Browse Category

Food history

The Classical Cookbook

13753237Title:  The Classical Cookbook
Author: Andrew Dalby &Sally Grainger
Genre: Historical cookbook, antiquity

Over the last weeks I have finished reading two historical cookbook – this is the first of those.

The book focuses on the Mediterranean antiquity’s cook – with a heavy focus on Greece and Roman cooking – and it does an excellent job of it.  My copy is now full of post-its of recipies I want to try out and I ended up sending my dad and my uncle recipes from the book. I have however not tried any of the recipes yet. You will see pictures once I do.

Keep Reading

An Early Meal – a Viking Age Cookbook & Culinary Odyssey

an-early-mealTitle:  An Early Meal – a Viking Age Cookbook & Culinary Odyssey
Author: Daniel Serra & Hanna Tunberg
Genre: Historical cookbook, viking

I also read this book in the spring so I rely on my goodreads review to write this review.

While the other recipe books I have for the Viking age tend to play a bit fast and loose with the accuracy of the food, this book is all about being as authentic as can be. Where Bålmad for moderne vikinger and Mit vilde vikingekøkken are very much books to get modern people to try food that might be like what the vikings ate, this is much more of a historical recreations based on evidence. This is a much more serious project. And it shows in the long introduction of the book and of the chapters.   Keep Reading

Bålmad for moderne vikinger

28886904Title: Bålmad for moderne vikinger
Author: Karin Collstrup
Genre: Cookbook, historical, vikings

It has been forever since i have done a book review here. I have been doing a bit of reading on historical cooking again, promted by listing to “The Great Courses: Food: A Cultural Culinary History“. I have read Bålmad for moderne vikinger” in the spring but I think I remember it enough to write a bit about what I think about it.

Keep Reading

What the vikings ate

Saturday I visited MoMu (Moesgaard Museum) with my boyfriend who had yet to see the museum. I of course visited the museum shop and picked up a viking cookbook, that I was yet to own (Bålmad for moderne vikinger). It had a lot of great information along with quite a few interesting recipes. It also had an introduction where it among other things talked about which food were available in the viking age. It wasn’t quite sure about some of the items, which sparked me to research some more. I decided to make a list of food stuff that was available to the vikings at home and something might have encountered on their travels and possibly imported. I also decided to make a list of food stuff that they definitely didn’t have. Keep Reading

What the vikings definitely didn’t eat

Browsing the web, especially on pinterest I sometimes come across some medieval and viking recipes, for reenactment events or markets no less, that makes me groan. This isn’t about perfect authenticity, but it is about presenting something that is plausible – especially when cooking for the public.

In my little project to make a list of what the vikings might have eaten, I thought it might be a good idea to make a list of food that is definitely no-go for viking and early medieval events. The food on this list was either not invented till much much later OR is food stuff only found in the Americas and that the Europeans wouldn’t know till after Columbus – like turkey.

Keep Reading

Barley crackers

Bailey was the most common grain in the viking age (in Scandinavia). The Danish word for barley; “byg”- means grown grains. The archaeologists think that barley crackers flour have been common. Most bread was baked on a hot stone next to the fire – it seems likely that they would make barley crackers as well as flat breads. Keep Reading

The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook

coverTitle: The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook
Author: Chelsea Monroe-Cassel, Sariann Lehrer
Genre: Cookbook, fantasy

If you are a fan of fantasy or historical cooking, then I think you will enjoy this cookbook. All the recipes in it are for dishes mentioned in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire. It is written by two fans of the series and approved by George R. R. Martin. However it really fits a lot of fantasy settings and would be great inspiration for cooking for most other fantasy inspired events.

Keep Reading

Mit vilde vikingekøkken

d9a8e9781a83774625b155b10ffccb1aTitle: Mit vilde vikingekøkken
Author: Jim Lyngvild
Genre: Historical cookbook, campfire

I visited my sister in Copenhagen this past weekend and among other things we went to Nationalmuseet (free entrance) to eat brunch and see their viking exhibition – which were both great. Their brunch is always good new nordic cooking with lots to choose from. The viking exhibition is part of their antiquity exhibition which in my opinion is a world-class exhibition. Especially the black treasure rooms are amazing. Well worth a visit. However their medieval exhibition is not worth your time. While we were there we of course had to visit the museum store and I brought “Mit vilde vikingekøkken” among other wonderful things.

Keep Reading