Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. April 2013 Volume XVII, Number 7

Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. (CHoW/DC)founded in 1996, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to the study of the history of foodstuffs, cuisines, and culi-nary customs, both historical and contemporary, from all parts of the world. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

www.chowdc.orgDues to: Bruce Reynolds

6804 Hampshire Rd. McLean, VA 22101

Sunday, April 144:00 to 6:00 p.m. (note time change)

Alexandria House400 Madison StreetAlexandria, VA 22314

Cooperative Supper Theme:“Medieval Food History”

April 14

Cooperative Supper (Note: time change

4:00 to 6:00 p.m.)

Plates, cups, bowls, eating utensils, and napkins will be provided.

But please bring anything needed for serving your contribution, as well as a copy of your recipe, the name of its source, and any interesting information related to the recipe you have chosen.

May 5Program

Amy Riolo andSheilah Kaufman

“Turkish Cuisine and the Ottoman Culinary Legacy

in the Arab World”

2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Bethesda-Chevy Chase

Services Center,4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814

CALENDAR CHoW Meetings

PHOTO: John, Duke of Berry enjoying a grand meal. The Duke is sitting at the high table under a luxurious baldaquin in front of the fireplace, tended to by several servants including a carver. On the table to the left of the Duke is a golden salt cellar, or nef, in the shape of a ship; Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, ca 1410.

At the March CHoW meeting, members voted for “Medieval Food History” as the April supper theme. The Middle

Ages or Medieval period is a stretch of Euro-pean history that lasted from the 5th until the 15th centuries. It began with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and was followed by the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the tradi-tional division of Western history into Classi-cal, Medieval, and Modern periods. The period is subdivided into the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages.

Up to the start of the Middle Ages when Wil-liam the Conqueror and the Normans invaded England the only real influence on the types of food consumed had been from the Romans. The violent times of the Dark Ages led to a primitive society lacking in elegance or refine-ment. Early Middle Ages Food was basic and the ingredients were home grown.

This all changed in 1066 with the Norman Conquest and between 1095 - 1270 when Eu-ropeans looked to the Eastern World and joined in the crusades. The Normans were in-fluenced by French and Scandinavian food. The Normans were known to document reci-pes although generally they passed form the master cook to the apprentice. The tastes of the Norman nobility were far more sophisticated than the English. The Normans also enjoyed feasts and special occasions when lavish meals and food could be served.

The influence of the Crusades had a startling effect on Middle Ages Food. Kings, Knights, Lords and other crusaders had travelled 3000 miles to reach the Holy Lands. And during their travels they were introduced to the spices which were added to differ-ent foods by different cultures. These new ideas about Middle Ages food were brought back by the Crusaders and new foods and spices were introduced to the European menu. For more background and references on food during the Medieval period, see page 7.

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What Happened at the Sunday, March 10 CHoW Meeting?President CiCi Williamson called the meeting to order at 2:43 p.m. There were 35 attendees plus one visitor. Though the meeting was posted in The Washington Post, there were no additional visitors.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: To reach a wider audience on your announcements of events, symposiums, culinary tours, blogs, exhibits and other CHoW related matters, members are reminded and encouraged to submit the information in advance to CHoW Line Editor Dianne Hennessy King or CiCi for the chow-dc@google-groups.com.

Francine Berkowitz advised that American Institute of Food And Wine events will extend the member rate to CHoW members to its activities posted on the google group. The next event will be the “Taste of Argentina” on March 23 at Tango Pastry in Alexandria.

FIELD TRIP: Quentin Looney, Secretary for Membership, arranged for a tour of Smithsonian’s “FOOD: Transforming the American Table” with curator Rayna Green on March 19, 2013.

ELECTIONS: At the April meeting, the floor will be open for nominations for the Board, and the slate of officers and directors will be presented to the membership. Voting will be held at the annual meeting in May. Board members will serve a one-year term.

APRIL COOPERATIVE SUPPER: CiCi distributed ballots listing members’ suggestions from the February meeting for voting on a theme for the supper. The winning theme is Medieval Foods/European Food pre-new-world. Resourc-es will be listed in the April newsletter.

CHoW BROCHURES: CHoW has updated its tri-fold brochures with membership information for distribution. Members can contact CiCi for copies to distribute to your groups or individuals.

WHATZIT: Judy Newton brought in a ceramic look-ing tea pot with two handles at right angles on the rotund body, a lid and a truncated spout. No one guessed that it was a tea pot for a disabled person.

PROGRAM: Vice President Katy Hayes introduced CHoW member Pat Bixler Reber whose presentation was on “Civil War Bake Ovens in the U.S. Capitol Building.” (See summary at right.)

DOOR PRIZES: Members attending the monthly meet-ings can enter for for a door prize. Thank you to Claudia Kousoulas for donating the cookbooks.

When Fort Sumter was attacked in April of 1861, President Lincoln sent out a call for troops. Four thousand were quartered in the Capitol, among them, a brick mason in the Massachusetts 6th Regiment, volunteers in the Senate, who or-ganized the building of ovens and running the bakery.

The huge amount of flour needed to make up to 58,000 loaves a day, was purchased from local mills and further north, and stored in “Wash-ington’s Crypt” and in the hallways. When needed, the 195 pound barrels were rolled down planks on the main staircase. To make a batch of 1,392 loaves of bread, they used 24 gallons of yeast, 36 gallons of cold water, 6 barrels of flour, and 13 ½ pounds of salt with a total of six hours of risings.

After a few weeks, most of the soldiers were transferred from the Capitol, but the ovens and bakers remained. Fur-ther months of political wrangling were necessary before the ovens were removed and the baking was done at other facilities. During the four years of the war, the Capitol Bakery and its successor on G Street (behind the Water-gate) produced fifty million loaves of bread. By Patricia Bixler Reber http://researchingfoodhistory.blogspot.com

“Civil War Bake Ovens in the U.S. Capitol Building in D.C.”

REFRESHMENTS: Thank you to our members:Francine Berkowitz: Girl Scouts cookies, 101st year of ScoutingFelice Caspar: Southern black cake (American Harvest) Beverly Firme: Lavender browniesClaudia Kousoulas: Anadama bread (James Beard) and rum raisin butterQuentin Looney: Almond and pistachio biscottiJane Olmsted: TapenadePat Reber: Pumpkin pickles (sweet)

Anne Whitaker for her continuous and generous monthly contribution of providing beverages and supplies. We were glad to see Anne return after a family emergency.

The meeting adjourned at 4:22 p.m. Thank you to the members who volunteered to reset the meeting room.

Respectfully submitted,Audrey Hong, Recording Secretary

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September 9, 2012. Deb Peterson, “Packaging in the 18th Century: What Came in What?”

October 14, 2012. Jim Gibb, “Making Cheese: Cheese Factories and the Transformation of New York State”

November 11, 2012. (Veteran’s Day). Shirley Cherkasky & Claire Cassidy, “More Than Bars, Brats, and Beer: Wisconsin’s Traditional Foods“

December 9, 2012. Michael Olmert, “The Architecture of Taste: Building, Working, & Living in the 18th Century Kitchen“

January 13, 2013. Regina Newport & Evelyn Bunoan, “Philippine Cuisine: History and Culture in a Caldero”

February 10, 2013. Scott Seligman and Sasha Gong, “A Revolution is Not a Dinner Party: The Cultural Revolution and the Cultural Revolution Cookbook”

March 10, 2013. Pat Reber, “Civil War Bake Ovens in the U.S. Capitol Building in D.C.”

April 14, 2013. Cooperative Supper, Alexandria House. Theme: “Medieval Food History.”

May 5, 2013. Amy Riolo & Sheilah Kaufman, “Turkish Cuisine and the Ottoman Culinary Legacy in the Arab World”

CHoW Programs 2012-2013NOMINEES FOR

2013-14 BOARD OF DIRECTORSIn the March CHoW Line, we had room to include the bios of only three CHoW members nominated for the 2013-14 Board. Following are two additional bios. The remaining two will be in the May CHoW Line.

President - Katy Hayes (bio in March issue)Vice President - Sheilah Kaufman (bio in March issue)Treasurer - Stacey FitzSimmons (in May issue)Recording Secretary - Beverly FirmeMembership Secretary - Quentin Looney (in May issue)Director - Claudia Kousoulas (bio in March issue)Director - Bruce Reynolds Past President - CiCi Willliamson (ex officio)

Candidate for Recording Secretary: Beverly Firme

Beverly works for WealthEngine, a local software company and is a food blogger with an interest in culinary history, nu-trition and global cuisine. Her 2011 col-umn for AOL’s Bethesda Patch, ‘Green Around Town’ gave Beverly the oppor-tunity to write about her interest in local farms, organic food and healthy eating. Since becoming a member of CHoW three years ago, Bev-erly has learned how to incorporate food history into food writing, and has written several articles for CHoW Line.

Candidate for Director: Bruce Reynolds

Professionally, Bruce is an attorney (licensed to practice in Virginia and DC) formerly and a principal in the Washington National Office of Deloitte Tax LLP, and now Managing Editor of International Tax for a legal publisher. He has over 30 years of experience as a tax lawyer, 23 of them exclusively devoted to the practice of international tax. He has both a J.D. and an LLM in tax from Georgetown University Law Center; has been an adjunct professor of taxation in that University’s School of Business Administration, and has done post-graduate international legal work at Oxford University. His undergraduate degree is in American history, from Yale University. Bruce’s interest in culinary history started with an interest in social history, combined with the fact that he likes to cook, and a realization that food history is a significant branch of social history generally. He manages to further both interests, in what’s left of the day after work, by collecting antiquarian English and American cook books.Bruce has been the CHoW Treasurer for three years.

Sasha Gong’s February 10 Talk“A Revolution is Not a Dinner Party: The Cultural Revolu-

tion and The Cultural Revolution Cookbook”

By Dianne Hennessy King, Editor, CHoW Line

Sasha Gong, a sociologist and histo-rian, was one of the 17 million youths who were sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. She said, “Mao believed that the edu-cated needed to be re-educated by the uneducated.” He also believed society should have a continuous revolution and that there is always a certain per-centage of enemies among the society. Sasha Gong worked as a mechanic in a factory, as a laborer alongside peasants, and spent a year as a jailed prisoner. Gong came to the U.S. in 1987 to earn her Ph.D. in so-ciology from Harvard University, but she considers herself both a first generation and fourth generation American. Her mother’s two grandfathers worked on railroads in the U.S. before being sent back to China when an anti-immi-grant law was passed in the U.S. after the railroads were built. She currently heads the China Branch of the Voice of America. There was a very lively Q & A following her talk.

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Book ReviewHoosh, Roast Penguin, Scurvy Day, and Other Stories of Antarctic Cuisine

by Jason C. Anthony Reviewed by Claudia Kousoulas

Summer camp bug juice, school cafete-ria pizza, and dorm room ramen all pale before Antarctic “cuisine.”

Jason Anthony worked eight summers at the South Pole, in McMurdo, a community of up to 1,200 residents, most of whom work as carpenters, plumbers, and drivers supporting scientists. Anthony’s “mundane experience” is a departure from the adven-turous tales of expeditioners, but a fasci-nating departure. There are good stories in trying to do common things, like cook, in extraordinary circumstances, like the Antarctic.

If it never occurred to you, Anthony points out there is no Antarctic terroir. The ice is three miles deep and there is no arable soil on the continent larger than China. This leaves two dining options. You can eat what you bring—dried and stored groceries and in extremis, your dogs. Or you can eat what you catch—sea birds, seals, and penguins.

In these tales of “hungry triumph, hungrier incompetence, and starving tragedy,” Anthony tells the stories of what he calls the heroic era of South Pole exploration and the less dramatic current age of nachos, sno-cats, and vacuum packed foie gras.

The book is named for one of the bleakest meals of the hero-ic age. Hoosh comes from the Tlingit hoochinoo, a word for both the local tribe and their liquor, and is pemmican por-ridge thickened with crushed biscuit. But, depending on an expedition’s country and captain, there could be gourmet variety to Antarctic dining. Shackleton packed chartreuse, champagne, and 28 tons of Spratt’s dog biscuits. At the French-Italian camp, Concordia, Christmas dinner included avocado with crabmeat and chocolate-coconut pie.

For those of us challenged by a weekly grocery list, An-thony’s description of planning Antarctic meals past and present is humbling. Facing extremes of time—the current provisioner has to plan two years in advance, tempera-ture—just boiling water can become an epic experience, and ingredients—no forgiving runs to the grocery when you’ve forgotten something, expeditions require canny and relent-less planning.

And it’s not surprising how important food becomes. Early explorers craved carbohydrates and a ration of biscuits was a day’s high point. When there was no biscuit, explorers passed time imaging how and what they would eat on re-turn to temperate climes. Shakelton’s men looked forward to six meals a day, of green peas, peaches a la Melba, melon, Queen’s pudding, and saddle of mutton.

Even in contemporary camps, provisioned by helicopter and mass quantities of fa-miliar, shelf stable foods, meals are a high point. Fresh baked bread is a treat to be sa-vored, and field camps face down culinary tedium by creating their own dishes, like chicken flavored with used toothpaste!

As a result, the cook is a revered and hon-ored member of the team. Adolf Lindstrom, the cook on Amundsen’s Fram expedition was beloved for his buckwheat hotcakes. He had to defrost the batter each morning. A good cook could keep the team physically and mentally healthy.

As unusual as Antarctic cooking conditions are, any cook will appreciate the picture of

Thomas Clissold’s kitchen on Scott’s 1910-12 Terra Nova expedition. Every inch of space

is used—cans are neatly stacked, tools at hand hanging on the walls, and crates repurposed into worktops. Any cook knows, getting the kitchen just right comes first. It certainly did for Clissold, who could then serve up seal galantine and skua gull stew.Claudia Kousoulas is an urban planner who also writes cook-book reviews. Her blog is appetiteforbooks.wordpress.com

University of Nebraska Press 2012, $26.95, paper.286

CULINARY HISTORIANS OF THE PHILIPPINES (CHOP)

The Culinary Historians of the Philippines (CHOP) is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to: (1) the study of the history and evolution of the regional foods, cuisines, and culinary customs of the Philippines as well as those from all parts of the world; and (2) advocacy for disseminating information on nutritional and economical cooking through outreach programs, workshops, lectures, and field trips. Guest Speaker at CHOP’s first meeting this year in March was Amy Besa on the subject “Ang Sariling Atin.” Amy was named one of the 100 “Most Influential Filipino Women in the United States” and is a successful restaurateur in New York (Cendrillon in SoHo, 1995-2009; and now Purple Yam in Brooklyn); the author (with her husband, Chef Romy Dorotan) of the international award-winning cookbook, “Memories of Philippine Kitchens ”; and the founder of Ang Sariling Atin Culinary Heritage Institute (ASA), a Manila-based nonprofit organization that aims to document and preserve Philippine culinary traditions and native ingredients by establishing communi-ty kitchens in both rural and urban areas in the Philippines. A light merienda was served at the free meeting.

chopmanila@gmail.comRegee Newport, CHoW Member

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News from Other Culinary

OrganizationsThe Janice Bluestein

Longone Culinary Archive (JBLCA)

will be moving from the Clements Library to the University of Michigan Hatcher Library, where it will make its new home in Special Collections. Shaped by the donation of a rich assemblage of cookbooks, menus, and other material collected over many years by Janice and Daniel Lon-gone, the JBLCA is recog-nized around the campus and across the country as a premier collection of books, ephemera, and other mate-rial that both documents and defines the American culinary experience. The transfer to Special Collec-tions is intended to fully realize the potential of the JBLCA for teaching, learn-ing, and research at the University of Michigan and beyond. The Special Collec-tions Library is enthusiastic about acquiring, expanding, caring for, and promoting the use of the JBLCA.

Jan Longone, in her role as “ambassador” for the JBLCA, has been appointed as adjunct curator. Over the course of the coming months, Clements and Special Collections staff will work together to ensure a smooth transfer of the col-lection itself, which will be available for research at the Clements until sometime this spring, when it will be available in the Special Col-lections Library.

Jan Longone, Curator of American Culinary History, Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MIOffice: (734) 764-2347.

By CiCi Williamson CHoW President

Rayna Green, Curator, Smithsonian Museum of American History, led a private tour for 17 CHoW members and guests on Tuesday, March 19. The main point of the new “FOOD” exhibit is to look at the scientific and technologi-cal changes that took place in the post-World War II period. At the forefront of the exhibit space--as well as the period, Julia Child’s kitchen was woven into the context. Ms. Green said, “When we first brought Julia’s kitchen to the Smithsonian, we had no idea she would become the ‘Holy Grail’ of public attention. We couldn’t take her kitchen down or there would have been riots. Some have said she should have been in the ‘First Ladies’ exhibit! About ten CHoW members regularly helped set up Julia’s kitchen in the museum, which opened in 2002.” “I don’t think we can stretch too much the importance of Julia on Public Television,” continued Ms. Green. “It inspired commer-cial cooking shows and today’s 24-hour food channels. Julia al-ways said she was neither French nor a chef but a teacher.” The FOOD exhibit contains several items donated by CHoW members: Shirley Cherkasky’s bean sprouter and a cookbook, Salads for Lettuce Boycotters, and Jane Mengenhauser’s The Fondue Rule Book and a “Nixon Eats Let-tuce” button (activists’ section).

CHoW Field Trip “FOOD. Transforming the American Table 1950 to 2000”

The FOOD exhibit is divided into showcases based on three themes. “New and Improved!” includes a Krispy Kreme donut ring machine, an early microwave oven, slow cooker, Bundt pan, and packaging machine for carrot sticks. The three cura-tors looked at the consequences of mass production, the contrast of hunger versus massive obesity in the midst of abundance, and America’s obsession with cheap food that you can eat “on the go.” “Resetting the Table” encompasses the flavor changes introduced by immigrants and how, over the past four decades, millions of Americans deve-loped a taste for the once-exotic food made by once-exotic people who were now neighbors. They started eating and shopping in Little Vietnam, Little Korea, and Little El Salvador, and experimented with new ingredients, mostly breads, spices, condiments, and grains. Ms. Green said that although Cantonese and Italian cuisine began the changes, contemporary Mexican is leading the current flavor revolution. “Wine for the Table” occupies the back of the exhibit space and takes us from Thomas Jefferson’s failed efforts to cultivate French grapevines in Vir-ginia to the revolution in the second half of the 20th century that not only realized Jefferson’s vision, but changed the entire world of wine. Down the center of the exhibit floor space is “Open Table,” a large, communal table with chairs intended for book signings and discussions about a wide range of food-related issues and topics. Built into the table top are the many versions of the Food Guide Pyramid, including one for canines whose base is “anything that falls from the table” and a Berkeley pyramid with wine and cheese at the top. The exhibit seems fairly small, but Ms Green says that the space formerly occupied by Julia’s Kitchen in the west gallery is being converted into a demonstration kitchen for live teaching events. After the tour, eight CHoW member enjoyed lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill.http://americanhistory.si.edu/food-introduction

Willis Van Devanter, Quentin Looney, Smithsonian Cura-tor Rayna Green, Tom Moore, John Rosine, Katy Hayes, Audrey Hong, Randy Clarke, Pat Reber, Mary Sebold, Margie Gibson, Claudia Kousoulas, Karen Tees, Jane Men-genhauser, Ellen Schwab, Laura Gilliam, and Linda Hoyt.

Krispy Kreme donut ring machine

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Culinary Humor

By Tom Weiland

If you had to crown just one man, the king of early TV comedy, it

would be Jackie Gleason (“…and awaaaay we go!”), second only to the queen, Lucille Ball. With formative years as an Irish-American street tough in Brooklyn, Gleason (1916-1987) was more drawn to work-ing-class themes than food humor, but food was nonetheless within his kingly realm. Gleason’s career spanned many decades in variety, music, theater, and film—which included dramatic roles—but his inner comedian ultimately won.

One of Gleason’s many paths to his crown was “The Life of Riley.” Witness some of his TV family’s minor crises at the breakfast table: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nkti6tMZ18&list=PLB009D73A5B870D96

Gleason was a regular in variety shows, either as host, en-tertainer, or both. Maybe you remember this skit on the Ed Sullivan show, proving that Lucy was not the only one with a conveyor belt. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvOHieaPgt4&NR=1&feature=endscreen

Ultimately, Jackie Gleason’s fame was linked at the hip with “The Honeymooners.” As the most famous stage ofan evolv-ingblue-collar theme between the radio show “The Bicker-sons” (1940’s) and the cartoon “The Flintstones” (1960’s), “The Honeymooners” playedin skits as well as a series in the 1950’s, though thetotal lifespan lasted irregularly through the 1970’s.

In fitting tribute to The Great One (Jackie Gleason), watch him as The Chef of the Future, as well as the Boss of His House. www.youtube.com/watch?v=22oCaiccz3wwww.youtube.com/watch?v=FFUiUT-n9KM

Cheers!TW

Upcoming EventsThe Election Day

86th Shenandoah Apple Blossom FestivalApril 26 – May 5, 2013, Winchester, VA

The annual celebration of spring showcases the blooming apple trees in the Shenandoah Valley with more than 45 events, including the Grand Feature Parade, band competitions, dances, a carnival, a 10K run, an apple pie baking contest and more. www.thebloom.com/

Mediterranean MelangeTuesday, April 28, 2013, 6:30 p.m. A dinner and talk by Lisa Kartzman (New York) on the latest Mediterranean food products and ideas for how to cook with them. Lebanese Taverna, 7141 Arlington Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814. www.lesdamesdc.org

Cinco de Mayo FestivalMay 5, 2013, noon-6 pm. The an-nual Latino celebration features live music and family entertainment at Sylvan Stage on the National Mall near the Washington Monument at 15th St. and Independence Ave. http//marumontero.com/cinco

Pleasures of the Southern TableSunday, May 5, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

Nathalie Dupree, Charleston, SC, author of Mastering the Art of South-ern Cooking, will do a talk. Dinner at Vidalia Restaurant, 1990 M St NW, Washington, DC 20036. Menu of 12 dishes plus a glass of wine, $68 inclusive. See invitation and menu at www.lesdamesdc.org.

20th Delaplane Strawberry FestivalMay 25-26, 2013, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sky Meadows State Park, Delaplane, VA. The annual festival includes live entertainment, chil-dren’s games, pony rides, hayrides, a petting zoo, a 5K fun run, a raptor exhibit, antique cars, food, crafts and strawberries. www.delaplanestrawber-ryfestival.com

“Foodways in the Northeast: A Second Helping” June 21-23, 2013, Deerfield, MA (Historic Deerfield) The program will consist of approximaately 17 pre-sentations of 20 minutes each, with related tours and demonstrations. For more information: dublinseminar@historic-deerfield.org. (978) 369-7382.www.historic-deerfield.org/dublin-seminar

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Medieval Food History, continued from page 1

Middle Ages Daily Meals for the Upper Classes The daily meals for the Upper Classes during the Middle Ages provided a huge variety of different types of food. Vegetables were limited for the Upper Classes. Only Lords and Nobles were allowed to hunt deer, boar, hares and rabbits and these foods were therefore used in the daily meals of the nobility. Food items that came from the ground were are consid-ered fit only for the poor. Only vegetables such as rape, onions, garlic and leeks graced a Noble's ta-ble. A type of bread called “Manchet,” which was a bread loaf made of wheat flour, was consumed by the Upper Classes. Food was highly spiced. These expensive spices con-sumed by the wealthy included anise, caraway, cardamon (a.k.a. carda-mom ), cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, mace, mustard, nutmeg, pepper, saffron, and turmeric.

Middle Ages Daily Meals for the Lower Classes The staple diet of the lower classes were bread, pottage ( a type of stew), dairy products such as milk and cheese products and meats such as beef, pork or lamb. The punishment for poaching could result in death or having hands cut off, so the Lower Classes would only poach if they were desperate. The Lower Classes ate rye and barley bread. The poor could not afford to buy the spices so enjoyed by the wealthy. Biscuits were invented by the Crusaders and these were eaten as a convenience food by the workers of the Middle Ages. The 'Ploughman's Lunch' of bread and cheese was also a staple diet of Lower Class workers. Communal ovens were available in villages for baking.

Middle Ages Food and the Black Death The amount of food available in the Middle Ages world changed in 1328. The Black Death spread across Eu-rope with devastating effect. The population of the Middle Ages dropped - the Black Death claimed a third of the World's population and 200 million people died. The Black Death reached England by 1346 and ravaged the land for nearly 60 years. The Black Death resulted in a far smaller population, more food was available and even the poor were able to eat meat.

Bryna Freyer recommends three books published in Great Britain.Charlemagne’s Tablecloth: A Piquant History of Feasting by Nichola Fletcher. Phoenix, 2004.Eating Like a King: A History of Royal Recipes by Michelle Brown. Tempus Publishing, Ltd., 2006.Spade, Skirret and Parsnip: The Curious History of Vegetables by Bill Lewis. Sutton Publishing, 2004.

IMAGE: Fowl roasting on a spit. Under the spit is a narrow, shallow basin to collect the drippings for use in sauces or for bast-ing the meat; The Decameron, Flanders,

More Medieval Cookery ReferencesCHoW Past President Katherine Livingston writes, “By sheer chance the issue of the Times Literary Supplement I received today has a review of two books on medieval cookery:

The Medieval Kitchen: A Social History with Recipes by Hannele Klemettila, 232 pages.

Cooking and Dining in Medieval Eng-land by Peter Brears, 557 pages.

The first seems to be mostly (adapt-ed) recipes, the second is more a socioeconomic history. Available from Amazon.

CHoW Vice President Katy Hayes sends these references:

Food & Cooking in Medieval Britain: History & Recipes by Maggie Black; English Heritage, 1985, 2003. (Also see her later book, The Medieval Cookbook, 1992.)

To the King’s Taste: Richard II’s book of feasts and recipes, adapted for modern cooking by Lorna J. Sass; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975.

Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A concise history with 174 recipes by Lilia Zaouali; University of California Press, 2007.

The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages by Terence Scully; The Boydell Press, 1995.

Fabulous Feasts: Medieval Cookery and Ceremony by Madeleine Pelner Cos-man; George Braziller, NY, 1976.

Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Mod-ern Cooks by Constance B. Hieatt & Sharon Butler; University of Toronto Press, 1976. Websites:www.pbm.com/~lindahl/food.html (from Felice Caspar)

[The following page has a list of medieval recipes.] www.coquinaria.nl/divers/indexperiod.html#ME

www.godecookery.com/pepys/pepys.htm

www.godecookery.com/godeboke/godeboke.htm

www.medievalcookery.com/

www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-food.html

www.historylearningsite.co.uk/food_and_drink_in_medi-eval_engla.htm

http://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/medieval/medieval_food.html

CHoW 2012-2013Board of Directors

PresidentCiCi Williamson(703) 533-0066ciciwmson@aol.com

Vice PresidentKaty Hayes(301) 317-0950artemiscooks@gmail.com

Recording SecretaryAudrey Hong(301) 681-5114audreyhng@aol.com

Membership SecretaryQuentin Looney(202) 332-8724qlooney@verizon.net

TreasurerBruce Reynolds(703) 821-3213bwreynolds2@cox.net

DirectorClaudia Kousoulas(301) 320-6979appetite@kousoulas.com

DirectorJane Olmsted(703) 524-1949brunello59@aol.com

Editorial Positions

CHoW Line EditorDianne Hennessy King(703) 281-5281tuckking@aol.com

CHoW Line DesignerCiCi Williamson(703) 533-0066ciciwmson@aol.com

Past President &Website CoordinatorKatherine Livingston (202) 332-0923k.livingston@att.net

Driving from NORTH of Alexandria, VA: Alexandria House (tallest building - 23 stories - in Old Town), is at the intersection of North Pitt and Madison Streets, just five minutes south of Washington National Airport. N. Pitt Street is parallel to and two blocks east of Washington Street (George Washington Parkway), toward the Potomac River. Entrance to the building is on the 700 block of North Pitt Street.

Driving from SOUTH of Alexandria: Madison Street is 7 blocks north of King Street. From the north, enter Alexandria on the Parkway, turn left at Madison St. and go 2 blocks. The entrance to Alexandria House is on the 700 block of North Pitt Street.

Parking: Park on the street where there should be ample free spaces.

Room at the Top:You will be met in the lobby, possibly by Shirley Cherkasky, who lives there and arranged for the room. Take the elevator to the top floor of the building, turn right, and go up the short flight of stairs to the party room..

DIRECTIONS TO ALEXANDRIA HOUSE

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