Recipes from the Tudor Kitchen - The Author Responds

[This is an update to my earlier posts about this book]

This morning I received an update from the publisher which included a somewhat gracious "mea culpa" from Mr. Breverton.

In it he stated that the error was on his part and not the publishers. Because of personal issues and a rush to meet a publishing deadline, the attributions for the recipes were inadvertently left out of the file that he sent out, that there was no intention of plagiarism, and that the book will be corrected to indicate where the recipes all came from.

All of that is fine for the issue of plagiarism, and I'm glad to hear that he is correcting the omissions. However it still does not address the issue of copyright infringement. I have asked whether he will be seeking permission from the authors of the recipes for their use, or if he will be completely rewriting the recipes to make them his own work.

Copyright and Transcriptions

Late yesterday I received criticism about placing a copyright notice on the texts I've transcribed from medieval cooking manuscripts and public-domain print editions of medieval documents. I take criticism very seriously, even if I dislike the way it's given. I've always felt that in order to learn I must keep my eyes and ears open.

While I've put much thought and effort into both protecting my own intellectual property as well as ensuring I don't violate the copyrights of others,  it would appear that I failed to completely understand the details of copyright law with respect to this very specialized context.

Copyright is meant to protect creative, original work. Unlike my interpretations of medieval recipes, the very nature of transcriptions means that they have very little content that is actually original – even though there can be huge amounts of work involved (reading Middle English handwriting can be a true bite in the butt).

When I was putting the transcriptions up online, I was focused on the amount of effort I had made to produce them rather than on the amount of original content. That means that, while I was legally within my rights to make use of the public-domain text, the copyright I added to them was essentially unenforceable.

It's worth noting at this point that at no time have I tried to enforce it either. I never asked for royalties or denied permission for use ... not that anyone asked. It would appear that few people, if any, are interested in copying such a work and passing it off as their own. Even if they had, I would have likely just shrugged. After all, how could I prove that they didn't just do their own transcription from the same source.

Which I guess is precisely the point. If I can't enforce the copyright and can't prove infringement then what's the purpose of the notice?

With all of this in mind, I have removed the copyright notices from the works that I have transcribed. I have left the texts up online and will continue to offer more transcriptions in the future for the simple reason that that's part of the whole purpose of MedievalCookery.com – to make the cuisine of medieval Europe more accessible.

Recipes from the Tudor Kitchen - Scavenger Hunt!

[This is an update to my earlier posts about this book]

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for being so supportive during this mess. It makes things so much easier to deal with. THANK YOU ALL!

I've taken the time to go through the recipes in the book and list the title, source, first few ingredients, and when possible where the recipe was copied from. I've compiled this into a spreadsheet that can be downloaded from the website. I've only managed to get through the first 136 recipes so far and will be adding to it as time allows.  [Update: the file now contains all 283 recipes]

So far what I've found is that the recipes were culled from a wide range of websites. The greatest number so far are from my own, but that's probably due to the fact that I can spot my own recipes much easier than someone else's. Here are the numbers:

19 - http://medievalcookery.com/
6 - http://www.godecookery.com/
4 - http://greneboke.com/
3 - http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl
2 - http://www.florilegium.org/
1 - http://www.hrp.org.uk/

If you happen to identify where any of the remaining recipes came from, let me know and I'll update the spreadsheet. Note that a preview version of the book is available online at Google books. Not all the content is there, but enough of the recipes are to be useful.

Recipes from the Tudor Kitchen - Update 2

[This is an update to my earlier posts about this book]

Amazon.com was reasonably quick in responding and removing the book (both print and ebook) from their website. For those who also have recipes online which may have been copied, I will be posting a list of the recipes that Breverton included. At this point it seems to be a bit of a moot point as the book is no longer available through the largest of distributor, but I am quite curious as to exactly how much of the content was non-original.

More interestingly, I received an email this morning from the publisher, Amberley Publishing. It was politely worded and essentially said the following:

1. They have worked with Mr. Breverton for a long time and think it would be very unlikely for him to have copied the material without permission.

2. They are waiting to hear from Mr. Breverton as to where the material came from, or at least let them know it was an accident. 

3. Because of the contracts they use, it's the author's responsibility to clear permissions for all content. 

4. They think Mr. Breverton should discuss the matter directly with me and leave them out of it.

5. They will get back to me shortly.

This is about what I expected, though it would have been nice if they pulled the title from their own catalog as well.

More as things go.

(Stolen!) Recipes from the Tudor Kitchen - an Update

[This is an update to my earlier post about this book]

My polite inquiry to the publisher was not answered, so I was forced to be a bit more assertive on this matter. The first thing I did was spend the $20 to get an ebook copy of the text. I then went through the recipes one by one looking for those that looked familiar.

Of the recipes that Breverton included, at least 19 were taken directly from my website. In some places the occasional word was changed, but my (admittedly strange at times) wording is still clear. For those playing at home, here is a list of those recipes with the ebook location and a link to the version on MedievalCookery.com:

Rapes in Potage - Baldrick's Turnip Broth (Location 1723)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/pottage.html

To Bake a Gammon of Bacon (Location 1871)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/bacon.html

Mawmeny - Chicken Stew (Location 1984)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/mawmeny.html

Capon Stue - Chicken Stew (Location 2339)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/caponstew.html

Meat Pyes (Location 2363)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/pyes.html

Pygge Y-Farsed - Stuffed Piglet, Goat, or Sheep (Location 2658)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/piglet.html

A Dishe of Artechokes (Location 3197)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/artechokes.html

Divers Sallets Boyled - Sweet-Cooked Salad (Location 3221)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/diuers.html

Compost (Location 3245)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/compost.html

A Tart of Ryce - Rice Pudding Pie (Location 3909)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/ricetart.html

Tostee - Ginger Syrup Toasties (Location 3955)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/tostee.html

A Dysschefull of Snowe - Strawberries on Snow (Location 4071)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/strawberries.html

Peach Tarte - Any Fruit Pie (Location 4438)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/peachtart.html

Gyngerbrede - Honey Ginger Bites (Location 4572)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/gyngerbrede.html

Cruste Rolle - Henry VIII's Crackers (Location 5584)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/crusterolle.html

Poudre Douce - Sweet Powder Two Ways [second version] (Location 5709)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/douce.html

Poudre Fine - Fine Powder (Location 5730)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/fine.html

Sobre Sawce - A Sauce for Freshwater Fish (Location 6095)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/sobre.html

Buttered Beere Another Way (Location 6986)
http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/butterbeer.html

In addition to those, I have found four more that were taken from Kristen Wright's website (Greneboke.com):

To Bake a Mallard - Duck in Tudor Sauce Pie (Location 3044)
http://greneboke.com/recipes/bakedmallard.shtml

Buttered Wortes - Buttered Cabbage and Leeks on Bread or Toast (Location 3336)
http://greneboke.com/recipes/wortes.shtml

Tart of Prunes - Damson Pie (Location 4001)
http://www.greneboke.com/recipes/prunetart.shtml

Leach of Almonds - Almond Pudding (Location 4185)
http://www.greneboke.com/recipes/almondpudding.shtml

Nasty-grams have been sent out, so I expect the ebook version to be dropped within the next day or so. We'll see if / how the publisher responds.

Here's the real irony: Breverton listed MedievalCookery.com among the "Useful Websites" ...

... of course he doesn't say it's one of the ones "Of particular excellence and endeavour". Maybe he only steals from sites he's not impressed with. If so then the folks lower down on the list might be concerned too.

I'll post more if / when things progress.

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 69 Kokeneye

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 69 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British 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 © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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[69.] Kokeneye
Tak fleysch of hennys & of capouns & lene of pork & hew the ton with the tother & onyons mynced in the broth.

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I could not find any other versions of this recipe. The text cuts off abruptly in the manuscript, with the last word written by itself near the center of the bottom margin, so it could be that there was more and that the full recipe might resemble something from another book. As it is, the few ingredients and the title offer little help.

One possibility is the recipe for "comyne sewe" from Liber. It starts similarly (albeit with veal instead of poultry) and the title is close enough to be a copyist error, but there are enough differences that any similarities could just be a coincidence.

For comyne sewe. ȝiff þou wylle make a comyne sew, Vele and motun and porke þou hew On smalle gobettis. put hom in pot With mynsud onyouns, ful wele I wot, And powder of Peper þou kast þerto. Coloure hit with safroune or þou more do, And drawȝe alyoure of browne crust eke To alye þis sew þat is so meke.  [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 68 Maumene

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 69 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British 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 © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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[68.] Maumene
Tak fyggys & reysings & lese hem & grind hem & good melk of almaundys & braun of capouns & of hennys nouth outhr in yche grounden for that sal ben the colour than do there to ginger clowes gelofres & greyn de parys & sugre & salt.

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There are a large number of recipes for mawmeney, including the versions in Liber and Noble. While the ingredients and instructions vary widely from source to source, the Crophill version appears to be the only one that includes figs and raisins.

For to make momene. Take whyte wyne, I telle þe, And sugur þerto ryȝt grete plenté. Take, bray þo brawne of aȝt capon. To a pot of oyle of on galon, And of hony a qwharte þou take. Do hit þer to as ever þou wake, Take powder þo mountenaunce of a pownde, And galingale ginger and canel rownde, And cast þer to, and styre hit. þenne Alle in on pot sethe hit, I kenne.  [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak mamony, tak whit wyne and sugur then bray the braun of viii capons with a gal on of oile and a quart of hony put ther to poudur of pepper galingalle guingere and canelle and stirre it welle and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 67 Perre

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 69 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British 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 © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

-=-=-

[67.] Perre
Draw soden perys thorow a sarce so hem in a vessel to freysch broth tak sugre & hony & do ther to freysch gres tak of capouns & of hennys grynd saml & meng with al kepe it wel fro brennyng kele it & lye it charge it with yelkys of eyren.

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This recipe appears to be unique in medieval English sources. There are a couple of contemporary German recipes that include both pears and poultry, but they both differ widely in terms of the rest of the ingredients and instructions.

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 66 Browet of Lamprouns

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 69 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British 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 © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

-=-=-

[66.] Browet of Lamprouns
Lye it with bred force it with poudre of peper & galingale.

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While recipes for lampreys show up in many medieval English cookbooks, there aren't many. The recipes for brewet of lampreys in Liber, Noble, and Forme of Cury all seem to me more closely related to each other than to the Crophill version.

Lamprayes in browet. Take lamprayes and scalde hom by kynde, Sythyn, rost hom on gredyl, and grynde Peper and safrone. welle hit with alle, Do þo lampreyes and serve hit in sale.  [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak a Lampry in bruet tak a lampry and skald hym and rost hym on a gredirn then grind pepper guingere clowes and saffron and sethe it well and put pepper in the lampry and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

XI - FOR TO MAKE LAMPREYS IN BRUET. They schulle be schaldyd and ysode and ybrulyd upon a gredern and grynd peper and safroun and do ther'to and boyle it and do the Lomprey ther'yn and serve yt forth.  [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 65 Brewet of Elys

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 69 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British 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 © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

-=-=-

[65.] Brewet of Elys
Lye it with bred force it with poudre colour it with saffron.

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There are recipes for brewet of eels in both Liber and Noble, though the ingredients differ and the instructions have significantly more detail than the Crophill version.

To mak eles in bruet tak eles culpond and boile them with mynced onyons padley and saige and draw it with whit bred and wyne put ther to pouder of pepper canelle and salt and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

For a brothe of elys. Fyrst flyghe þyn elys, in pese hom smyte, Put hom in pot, þagh þay ben lyte, With clene water. þen take þou schalle Alle powder of peper, coloure hit with alle With safroune and alyed þenne With floure, and cast alle in, I kenne, At þe fyrst boylyng þat may falle Soth hote, and serve hit in to þe halle.  [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 64 Brewet Sechz

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 69 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British 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 © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

-=-=-

[64.] Brewet Sechz
Hew moton & chykenys on morcellis & sethz hem with onyons & percely.

-=-=-

This snippet of a recipe does not have a match in either Liber or Noble. There are other recipes for "Brewet Sec", but they all seem to be related in name only.

Browet sek. Sweet broth, grape verjuice, ground parsley put therein, cloves, mace, cubebs; in times of chicks after Easter; and it will have the taste of good spices, saffron cooked therein with parsley in the broth; color, yellow.  [MS Royal 12.C.xii (England/France]

Cxiij - Bruette saake. Take Capoun, skalde hem, draw hem, smyte hem to gobettys, Waysshe hem, do hem in a potte; thenne caste owt the potte, waysshe hem a-ȝen on the potte, and caste ther-to half wyne half Brothe; take Percely, Isope, Waysshe hem, and hew hem smal, and putte on the potte ther the Fleysshe is; caste ther-to Clowys, quybibes, Maces, Datys y-tallyd, hol Safroune; do it ouer the fyre; take Canelle, Gyngere, tempere thin powajes with wyne; caste in-to the potte Salt ther-to, hele (Note: Cover) it, and whan it is y-now, serue it forth.  [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]