn and mak them up with the wort and faire water and put ther to oile that hath bene skald and in the boiling alay it up with pessene ye shall put none otemele ther in, also parboile the whit of lekes and pres out the water and chop them smalle and canebyns with faire water and set it to the fyere to boile it and put yt to the whit of leekes but do none otemele ther in and salt it and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Near the end they both include (twice!) one of my favorite bits in medieval recipes - an instruction not to add any oatmeal.  Odd, considering the recipe clearly calls for oatmeal early on.  Oats must have been a common addition to cooked cabbage, as I've found this instruction in other similar recipes that otherwise didn't mention them.

This recipe also seems to be connected to this one for "Joutes" in that the list of ingredients at the start is similar.

For Ioutes. Take most of cole, borage, persyl, Of plumtre leves, þou take þer tyl, Redde nettel crop and malues grene, Rede brere croppes, and avans goode, A lytel nept violet by þo rode, And lest of prymrol levus þou take, Sethe hom in water for goddes sake. Þenne take hom up, presse oute þou shalle Þe water, and hakke þese erbs alle And grynd hom in a morter schene With grotene. and sethe hom thyk by dene In fresshe brothe, as I þe kenne. Take sklyset, enbawdet þenne Besyde on platere þou shalt hit lay To be cut and eten with ioutes in fay.  [Liber cure cocorum, (England, 1430)]

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - Intro

I recently posted the last month of instructions from La Maison Rustique on "The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year."  That means I should probably find something else to do that's useful.

One of the projects I've been working on for some time is a transcription of the recipes from the Wagstaff miscellany (Beinecke MS 163).  This is the manuscript presented in An Ordinance of Pottage by Constance Hieatt.  That book is currently out of print, but there is a used copy available at Amazon.com (for a whopping $1,550.05).  I figure it's about time there's a freely-available transcription online (with searchable index, etc.).

My current plan is to post two recipes per week, with additional commentary and notes as appropriate.

To start things off though, here's the introduction to the recipe section of the manuscript, along with the table of contents.

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Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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Here bygynnyth the chapters of diuers makyng and dytynge of potages and flesch sodyn & rostyde and of sleying and dyghtyng of wylde fowle and of makyng of dyuers sotyltys, wortys, in lentyntyme other in fleschtyme.

Canebens
Canebens with bacon
Buttyrd wortys
Caboches
Hare other gose powdryde in wortys
Jowtys in flesch tyme
Lentyn foyles
Blaunche porre
Pome porre
Gyngaudre
Elys in sorey
Pykys other elys in ballocbrothe
Frumente in lentyn wyth porpoys
Pylets in farcene
To make iussall
To make loche lardes of iij colours
To make iumbelys of a dere
Greuell enforsede
Gawdon of Salmone
Cokkes of byllynge
Leche pernen
Feletys in galentyne
Humbelys of purpoys or of other fysch
Numbelys if vensone
Purpays in galentyne
Purpays or vensone in brothe
Hare in cyve
Hare in papulde
Hare in talbut
Conynge in grave
Conyngys in syve
Conyngys in clere brothe
Oisters in grave
Oisters in cyve
Chekens in gretney
Creteyney
Capons in conseps

Chekens in caudell
Sowpes
Chawdon of veell
Chawdon of pyggys fete
Dowce desyre
Breuet of Lombardy
Bruet of Almyne
Bruet of Spayne
Bruet roos
Chykenes in bruett
Stewe Lombarde
Stewyde colops
Brewett Tuskyne
Brewet Sarcenes
Bruet of kydes
Blanche bruety
Sauce sarceney
Eell in butryade
Pynonade
Kyde stuede
Stuede pertyrygge
A losede beef
Pyke in sauce
Turbut rostyde in sauce
Salmone rostyde in sauce
Brawne in confyte
Blaunchede branie
Leche lumbarde
Tayle
Blaunchede sorre
Blaw maungere
Chykeney
Blanke desyre
Sage
Sipres
Florey
Crem boylede
Lyede milke
Mortruys of flesche
Mortrus of fysche

Blaunche mortruys of fysche
Blaunche mortruys of flesche
Payne fondew
Caudell
Caudell ffery
Charlett
Perys in confite
Pesys in composte
Perys in syryppe
Brawne ryall braune sypres brawn bruse
Brawn ryall
Betreyn in lentyne
Betreyn in fleyschtyme
Storgon for sopers
Cold lech viaunde
Leche lumbarde
Cold bruet of rabets
Diuers desyre
Viauntes ryall
Maumene ryall
Gely of fysch dayes
Cristell gely
Gely of fleysche
Crem of almondys
Hages of almayne
Quistes
Joutes
Rastons
Samarcays
Longe fretours
Payne purdyeue
Peletes of porke in dores
Hattes
In lentyne
Sauce madam
Sauce camelene for quaylys
And other manner of fowlys & for fysche
Caudone of swane or of wylde gose
Wellyde pepyre for rostyde well
Fresche lamprey batone
Farteys of fleysche
Fartlettees
Bakyne purpas
Pyes of flesche caponys and fesauntes
Crustade lambarde

Chauet of beef
Bakyn chikenes
Chauet rial
Chauet of fysche dayes
Porialet
Prennerall
To make posset
Pyes of pares
Brinecy
Losynges opyne
Harbelade opyne
Lesche fryde
Bakyne mete one fysche days
A bakyne mete opyne
A colde bakyne mete
Caudell of almonds
For to sle aner of foules
And reste hem & syne for othure
Crane rostyde
Pertryche rostyde
Quayle rostyde
Heyrone rostyde
Bytore rostyde
Egrott rostyde
Curlew rostyde
Brew rostyde
Conyng rostyde
Rabetes rostyde
Sarcell rostyde
Plouere rostyde
Snyte rostyde
Wodkoc rostyde
Kyd rostyde
Well rostyde
Vensone rostyde
The seydys of a dere
Of his grece
Chikenes farsyde
Chikenes endoryde
Fylets of porke Endoryde
Capons of his grece rostyde
Capons stewede
Pecydaw
Gose or capons farsyde
Pyggys y farsyde

Pestys of motyne in sause
Dyghtynge of al manner of fysche trowghte boylede
Crab lopstere
Breme in sauce
Breme in brothe
Tenche in brothe
Sole in brothe
Sturgeone
Haddoc in gryue
Sowpes chaunlayne
Codlyng lyng haddoc other hake
Base mylet other brem
Congure turbut halibut poilede
Gurnarde othere roche boylede
Plays soles flounders boylede
Welkes boyled
Perche boyled
Fresch makerell boylede
Schrympes boylede
Sowpys endore
Hote mylke of almondes
Colde mylke of almondes

La Maison Rustique - December

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

December

In December visit oftentimes fields, in order to drain the water that will be gathered by the large rains.

Make water courses as close to the old ones as possible, and smoke them if necessary.

Make a supply of hay for smoking the fields.

Cover with hay the roots of trees and grasses that you want to keep until spring.

Top off and remove the branches of the willows, poplars, and other trees, so they can easily branch out and grow when winter is passed.

Cut wood, both for framing and for heating.

Draw up the nets to catch birds, and make the warrens for the hares, for when the fields are icy, or snow-covered, or flooded with rain. So that there can be no need.

Also make while it is raining, a thousand small wooden tools, such as those dishes, trenchers, spindles, tubs, bowls, and other things specific to husbandry.

Similarly, the harrows, rakes and hafts for the tools, repair the poles, yokes, plows and all instruments necessary for the stables of beasts of labor, so that they are in order to be worked.

Also make a supply of hoes, spades, picks, shovels, axes, hatchets, saws and other such tools for the husbandry of the fields.

Food Porn - Molecular Gastronomy

The whole Molecular Gastronomy movement has always made me a bit uneasy, and I wasn't exactly sure why.

For a while I thought it might be the reliance on technology that it encourages.  After all, having spent the last decade or so with my head stuck in the techniques of pre-16th century cooking must have conditioned me towards a more low-tech approach.  But then again, aside from being a medieval food geek, I'm also a science-fiction geek.  I love futuristic stuff, and that includes the depictions of food in movies and novels about possible (or impossible) futures.

More recently I began to suspect it had something to do with the chefs.  They tend to be flamboyant and egotistical, with an attitude that seems to be screaming "THIS IS MY ART, AND AS SUCH IT IS BEYOND CONTESTATION!"  However I have spent an awful lot of time around the highbrow artsy crowd, and I'm pretty comfortable with the fact that art can be quirky, controversial, impractical, and sometimes even downright incomprehensible, and as the art goes so does the artist.

Then a friend (Hi Broom!) posted a link to this video, and another possibility occurred to me.  Go ahead and watch it - it's a bit long (over 8 minutes) but it's fascinating and the music is soothing and pretty.

What I realized is that in this particular ... food product, and pretty much in all of the Molecular Gastronomy movement, it's all about the art.  The cook's cleverness, the use of unusual tools and technology, and unconventional form are all so important that the fact that it's food is almost irrelevant.  There seems to be no concern about whether it will taste nice or be pleasant to eat, or if it has any nutritional value whatsoever.

Compare this to another cooking tradition from the same country: sushi.

Here the presentation is very important, but the food aspects (flavor, nutrition, etc.) are still at the center.  Novelty is desirable, but it's not the only thing that is being supplied.

Really, it's the old argument of form and function.  Function without form is utilitarian, ugly, and dull.  Form without function is just fluff, pointless and useless.

To tie this back to medieval cooking, I feel it's worth remembering that artful food can be produced with surprisingly little in the way of technology.  Throughout most of history, cooks used very simple tools to produce surprisingly complicated and elegant works of art.

In the 17th century painting above, there are two pies that are beautiful examples of the cook's art.  The smaller one, just to the lower left of center, is a traditional straight-walled pie, carefully prepared and filled with all sorts of good things to eat.  In the background on the left is a huge turkey pie, it's sides covered with intricate fine detail, and topped with the stuffed skin of the turkey.

Perhaps I'd feel better about Molecular Gastronomy if I stopped thinking about it as food entirely and reframed it in my mind as only being art - edible art, but art nonetheless.  After all, they did have non-edible food art in medieval Europe.  Medieval cooks would often sculpt plates and goblets out of sugar paste, and then decorate them with limner's paints that were known at the time to be toxic.

The more things change ...

La Maison Rustique - November

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

November

In November put your wine in the cellar, gather the acorns to feed the pigs.

Collect the chestnuts, and the fruits of the gardins which are ready to keep.

Pull up the turnips from the earth, despoil them of their leaves, and put them under the sand to protect them from the frost.

Warm up the artichokes, and cover them well, so that the frost does not assail them.

Make the oils, make hives for the bees, panniers [bread baskets], frails [baskets made from rushes], and wicker baskets for birds.

Cut willow branches for the trellis, and bind the vines, draw the poles of the vines.

Review - Cheese, Pears, and History in a Proverb

  

Cheese, Pears, and History in a Proverb
Massimo Montanari (Author), Beth Archer Brombert (Translator)
Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231152515

When I first heard about this book, all I could think was, "Just how much can someone say about the combination of cheese and pears?"  Perhaps they could come up with a paragraph on the origin of the proverb, and maybe a few more about cookbooks and recipes, but that's it, right?

It turns out that Montanari had a lot to say, and it was all worth reading.

The book not only goes into the history of the proverb and others like it, but it also examines them in the context of class divisions and diet in medieval Europe. It all turns out to be one of those complex, winding tales, full of odd turns and surprising twists.

As an added pleasure, Brombert's translation is clear and flowing, making for a very easy-to-read text.

For anyone interested in words and food and history, this book is guaranteed to be well worth reading.

La Maison Rustique - October

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

October

In October there will be wines, and putting them in casks.

Withdraw the orange, lemon, and citron trees to someplace covered, for the danger of the upcoming coldness.

There will be honey and its wax, and squash the old bees.

Pandoracon 2012 Schedule

Pandoracon 2012 – September 28-30

Pandoracon is a new convention and it's local to me, so when I heard they were looking for programming I figured it was worth a try. I'm currently signed up to run the following panels, though I may end up being involved in more.

I usually enjoy smaller conventions more - everything is more relaxed and there's much more chance of actually being able to talk with the guests of honor.

Medieval Food
Fantasy games and novels are commonly set in a society based on medieval Europe. Learn how medieval English and French cuisine worked as a system. Topics will include medieval ingredients and preparation methods, the structure of medieval feasts, finding medieval recipes (or making them up), and common myths about medieval foods
09/29/2012, 5:00 PM

World Design - Food
Realistic food can add depth to a story, and can also reveal aspects about the climate and culture of a people. Learn how to create food and foodways that are exotic but still believable.
09/29/2012, 10:00 PM

World Design - Language
Panelists will discuss methods that authors and game designers use for creating believable fictional languages.
09/30/2012, 12:00 PM

World Design - Geography
The physical world influences a society’s development. Learn how to let the environment shape your fictional culture.
09/30/2012, 2:00 PM

That's a lot in just two days, though I'm really looking forward to it. We'll see how it goes.

La Maison Rustique - September

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

September

In September give the last working to the tilled ground scattered with wheat, maslin, rye and other similar grains.

Be on the lookout, beat down the nuts, mow the meadows that are late for being renewed, gather the thatch to cover the stables, and for heating the furnace the whole year.

Cut the branches of the madder, and collect the seed for planting at the beginning of the next March.

Collect the leaves of dyers woad, and dress them so that they are reduced into bundles, and will dry in the sun, or by a fire that is not too hot, cut the rice and millet.

AAAARGH! (Time Machine Chefs edition)

This does not fill me with confidence.

 (found in this article about the new TV show, "Time Machine Chefs")

La Maison Rustique - August

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

August

In August, pull up the flax and the hemp by the roots, gather the fruits from the tree tops for storing.

Remove the leaves around the late grapes, to the end that they receive the most warmth from the sun, make verjuice, dig the earth to make wells, or find sources for the springs.

If there is a need, think of preparing barrels, and other things necessary for the harvest.

La Maison Rustique - July

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

July

In July reap the wheat, and soup grains. It will make the grass that one calls the plaster.

Gather the fruit of the apple and pear trees, edible apples and pears, and those that load the tree too much.

Dig the vines for the second time, and root out hereunto the grass, commonly called dog-tooth.

Level and smooth the earth that will be watered so that the sun does not scorch long before the vine.

Cut the wood for heating all year round.

AAAARGH!

(original source)

La Maison Rustique - June

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

June

In June prepare the area, and clean it well of any straw, hay, and dust.

Mow the meadows.

Harvest the barley.

Prune the vines.

Beat the wheat for planting when it's time to sow.

Madeleine and the Mad Cow

Sacred Cow, Mad Cow: A History of Food Fears
Madeleine Ferrières
Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231131925
I haven't had much time to read lately (or post on the blog, for that matter), but if you're curious about what kind of book I keep on the nightstand (and who isn't?) this is it. Yes, I know I'm a geek.

The really cool thing about this book (so far) is that in just the first two chapters, Madeleine Ferrières manages to completely destroy the Moldy Meat Myth™. She does this not through menus or recipes, nor through logic or reasoning. Instead she references several surviving medieval laws and charters.

Some of these laws explicitly forbid the sale of spoiled meat. Others establish an inspection process that rivals that of the USDA. However the laws that most effectively debunk the myth are those that prohibit the sale of meat that was slaughtered the previous day.

So here's a brief recap of medieval meat consumption:

1. On average, urban residents ate three to five pounds of meat each week.
2. Butchers were forbidden to sell day-old meat for human consumption.
3. Livestock was brought into the town alive.
4. Livestock and butchered meat were both inspected for wholesomeness.
5. Butchers were forbidden to sell cooked meat, and cooks were forbidden to slaughter livestock.
6. Meat was a lot cheaper than spices.

So, as the myth would have it, butchers would bring in the huge quantity of livestock needed, butcher it all right away, let it sit around for days, hide it from the inspectors, sell it illegally, and hope that the spice merchants can convince the customers to use £10 worth of spices on a 2p piece of meat.

Yeah, sure.

La Maison Rustique - May

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

May

In May water the newly planted trees, shear the sheep, refill the wines, amass great quantities of butter, and make strong cheese, castrate the calf, begin to take care of the honey bees, and silk worms, which will increase in number.

Weed the wheat, and hoe the vines for the second time, your shoes on the neighboring ground, so that the heat does not offend them, while clearing all the branches and overgrowth which have no fruit.

Clear the unnecessary twigs from the trees, graft the olive trees that need buds grafted and covered.

Gen Con 2012 Schedule

Gen Con is about three months away and I'm trying to get things ready. Unfortunately I'm not part of the Writer's Symposium panels this year, but I'm sure I'll find plenty to keep me busy. As in past years, I'm giving a two hour talk on Thursday evening.

Gen Con Indy 2012 - August 16-19

SEM1229781 - Medieval Travelling Food: The Theory and Practice of Hard Rations
Learn about what medieval soldiers and travelers ate when they were in the wilds, and see what you can do as a game master or writer to make things just that much more believable.
08/16/2012, 8:00 PM, ICC : Rm 243

Additionally, I've scheduled two events for Blackspoon Press.

SEM1229782 - How to Cook Like a Dwarf
How do you write a cookbook for a culture that never existed but everyone knows? The authors of The Dwarven Cookbook talk about the origins of the recipes in their cookbooks.
08/18/2012, 3:00 PM, Crowne Plaza : Victoria Stn A/B

SEM1229783 - Build Your Own Language
This workshop will guide you in creating your own language. With minimal materials and two hours of time, you will have the core a language suitable for adding color to a game or novel background.
08/17/2012, 8:00 PM, ICC : Rm 243

This last one is the most challenging for me to prepare. I want the participants to walk away with something usable and unique, but I don't want to delve too deeply into linguistics (after all, this isn't a college course). What's more, it's a free seminar (as are the others) so any handouts I provide will be paid for out of my own pocket. We'll see how many sign up during early registration.

On the whole, I expect this year to be a lot of fun.

Origins Game Fair

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be at Origins Game Fair this year as part of their new program for writers, The Library.

May 30-June 3, 2012

Greater Columbus Convention Center

Columbus, Ohio, 43215, USA

I'll be taking part on a number of panels, and will have a table with the other authors where I can sell copies of the books. In the remaining time I'll be gaming, schmoozing, and stalking Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day.

I expect the whole thing to be a total blast.

---

Here's the schedule for the seminars I'm participating in:


Thursday

Speak Up! (1:00 p.m.)
Sheeeoot! How ya gonna git yer folks ta talk so’s readers kin understand ‘em ‘n cobble onto jest wut they’s sposed ta sound like? Dialogs, dialects, slang, and more add color and round-out your characters, settings, and stories. Learn how to use them to best effect without making your readers scratch their heads or toss your book across the room in frustration.

What’s in Your Basement? (2:00 p.m.)
From creepy caverns to haunted subways, the underground is a terrific playground for your fiction. What makes the belly of the world ripe for fantasy and horror tales? Why is Hell always below? What monsters lurk in your basement? Panelists discuss their favorite underground settings and how to use caves, tunnels, and more to best effect.


Friday

What’s in Your Literary Kitchen? (Noon)
Origins is proud to host author and medieval chef Daniel Myers. He’ll teach you how to properly feed your characters . . . which in turn will fatten your manuscript into something rich and believable. Characters have to eat, don’t they? What you feed them tells a lot about your fictional society. James Bond liked his martinis shaken, not stirred. Kojak had his lollipops. Tolkien’s hobbits had . . . well anything they could stuff in their mouths. You get the idea.

The Art of the Short Story (1:00 p.m.)
There’s a big difference between writing a short story and a novel . . . and we’re not talking word count. It’s in the approach, the pacing, and character development—or lack thereof. A good short story is a work of art. Our panelists discuss the elements of short fiction and the markets.


Saturday

Setting Your Stage (Noon)
The landscape for your fiction has a personality. It’s a compelling stage for your characters to dance on. It doesn’t matter whether you pepper it with ruins, castles, caves, or soaring cities, you have to choose what details to put in and what to leave out. Our panelists, expert world-builders all, discuss the elements of crafting vibrant settings.

Well-Read Undead (1:00 p.m.)
Vampires are still hot, zombies, too. What is the fascination with corpses-as-characters? How can you pull off a good “dead” tale that isn’t a retread of what’s already out there? Our panelists discuss how to handle undead heroes and villains and where to market your “dead end” fiction.

La Maison Rustique - April

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

April

In April around St. George's day, put out to air the lemons and oranges like all other trees that have been shut up since St. Martins day, in which you will stirr up the earth at the bottom, remove the superficial roots there, and the superfluous branches, and don't allow a single branch to pass another, either in width or height.

Plant, if you did not already plant them, olive trees, pomegranate trees, lemons, and myrtles, and thoroughly clean them.

Enter the fig tree, chestnut, cherry and orange, cut the new vines: for in those days she endures cutting slightly more.

Be careful to give food to the pigeons, because by that time there is little in the fields.

Mate horses, asses, sheep, with their females: clean the hives of honey bees, and kill the butterflies, which abound on the mallow blooms.

The Measure of a Cook

Having recently watched the movie "Today's Special" (2009, Aasif Mandvi), I noticed a recurring theme that I've seen in a number of cooking-related films: the idea that a cook should "cook from the heart".

In the movie, the cook is repeatedly told that he over-thinks his cooking, that his work has no fire, that he needs to stop measuring, and that he should listen to his heart and gut. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that in the end, when he throws caution to the wind, his food turns out to be fantastic and the customers are happy and everything is right in the world.

The same basic theme pops up in "The Ramen Girl" (2008, Brittany Murphy).

Here the main character is told to cook from the heart, and to put her feelings into the ramen soup.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching both of these movies. They're both light-hearted romantic comedies that involve food - fun to watch, easy to forget afterwards. That being said, I think they reinforce a belief about cooking that is inaccurate and that can discourage novice cooks: good cooks never measure.

It may be that some good cooks don't need to measure out precise quantities of ingredients, but they are always measuring. They evaluate the smell, taste, color, texture, and consistency of a dish almost constantly while they work. They have a built-in knowledge of the size of a teaspoon of spice, a tablespoon of oil, or a cup of milk. They weren't born with this knowledge though. They gained it by making the same or similar recipes over and over, hundreds of times, until each bit of information was permanently ingrained.

Because they have internalized all that information, they know which ingredients to be precise over, and which ones allow lots of leeway. To an outside observer, it may look like the cook is just throwing ingredients into the pot haphazardly, but with each one there's a mental note of "That seems about right." That's where the "heart" and "soul" come into cooking.

If an inexperienced cook tried to work the same way, the results would likely be less than ideal. They may get lucky, but sooner or later they'll end up with an inedible mess. Therefore it's vitally important for new cooks (or even old cooks trying new dishes) to follow a recipe. This gives them a basis for comparison, which they can then change as their skills and experience allow.

Unsurprisingly, this also applies to cooks who try recipes from medieval sources. To make the challenge more difficult, such sources typically not only lack measurements for quantities or temperatures or times, but they can even lack the common basis of experience that a cook can use to measure these things. The cook must rely on their modern experiences and constantly question their assumptions. Sometimes it works and the dish turns out well. Sometimes not, and the cook has to dig in to figure out where it went wrong. In those cases it really helps if they've measured the ingredients.

Most importantly, if the cook has measured, they can write the recipe down and share it so that others can learn.

La Maison Rustique - March

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

March

In March sow in the first days the flax, dyers woad (if it was not sown in February), oats, barley, millet, fleabane, hemp, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, lupins, small corn, vetch, beans, and other similar marks.

Give a second work to the fallow grounds, which are well rested, and smoke that which are prepared for sowing.

Weed the corn, take the grafts to fasten when the trees are in sap, and before the buds emerge. Plant the fruits of chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and filberts, and the stones of olives, and apricots, and diverse other fruits.

Draw up several seed plots of apples, pears, mulberries, and other similar fruits: Plant the plants of foot herbs, like asparagus, artichokes, required cardoons, sage, lavander, rosemary, strawberries, gooseberries, roses and lillies, gourds, cucumbers, mellons and pumpkins.

Dress all the gardens, as well kitchen gardens in beds, and sow there the necessary seeds: prune and bear the roots of the vines and fruit trees, so that they bear more fruit: saw away the tree roots: gather together the branches for heating.

Hoodwinked

As an example of how far behind I am on things, last night I watched the 2010 movie version of Robin Hood. I'm generally a big fan of movies set in the middle ages (no surprise there), and since the film had Ridley Scott for a director I was expecting something impressive.

By the end of the film I was just sitting there thinking, "Wha?"

I thought Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett were both too old for their parts, but I was willing to ignore that; they're big-named stars, after all. The acting was passable, the dialogue was decent, and the sets and costuming were much better that what Hollywood usually foists off on the unsuspecting public. I could even tolerate the fight scenes - though every time I see a film that uses the high-speed, choppy style of editing for fight scenes I find myself thinking, "Pity they couldn't afford a fight choreographer and had to cover it up by shaking the camera a lot."

The real problem was the incoherent story. It wasn't just the historical inaccuracies. The whole film seemed to be doing things at random. It's hard to evaluate how well the writer and director accomplished their goals when I can't even tell what they were trying to do in the first place. This suggested trouble with the film on a whole different level, so I turned to IMDB for clues.

The answer came pretty quickly: there were five writers. Here's a note from IMDB about the original story:

"Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris's original script "Nottingham" turned the traditional story on its head by portraying the Sheriff of Nottingham in a more sympathetic light and Robin Hood as more of a villain." [IMDB]

Right there is the first problem. Note for writers and producers: if you're going to turn a well-loved story "on its head", then you're writing an artsy film and not a summer blockbuster. Universal ignored this and tried to find a director who could make it into a blockbuster anyways, looking at Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi, and Jon Turteltaub before finally betting on Scott to make it work. They'd have done better if they'd gone with a much lower budget film, some new and edgy director, and a limited art-house release.

"The script was extensively re-written by Brian Helgeland because director Ridley Scott wanted the Sheriff of Nottingham to be a more conflicted character." [IMDB]

In the new story where Robin is the villain and the Sheriff is the hero, the Sheriff wasn't interesting enough? Maybe likable enough? It's hard to tell because in the final version of the film the Sheriff is hardly there at all. That is probably due to subsequent rewrites.

"New rewrites were done by British playwright Paul Webb ..."

The rest of the sentence is the real kicker:

"... and later by Tom Stoppard, who reworked the story while the movie was already being filmed." [IMDB]

Somewhere along the line they scrapped the whole premise that Robin was the villain and tried to go back to a more traditional Robin Hood story, but it still wasn't working so they hired a big-gun like Stoppard to fix the script while they were shooting. I think if I were a writer called in to work on it, I would have asked that my name not be associated with the film.

Now for those interested in action scenes, the film isn't bad. I'm not sorry I saw it but at the same time, when the closing credits started to roll, I found myself thinking that I'd like to see a movie about Robin Hood.

La Maison Rustique - February

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

February

In February, in the crescent moon, transplant the vines of two or three years, which will thus take root, and do not touch those of a year, which do not wish to be shaken, for they have little vigor yet.

Maintain the hay fields, vineyards, meadows and gardens.

Make the pits to plant new vines: cut out the roots of vines, and equip them with stakes, prune and weed trees of all superfluities, clean of worms, dirt and worm-eaten material that is found in dry leaves.

Prepare the soil of the gardens to sow and plant all kinds of herbs.

Give the second working to the earth to receive beans, barley, oats, hemp, millet and other similar seed in March.

Visit the vines, especially those that are known to be weak and delicate.

Dress the hedges of the gardens: build the beds of the gardens with hay.

Plant the woods for great trees and forest.

Plant also the shoots of olive trees, pomegranates, quince trees, fig trees, poplars, dwarf willows, elms, osiers, and other trees, as well wild fruit trees that will root.

Clean the dove cote, hen house, and the retreat of the peacocks and gees: because these beasts at the end of the month begin to sit to hatch.

Visit the warren to repopulate it and there re-run the burrows.

Buy honey bees, thoroughly clean their hives and kill their kings.

Buy hawks, sparrowhawks, and other birds of prey: which at the end of this month will moult.

Food Fads

This post may put some people off, but sometimes you’ve just got to speak out.

People often assume that because I’m a food geek then I’m all over the latest food trends. The thing is that in addition to food geek, I’m also a food snob and a bit of a food luddite. I feel that traditional foods exist for a reason – they fill a need for a given culture, and they fill it well. This means that when a food fad becomes too prominent and is given far more exposure than it’s worth (in my opinion, of course) I start to become … irritated.

So here are the food-related trends I’m sick of – in no particular order:

Grilling
Yes, with enough work and specialized widgets you can probably prepare anything on a grill. I think I had enough of grilling many years back when I tried grilled lobster. It had that great, smokey flavor you get with a barbecue. The problem was the one thing I couldn’t taste – lobster.

Single-Use Appliances
Panini grills, juicers, veg-o-matics, ice cream makers, dehydrators, infusers, a thousand new things every year to spend money on to "save time in the kitchen." Most of the time there is a multi-purpose tool which will achieve the same end and take up a lot less space. The multi-purpose tools are usually easier to clean as well.

Bacon
I like bacon, really I do, but I like things that don’t taste like bacon too. I don’t want to hear about bacon salt, bacon ice cream, bacon clothing, chocolate-covered bacon, bacon mayo, baconsicles, bacon soda, etc. If I want a dish to taste like bacon then I’ll add bacon, but most of the time I’ll skip it.

Deep Frying
Twinkies, Oreos, Mars bars, macaroni and cheese, butter – this one’s almost as bad as the bacon (in fact, people are batter-coating and deep frying bacon as well). Look, it’s nice to have something fried now and then. The frying process makes things crispy, adds the fat that people naturally crave, and even caramelizes natural sugars in foods. However, like grilling, it can also obliterate subtle flavors. What’s more, too much of this stuff will turn you into the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

Superfoods
Like clockwork, some agricultural collective will fund a health study which ends up showing that their product is packed full of something that conclusively reduces risks of somesuch or helps promote someother. Then for the next year or so that product is put into everything from floor wax to dessert toppings … until another study comes out and shows that the product works almost as well as a sugar pill.

Molecular Gastronomy
I suspect this term appears in a scientific dictionary and is defined as "overprocessed and overpriced". I suppose it could be considered to be edible art, but it also could be considered as food porn.

Dinner-in-a-Bowl
A biscuit, covered in mashed-potatoes, sprinkled with fried meat, gravy, and a ton of cheese. I’ve seen ads for all sorts of these from a variety of restaurants. Most (all?) of the time they’ve just taken the ingredients they already had on hand and plopped them down in a heap. I suppose they could just give us a trough or feed bag.

"Foodie"
I simply hate this word. It just screams "dweeb".

La Maison Rustique - January

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

-=-=-

January

As of January, mainly at the end, cut the wood he would like to dedicate to framing or other work, when the moon is under the earth: for the moonlight makes the wood softer, and wood to be cut this will last a long time without being corrupted.

Smoke the trees that bear fruits, without affecting their roots.

Among the trees and shrubs that flourish early: such as roses, damask plums, avant-peaches, plums and others; in cold and wet country during the first two quarters of the Moon; cut the vine in good weather and sunny, plow the land dry, light and white, slender, sandy, full of tall grass and roots, which will not be plowed until October: second will be to work to the salt land and spread straw on top of beans, or wheat and barley.

Cut poles of willow for vines and hedges; prepare good stakes to support the vines; cut and prune the trees, the Moon being waning; turn upside down all the manure made from St. Martin's day, so that is cooked when it will be spread on the field, and the like: mend make new the chariots, wagons, plows, and other instruments necessary for cultivation, provide sufficient irons for pruning and clearing trees and vines.

Throughout will be no seed, because the earth is still too rare, heavy, full of steam, and similar to badly carded wool.