Butterbeer!

Butterbeer!

So, here's how it is.

I have a friend.  We'll call her Stormcrow.  Stormcrow is, despite the gloomy name, one of the most positive people I've met.  She's always in a good mood, or if she isn't, she fakes it so well that I can't tell.  Stormcrow was competing in the contest I won and submitted this delicious drink.  To be honest, I think I liked it better than I liked any single item on my plate (and I tend to cook things I think are awesome).  So, naturally, I asked her for the recipe and made up a batch of my own.  And even more naturally, my kitty had to come jump into the picture.

Butterbeer comes to us from the Harry Potter universe.  Along with pumpkin juice, it is one of the most commonly-mentioned comestibles in the books.  It is served to children, so the alcohol content must be low-to-negligible, and yet at one point a house elf is completely sauced on the stuff.

Historical Accuracy:  This is one of those weird things.  I've had conversations with several people about how "period" Harry Potter is.  The stuff I cook for tends to draw from a wide variety of fantasy settings, but HP is clearly "modern."  That said, Hogwarts apparently existed for hundreds of years, and so therefore butterbeer is likely nothing particularly "new."  I'll call it a 6/10 for being "fantasy."

How's It Taste?  This is basically a lightly-alcoholic (I added this from Stormcrow's recipe) butterscotch-flavored hot chocolate.  It is rich and creamy and fills you up in a hurry.  Yum.

Difficulty:  You need a candy thermometer to do this.  Aside from that, it's not tough at all.  4/10 at the most.

Ingredients:

1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. water
6 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
2 shots dark rum
48 ounces vanilla cream soda

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar and water.  Heat, stirring, until the candy thermometer says 240F.  Remove from the heat and mix in the butter, salt, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of the cream.  Allow to cool, then add the rum and remaining cream.  Warm up the cream soda.

To serve, fill a glass halfway with the cream mixture and then top with the cream soda.

Food Fight Feast!

Food Fight Feast!

Okay, guys, this is going to be a LONG post.  Bear with me here and we'll get through it!

One of my local LARP groups is participating in a fundraising project for local food banks.  As part of this, I prepared a little feast for the fighters and players.  This feast was also my entry into our monthly Arts and Sciences contest.  I won with an average score of nearly 4.6!

People seemed to really like this meal.  It used some past recipes and some new ones and came out pretty darned well.  I mad thirty pounds of chicken, tons of salad, etc., and only came home with a little bit of salad.  So, here's what was on the menu:

Chicken Quarters with Mead Sauce

Cabbage Salad with Berries and Pears

Honey-Roasted Beets

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Blackberry and Blueberry Akutaq

Berry-Basil Lemonade

I would like to throw out a shout-out to my friend Karazelle for helping me with the planning.  She's an amazing person!

Chicken Quarters with Mead Sauce

These were good.  I adapted the recipe from Jesper Lynge.

Historical Accuracy:  You know, this is one of those things where my source claims it is accurate, but I honestly disagree.  I would give this a 3/10 for "feel."  It uses plausible ingredients, but even the original recipe didn't seem like anything I had ever read in my limited studies.  If I am incorrect, please, let me know!

How's It Taste?  To quote one of the least-popular Spider-Man films, "So good."  The chicken is simple, but the sauce is so hearty and delicious and umami.

Difficulty:  You can reduce, right?  5/10.

Recipe:

4 chicken quarters

1 cup mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped bacon

1 stick butter

2 cups heavy cream

3 cups mead

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the chicken in half of the butter.  Transfer the chicken to the oven and bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until cooked through.  Saute the mushrooms and bacon in the pan with the chicken drippings, then deglaze with the mead.  Reduce by 1/2, then add the cream and reduce by 1/2 again. Season to taste.  Serve the chicken in the pan with the sauce.

Cabbage Salad with Berries and Pears

Another Jesper Lynge recipe that I adapted.  I needed more vinegar in my recipe, but people still liked it quite a bit!

Historical Accuracy:  This is a lot more accurate, in my opinion, as I have seen similar salads on several "period" websites.  Call it 5/10.

How's It Taste?  It's a simple salad with delicious and surprising fruit.  I'm quite fond of it.  Plus, for a feast, it is so easy and cheap and can bulk up the offering quickly.

Difficulty:  Pfft.  This isn't tough at all.  2/10 just because you have to fry some onions.

Ingredients:

2 cups green cabbage, chopped

1 cup red cabbage, chopped

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1 pear, sliced

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, or more to taste

3 green onions, chopped into thirds

Fry the green onions in a little canola oil.  Pat dry.  Toss all ingredients together and dress with the vinegar.  Serve.  Yum.

Honey-Roasted Beets

I'm not a big fan of beets, but these were a huge hit.  I had people who initially were freaked out by beets come back for seconds.  And these are so darned easy to make!  Another recipe adapted from Jesper Lynge.

Historical Accuracy:  Period ingredients, period preparation.  Give it a 6/10.

How's it Taste?  Yum!  The honey and butter on the beets wind up giving you something that's like a dark purple carrot/sweet potato hybrid.  It's good.

Difficulty:  1/10, if that.  Seriously.  The hardest part is finding fresh beets!

Recipe:

2.5 lbs beets, peeled and halved

1 cup honey

1 cup butter

Melt the butter in a pan and mix in the honey.  Toss the beets in the mixture and then bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 or until nice and tender.  Serve warm.

Blackberry and Blueberry Akutaq

Akutaq is also known as Eskimo ice cream.  It's seriously delicious, but oh so bad for you. Traditionally, it was made with various animal fats, berries, and dried fish.  Nowadays, people substitute solid vegetable shortening, skip the fish, and add sugar.  This was a BIG hit at the feast.  I made a ridiculous amount and brought back nothing.

Historical Accuracy:  Modern take on a period (if American) recipe.  Give it a 3/10 for using modern ingredients and being made for modern taste buds.

How's It Taste?  This is basically frozen whipped cream with fruit thrown in.  If that doesn't sound good, you haven't been paying attention.

Difficulty:  Not terrible, although it uses a few techniques and a couple of pieces of equipment.  Call it 3/10.

Ingredients:

1 cup solid vegetable shortening (Crisco)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup berry juice (I used the billberry soup from HEB)

2 cups frozen blueberries

2 cups frozen blackberries

Cream the sugar and shortening together.  Whip it until it's light and fluffy and rather like whipped cream.  Mix in the berry juice, then fold in the frozen berries.  Freeze to allow to set up, then serve.

Berry-Basil Lemonade

Okay, a little bit of a concession here:  nothing about this is period.  It uses fruits from both America and Europe/the Mid-East, plus sugar.  However, lemonade and tea are a common staple of feasts around here, and I wanted to make a little spin on it to provide some variety.  Plus, I had extra berries left over and the akutaq was rather "full."

Note:  This recipe is for 1 "pitcher" of lemonade.  I think my pitcher is 1.5-2 gallons, but I honestly don't remember.  Feel free to adjust to taste, of course!

Historical Accuracy:  It's a recipe made by me with no research whatsoever.  0/10.  I fail!

How's It Taste?  This is a refreshing and somewhat surprising drink.  The basil adds a nice little underflavor, which the berries and lemons provide a sweet, refreshing beverage.

Difficulty:  You have to made a flavored simple syrup, zest and juice some lemons, 2/10 at most. Cooking is easy, guys.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup honey

3 cups water

10 lemons, zested

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1 tbsp basil

Cold water to fill pitcher

In a pot, combine the sugar, water, and honey.  Heat until all ingredients are dissolved.  Add the lemon zest, berries, and basil and allow to steep under low-medium heat for 10 minutes.  Strain the syrup into the pitcher, then add the juice of the lemons and fill the pitcher with water.

Jamaica Cheesecake!

Jamaica Cheesecake!

No recipe this time--this is a quickie post.  If you remember, I made a recipe for cream cheese.  This was just an experiment to see how it would work in a non-period application.  Turns out, it's a lot more "grainy" than commercial cream cheese, but it's still darned tasty!

Always experiment! 

Gravlax!

Gravlax!

Gravlax is a cured raw salmon dish VERY popular in Scandinavia.  The word itself translates to "buried salmon," which is appropriate because it was originally made by fishermen who would bury salmon filets above the high-tide line.  Nowadays, no digging is required, thankfully.

Historical Accuracy:  This is a more modern take on a traditional dish.  Give it a 5/10, I suppose.

How's It Taste?  If you like smoked salmon, this is somewhat similar.  It's quite enjoyable, in my opinion, and a high-protein, healthy snack.  The steward sauce is likewise quite good.

Recipe:

1 salmon filet

4 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp kosher salt

TONS of dill.  Seriously.

You're going to make a fish sandwich here.  Cut the filet in half.  Get a pan and put one half-filet in it, skin-side down.  Rub the flesh with salt and sugar.  Add in TONS of dill.  No, more dill.  There is no such thing as too much dill in gravlax,  Rub the other half-filet in sugar and salt and place it on top of everything.  Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and place weight on the fish.  Refrigerate, turning each day and covering the fish with the collected brine, for four days, then serve with Steward Sauce (see below).

Steward Sauce:

5 tablespoons mustard

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons finely-chopped dill

Combine all ingredients until mixed well.

Pemmican!

Pemmican!

Look at that picture!  Campsite cooking at its best!

Pemmican is an ancient Native American meal.  Made with dried meat, rendered fat, and various dried berries and such, pemmican is an extremely energy-dense meal.  There was actually a war fought over pemmican.  I entered a pemmican dish in a recent Arts and Sciences contest and came in first place in the Food and Beverages category with an average score of 4.1/5.  And here's the recipe!

Historical Accuracy:  Pemmican was traditionally made out of a variety of meat.  Due to cost constraints, I used beef.  Aside from that, this is an accurate wedding pemmican dish.  Call it 8/10 for accuracy, or 10/10 should you source venison, moose, elk, etc.  Please note:  Pemmican is Native American and thus not "period" for a European feast.  That said, it is period, albeit just in an odd location.

How's It Taste?  Apparently good enough to win a cooking contest!  Pemmican tastes like beef jerky mixed with fat, with just a little bit of sweetness added.  It's definitely not something you want to eat in large quantities--along with everything else, it's way too energy-dense.  But when fried up with onions and potatoes (see below), it's darned tasty.

Difficulty:  Difficult here is a function of equipment.  If you have a food dehydrator and food processor, it's ridiculously easy.  Without, things get a little tricky, but you're still looking at (at most) a 4/10.

Recipe:

1,75 pounds lean beef

1 pound beef fat

1 pound blueberries

4 ounces dried cranberries

4 tbsp. honey

salt and pepper to taste

To start off, we're going to dry everything.  Slice the beef thin.  Like super-thin.  Season it heavily with salt and pepper, then transfer it and the berries to the food dehydrator.  Should you not have one, you can dry the ingredients in an oven set to 150-200 with the lid slightly open.  Dry the meat and berries until they are crispy and extremely dry.  Render the fat--basically, heat it on low until you get a nice, clear liquid, then filter it through cheesecloth or a paper towel or similar to remove solids.

Place the beef and berries in a food processor and powder everything.  Transfer this into a bowl and add the rendered fat a bit at a time until you have a dense, wet pulp.  Add the honey, a little more salt and pepper, and place into a pan.  Cut into bars and wrap in waxed paper.  Kept dry, pemmican will last for 2-3 years.  Seriously.

Fried Pemmican with Onions and Potatoes (Rechaud)

Here's how I served the pemmican.  Unfortunately, I don't have a decent picture of it.  Maybe later!

Take a large handful of the pemmican and fry in a pan in its own fat.  Treat it like you're browning ground beef.  It will smell like burning as the honey caramelizes.  Throw in about 1/2 of a large white onion (chopped) and 1/2 pound of boiled baby yellow potatoes (quartered).  Mix everything and cook until the onions are slightly caramelized.  Serve hot.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support me on Patreon.  I won a contest!  You should be proud!

Cream Cheese!

Cream Cheese!

Cheese is one of those things I really want to get into making more of.  It's yummy.  It's surprisingly historical.  And it's a right pain to do unless you have the proper resources.

This type of cheese, however, is simple.  It's a very, very easy recipe and one that just about anyone with a little bit of time can accomplish.  So let's get into it!

Historical Accuracy:  Here's the thing.  I took this recipe from a Viking Cheese recipe from Ribe Viking Center:  HERE.  I admittedly modified it a little--I had made this cheese before and I wanted something a little different.  All ingredients are period and the recipe is at least based on a period recipe.  I'm going to go ahead and give this one a 9/10 for historical accuracy.  Please note:  Ritz crackers aren't period.  I used what I had to serve it.  Sorry!

How's It Taste?  Without the herbs, it tastes pretty much like a slightly more sour, yoghurt-y cream cheese.  That makes perfect sense.  This would be absolutely lovely with some gravlax on a piece of rugbrod as a faux-period bagel.

Difficulty:  It's a surprisingly easy cheese to make, although somewhat time consuming.  And it does require one specialty tool--cheesecloth.  If you're intelligent enough to work your way around a kitchen, you can make this.  2/10 here.

Recipe:
1 gallon whole milk
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint buttermilk

Herbs of your choice:  I used green onion, dill, and cumin
Salt to taste

Combine all dairy ingredients in a LARGE bowl.  Allow to sit, covered, for 2-3 days at a cool room temperature until separation has occurred.  Curds will be small, but that's okay.  Separate the curds from the whey, retaining the whey for use in a later recipe (whey is great for pickling).

Note:  You will need a colander and cheesecloth to separate these.

Press the cheese in the fridge for a day or two until it is very dry.  Put a plate over the cheese in the colander and weigh it down with heavy cans or something.  Put all that in a pot to drain.

Combine everything into a bowl with salt and herbs and serve with rugbrod and smoked meat, or just Ritz crackers if you aren't fancy.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support me on Patreon.  That way I won't be stuck using Ritz crackers in my presentation!

Sima!

Sima!

Trying something a little new in taking pictures.  Not the best in the world, but I'm using a potato.  Bear with me!

Sima is Finnish for mead (anyone who speaks Finnish, correct me if I'm wrong).  Over the years, sima has changed drastically.  Now, the typical "traditional" recipe uses no honey whatsoever, replacing it with white and brown sugar.  I personally think that's a travesty, and so I fixed that!

This beverage is traditional around May Day.  It's very, very lightly alcoholic (0.5%, typically) and lightly carbonated.  While traditionally flavored with rhubarb, lemons have become the standard of late.  Frankly, I prefer a nice honey/brown sugar lemonade to anything with rhubarb in it, so I stuck with the lemons.

I should note that I am making this for a brewing contest.  I'll let you guys know how I did!

Historical Accuracy:  Mead is always historically accurate.  Mead flavored with brown sugar and lemons?  Not so much.  If made with rhubarb and pure honey, I would go ahead and give Sima an 8/10 for accuracy.  The way I made it, I'll call it a 5/10.

How's It Taste?  Bringing this bit back.  Guys, seriously, this stuff is good.  It tastes like sweet lemonade with just a tiny little hint of alcohol.  This is the sort of thing you really want for a hot day of yardwork, or swinging sticks at nerds.

Difficulty:  Hey, why not bring this back too!  "Modern" sima can be made with things that you are likely to already have and is usually ready in like 3-5 days.  A fancier recipe needs just a modicum of brewing equipment and is likewise ready extremely quickly.  Modern sima is a beginner's brew, a 2/10 in difficult.  Fancy sima?  Call it a 5/10 because of the equipment involved.

Recipe:
(Modern Sima)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon water
2 large lemons (or 4 small)
1 package baker's yeast

(Hardware)
Mason jars, STERILIZED

Combine water and sugars in a pan.  Heat until dissolved.  Take the zest and juice of the lemons and let steep in the syrup.  Allow to cool, then add the yeast.  Transfer liquid into mason jars.  Allow to sit for 1-2 days, venting occasionally) then refrigerate for 1-2 days.  Enjoy.

(Fancy Sima)
1 cup honey
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 gallon water
2 large lemons (or 4 small)
1 package champagne yeast

(Hardware)
1 gallon carboy with airlock
9-12 bottles, with caps
1/8 tsp. sugar per bottle
Funnel
STERILIZE ALL OF THIS (Except the sugar.  Sterilizing sugar is difficult.)

Combine honey, sugar, and water with the zest of the lemons.  Heat until honey and sugar is dissolved.  Add lemon pulp (not pith) and allow to cool.  Strain into a carboy, then add the yeast and allow to ferment for 1-3 days.  After primary fermentation, add sugar to each bottle and fill with sima.  Let sit for 1-2 days, then refrigerate.  Drink.  Yum.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support me on Patreon.  You can even come up with something witty for the next link if you donate!

Lembas Bread!

Lembas Bread!

So, it was suggested that I try to make lembas.  I'm not a fan of Elves by any stretch of the imagination, but hey, why not?  How hard could it be?

Turns out, it's a little tougher than it looks.  You see, there are LOTS of recipes for "lembas" out there, and they all vary considerably.  This is to be expected--different people value different things in their desires and expectations and the like.  For me, I wanted to create something that was very energy-dense while still being tasty.

Did I succeed?  Eh, partially.  I'll come back to this recipe before too long and make a few changes.  Thing is, what I made was essentially a nutty pie crust (which I knew going in), and I HATE pie crust.  That's why cobbler is better than pie--it only has one layer of crust.  And really, who needs the crust at all?  It doesn't do anything.

But whatever.  This is very rich, very energy-heavy, and very dry.  Eat with some tea for dunking.

Historical Accuracy:  Heh.  Nope.  This is pure fantasy and uses a number of non-period and/or New World ingredients.  Fantasy lets me explain things however I want, dang it!

Recipe: 
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp. almond butter
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. coconut oil
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients--add more flour if still sticky.  Knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth.  Roll out on a floured countertop to 1/4" thickness.  Cut into squares and score with a knife.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Please note:  the nut butter will make for a darker brown, so be careful!

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Dude, I just made lembas bread.  Click HERE to throw a few bucks my way.  Or don't.  It's not the best thing ever.

Bread Pudding!

Bread Pudding!

Note:  I REALLY need to find a better way of taking food photography.  If you have any ideas, please, let me know!

This is my standard go-to dessert for potlucks and family gatherings and the like.  It gets requested...  Often.  Excessively often sometimes.  In fact, this recipe is, to my knowledge, entirely of my own design.  As such, I'm not entirely certain about measurements and the like, as I make this by taste and "look."  I'll try my best!

Please note:  This recipe has never been shared with anyone ever.  This bread pudding uses Granny Smith apples for flavor and has a sauce made with hard cider that is absolutely to die for.  This isn't good for you by any stretch of the imagination, but any time I make it, it disappears in a hurry.

Historical Accuracy:  Bread pudding stems back to the 11th century.  Sure, commercial hard cider doesn't go that far back, but hard cider dates all the way back to the Romans.  So, while this isn't by any stretch a historical recipe, nothing I make is coming from a historical cookbook.  I'm going to give my bread pudding a 5/10 for accuracy.

How Does it Taste?  Seriously, this stuff is good.  It's delicious and sharp and sweet and everything you love about bread pudding.  If you don't love bread pudding, give it a try anyway.  If you hate bread pudding and apples, well, you won't like this.

Recipe:  (Approximation!)
(Pudding)
12 stale sandwich rolls or 2 stale loaves of bread (I tend to use bollilos at HEB for my bread needs--cheap and easy and they have white and whole-grain)
6 Granny Smith apples
4 cups heavy whipping cream
4 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
4 tsps. cinnamon

(Hard cider sauce)
1 bottle of hard cider (Woodchuck's Summer Seasonal works really well here)
1 cup sugar
6 egg yolks

Dice the bread into 1" chunks.  Dice the apples into smaller pieces.  Toss them together.  Mix the cream, brown sugar, eggs, and cinnamon, then scald, stirring regularly.  Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a baking dish and allow to soak, refrigerated, for at least one hour.  Bake at 350 for about 45-60 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.

Mix yolks and sugar in a double-boiler.  Add cider and whisk constantly while heating.  Mixture will become foamy and then "break down" into a sauce.  Pour said sauce over bread pudding and allow to rest.  Serve warm.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support me on Patreon.  I won't tell anyone.  It'll be our little secret...

Pork Pies!

Pork Pies!

Wow.  It's been a while since I've updated this blog.  Sorry!  I'm still around--I've just been busy.

So, these were made for a contest.  They went over fairly well, and I'm fair-to-middling pleased with them.  I plan on updating the recipe a bit and trying again over the course of next week.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Historical Accuracy:  Pork pies were served to King Richard and the first recorded recipe comes from 1390.  In that case, I find that we can consider these entirely period-appropriate (for a late period, sure, but still).  Plus, they have been mentioned in Discworld (Sourcery) and countless other fantasy works.  I'll give it an 8/10 for accuracy.

How Does it Taste?  Pork is love.  Pork is life.  This is an interesting case of what is basically a tureen made of diced pork and bacon in gelatin surrounded by a thick hot-water crust.  I personally feel that mustard and onion chutney are required additions, but your mileage may vary.

Recipe: 
(filling)
1 pound diced pork shoulder
1 pound diced bacon
2 tsp sage

(pastry)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup lard or bacon fat (I used bacon fat)
1 cup hot water (you may need more)
1 tbsp. salt
Egg wash for brushing.

(jelly)
4 cups chicken or pork stock
4 packages gelatine

Okay, I'm going to try not to insult you too much.  Here's what you do.

Mix the pie crust up.  Roll it into a ball, compress into a disc, and refrigerate at least an hour.  Mix all the filling material.  Line loaf pans with parchment paper.  Roll out the crust and line the pans, then fill with pork mixture.  Add an upper crust and crimp.  Make holes in the top for the venting of steam.  Brush the top with an egg wash.  Bake at 350 for an hour or until golden brown.

Combine the stock and gelatine and reduce until slightly thickened.  Use a funnel and pour the jelly into the vent holes.  Let cool and refrigerate overnight before serving with mustard and onion jelly (recipe to follow somewhat later).

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support my dreams of having someone actually contribute to my Patreon.  Stranger things could happen!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon!

In case you haven't been paying attention, I've made a ton of bacon recently.  Therefore, I find myself using a lot of bacon in recipes.  Brussels sprouts are one of those things that are actually surprisingly good when prepared properly.  Go figure.

Also, for those of you who want to eat something vegetarian (le gasp!), you can absolutely leave the bacon out, you heretics.  It's still delicious even without the meat of the gods.

Historical Accuracy:  While Brussels sprouts apparently were cultivated in the 1300s, Wikipedia states that similar "small cabbages" were popular in Rome and therefore it makes sense that a recipe like this would exist in period.  Is it 100% accurate?  No, but it's a good approximation of an excellent side dish and I'm feeling generous after the dismal score I gave the candied bacon.  Let's call this is 6/10 for accuracy.

How Does it Taste?  I never had Brussels sprouts growing up.  As such, I never developed a dislike for them.  These are delicious little roasted bits of deliciousness combining sweet, sour, and salty flavors.  I could make an entire meal out of these guys, but I won't--I have a t-bone steak and some potatoes and an apple pie that will be showing up alongside these guys.

Recipe:

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1 thick-cut slice of bacon, or 3-4 smaller slices

2 tsps olive oil

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Remove the stems and any yellowish leaves from the sprouts.  Slice larger sprouts into halves or quarters--you want these all to be the same size so they roast evenly.  Cube the bacon.  Toss the sprouts and bacon with the olive oil, then place on a baking sheet.  Roast at 425F for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly.  Put back into a bowl and toss with the honey and vinegar.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support this blog.  Hooray patronage.  Or something.

Candied Bacon!

Candied Bacon!

Dog treats for humans.  Just ask Harley.

Historical Accuracy:  All ingredients are period, although the recipe is not.  Call it a 3/10 for historical plausibility, but not entirely accuracy.  Man, I'm kinda rough on myself.

How Does it Taste?  Like bacon slathered in honey.  In other words, good.

Time:  Takes about a half an hour to prepare and cook.  Not bad.

Recipe:

Bacon

Honey

Spices (optional)

Lay bacon strips down flat on a cooking sheet.  Drizzle with honey.  Bake at 425F for 10-15 minutes. Turn the bacon over and add more honey.  Bake for another 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to let the candy set.

Take your candied bacon and hide it away somewhere deep and dark where nobody will ever find it, precious.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support this blog. Because I forgot it in the original posting!

Bacon!

Bacon!

Now that I have your attention, let's begin.

Bacon is good.  Bacon is great.  Bacon is the candy of meats.  Bacon is the one thing that most people I know of can't go without when camping/feasting.

Bacon is also somewhat expensive, unless you're buying the really cheap kind.  But, if you make it yourself, not only is it good, but it's surprisingly cheap.  I was able to cure about six pounds of bacon for a little under $20.  Not bad.

Historical Accuracy:  Bacon is good.  This particular recipe uses period ingredients, but I do not have any historical recipes for how to cure pork belly.  Therefore, I'm going to rate this Bacon/10.

How Does it Taste?  Bacon is good.  I am eating a slice right now as I type this up.  Compared to the store-bought types, this bacon is saltier and meatier and even more delicious.  Plan accordingly when using it in a recipe.  Basically, go easy on the salt!

Time:  Bacon is good.  Bacon is not fast.  The cure itself takes about four days, and you're looking at hours in smoke before the meat is ready to be used.  Did I mention that bacon is good yet?

Recipe:

1 piece pork belly (really, size doesn't matter here--you're going to prepare it proportionally)

1 cup raw honey

1 cup kosher salt

1 gallon filtered water

1 tbsp black peppercorns

In a large pot, heat the water.  Add honey, salt, and pepper and stir to dissolve.  Place the pork belly in a large container (I use a big pitcher) and cover it with the brine.  Refrigerate for 4+ days.

Smoke over hardwood for no less than one hour per pound.  Personally, I just start up the fire, get the temperature low, toss in the bacon, and take it off in the morning when I wake up.  You may want less smoke, however.  Suit yourself.

Oh, and as a side note, when you're cooking this, save the fat.  Not only is it tasty for other recipes, but filtered bacon fat can make really nice soap.  But that's another post!

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support this blog.  Food costs money.  You should give me some.  Or something like that.

Bowls of Brown!

Bowls of Brown!

Looks good, don't it?  Yum!

I've had some people asking about "fantasy"-style recipes, and this was something I wanted to try to tackle myself.  Now, you can eat like a peasant in King's Landing.  Well, a peasant who got lucky and found a few coppers somewhere.  Just pretend the meat's chicken, okay?

(Hint:  It's only partly chicken.)

Getting away from the horrible humor, something like this is a great recipe for a long event.  It can cook literally forever, and additional ingredients can be thrown in at any time.  Turn your leftovers into a tasty, nutritious stew that will keep people fed in between meal times.

Historical Accuracy:  Well, this is tricky.  Despite it being a "fantasy" recipe, the ingredients are all period (to my knowledge--please let me know if I messed up!).  It's historically plausible, I suppose, but it isn't based on anything but my own "creativity" and the few accountings of the dish from a Game of Thrones.  Call it a 3/10 at best.

How Does it Taste?  Yum.  It's basically stew, with lots and lots of pearl barley to "extend" it. There is absolutely nothing fancy about this recipe whatsoever, but it's comforting, wholesome food that will last indefinitely.

Time:  Expect to be cooking this for several hours.  I'm still cooking this batch even after having a small amount, and I plan on serving it for dinner tomorrow.  Slow cookers are great sometimes.

Please Note:  This is a highly-subjective recipe.  Feel free to change anything in it, add, delete, do whatever.  It's all good.

Recipe:

3/4 pounds salt pork, diced

3/4 pounds lamb, diced

3/4 pounds diced stew beef

3/4 pounds chicken, diced

2 large rutabagas, peeled and diced

8 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 1/2 large white onions, diced

8 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 package sliced mushrooms

4 cups pearl barley, soaked overnight

plenty of beef stock or similar to cover

browning sauce, optional

Render the salt pork in a dutch oven or large pan.  Remove the meat and reserve the fat.  Brown the lamb, beef, and chicken and remove from the fat.  Add the onions and celery to the fat and saute until tender.

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook for hours and hours and hours.  Seriously, don't rush this.  10 hours is a good start.  Add liquid as needed until needed.

Serve with crusty bread and don't ask what's in it.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Click HERE to support this blog and give me money!  Hooray money! 

Pickles!

Pickles!

Okay, small confession here:  I'm not actually a huge fan of pickles.  There's just something about them that doesn't agree with me.  That said, they were a very important part of period cooking--particularly in the winter when keeping food preserved.  Pickling, drying, smoking, and salting were all very important methods of keeping food to last throughout the winter.

In the picture above are four varieties of pickled "stuff"--a cucumber/onion salad, whey-pickled carrots, homemade sauerkraut, and a pickled egg.  There is also some homemade mustard to try to add a little extra flavor.  So guess what, lucky readers?  You get not one, not two, but five recipes today!  Hooray!

Historical Accuracy:  That somewhat depends.  Charlemagne supposedly had cucumbers in his garden in the 8th century and they were common throughout Rome even earlier.  So, depending on what you are trying to represent, I would call the cukes and onions between a 4/10 and a 7/10.  The carrots should be a different variety, but hey, we can't always get what we want.  Call it a 7/10.  The kraut and eggs and mustard are all extremely accurate from what I can tell (although, oddly, fermented cabbage seems to have disappeared for a period of time before being reintroduced).  Call them 8-9/10,

How does it Taste?  If you like pickles, you'll probably like these.  There isn't much different about them.  Pickled eggs are not my thing at all, but people have told me how good they were, so go figure.  The mustard is HOT, which is a good thing, and you can always adjust to taste.

Time:  Here's the big thing.  Pickles take time.  They can be eaten in a few days, but they'll be better the longer they stay in a jar.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO STERILIZE YOUR MASON JARS, PEOPLE!  DON'T GO GETTING SICK BY THESE!

Pickled Eggs Recipe:

12 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled

1 1/2 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cup water

1 tbsp pickling spice (or, you know, whatever you want--things are easy like this)

1 clove crushed garlic, or to taste (I like to add lots of garlic)

1 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp dill

Bring the water and vinegar to a boil.  Add the herbs and spices and allow to steep.  Place the eggs into a STERILIZED container (mason jar) and cover with the liquid.  Refrigerate for 8-10 days, if not longer.

Whey-Pickled Carrots Recipe:

(Note: I love using whey for pickling--it's historically-accurate for Vikings, adds some good stuff to a recipe, and it's a natural byproduct of making cheese!)

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into sticks

1/4 cup whey

1 tablespoon sea salt

1-2 sprigs dill

4 cloves crushed garlic

Filtered water to fill

Put the carrots in a STERILIZED container.  Add the other ingredients, then fill to 1/4" of the top with filtered water.  Close the lid, shake, and let sit at room temperature for 4-7 days.  Refrigerate after opening.

Cucumber-Onion Salad Recipe:

2 large English cucumbers, halved and sliced, seeds removed

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 cup kosher salt (really, any salt works here)

1 tbsp pickling spice

1 1/2 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cup water

Toss the cucumbers in the salt and place in a colander.  Add weight to the top of the cucumbers and allow the salt and pressure to remove moisture for about 15-20 minutes.  Rinse off the cucumbers and place them and the onion in a STERILIZED container.  Add the flavorings, vinegar, and water, then seal and refrigerate for 4-7 days, if not longer.

Sauerkraut Recipe

2 heads of cabbage, root removed, sliced

1-2 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp pickling spice (optional)

1 tsp mustard seed (optional)

Put all the cabbage in a BIG bowl.  Toss in the salt.  Then, get something heavy--either a heavy spoon or a potato masher or meat tenderizer or something.  This is therapeutic, guys!  Begin to beat the heck out of the cabbage.  Macerate it until all the cabbage is, well, macerated and there is a large amount of cabbage juice in the bowl.  That's the pickling liquid, people!  Toss in the spices at this point.

Stuff the cabbage into a STERILIZED container.  Grab a wooden spoon and really mash that stuff in there.  When you think it's full, you're wrong.  Seriously.  You can get two heads of cabbage inside a mason jar if you try.  Keep smooshing it until it's packed in and coated with liquid, then seal and refrigerate for as long as you can stand.  It'll be ready-ish in five days, but it'll be better with more time.

Mustard Recipe

(This is one of those recipes that requires a little bit of fiddling--adjust all the proportions as you see fit!)

Mustard seed (I used a whole container)

Honey (I used about 1/4 cup)

Whey (Again, about 1/4 cup)

Salt

Mix everything up in a blender and blend until you're happy with the texture.  Historically, mustard was hot and relatively coarse.

Now, I will say that this stuff works wonders on the pickled eggs!

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Want to help me make more things like this?  Click HERE and give me money!  It's worth a shot, isn't it?

Rugbrod!

Rugbrod!

Yeah, I can't type that correctly.  If someone knows how to make umlauts and those crosses that go through the vowels and all that, let me know!

Rugbrod quite literally means "rye bread" in Danish, as far as I can tell (Please note:  I don't speak any Scandinavian language).  It is a dense, heavy bread made with mixed-grain flour that, oddly enough, contains a LOT of rye.  To be honest, I'm in love with this stuff.  Click HERE to check out Wikipedia's article on rugbrod.

Historical Accuracy:  I'm going to give this an 8/10.  We're not entirely certain that this sort of bread was made during the Viking Era, and yet all the ingredients were readily available and the bread is still made to this day.  Flatbread is likely more accurate, but this stuff is good.

How does it Taste?  If you like pumpernickle or other "dark" breads, you'll love this stuff.  It's dry--almost cracker-y--but it's especially good with homemade butter or cheese (but more on that later).

Difficulty:  It's more complex than a "standard" bread.  If you can follow directions, you can totally make this!  Give it a try!

Recipe:  Shamelessly adapted from My Danish Kitchen.  Used without permission, but geez, it was good.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

10 fluid ounces water (3 deciliter)

6.2 dry ounces Dark Rye flour (3 deciliter or 175 gram)

Directions:

Day 1: heat water to 110 degrees F and remove from heat. Sprinkle yeast over water, give a quick stir and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir Rye flour into yeast mixture until smooth. Cover bowl loosely with a lid and let sit out on your counter at room temperature.

Day 2: add 2 dry ounces Rye flour and stir (1 deciliter or 60 gram)

Day 3: stir dough.

Day 4: stir dough.

Day 5: in the morning or evening mix 1/2 of the sour dough starter with the following ingredients.

Rugbrød (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

1/2 of the sour dough starter (approx 7 oz. or 1 1/2 deciliter)

9.7 dry ounces Dark Rye flour (275 gram)

11.7 dry ounces porridge mix (Bob’s Red Mill) (5 deciliter or 330 gram)

10.6 dry ounces whole grain flour (300 gram)

24 liquid ounces cold water (7 deciliter)

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt

Directions:

Oil a 13 x 4 x 4 inch bread pan and set aside. Mix all of the ingredients together, stirring to make sure there are no dry pockets left within the dough. Pour into oiled pan and smooth top of dough. Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 10 to 12 hours. Before baking, pierce the dough with a skewer 20 times. Brush top of dough with an oil/water mixture and bake in a 400 degrees F preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. After baking allow bread to cool in the pan on a baking rack. When bread is still a little warm place in a plastic bag. The condensation inside the bag will help soften the very hard outer crust. Once completely cooled remove the bread from the moist bag, wipe the bag dry before placing the bread back into the bag. The bread is now ready for slicing or freezing. Enjoy!

I highly recommend slicing the bread thinly--otherwise, it's very dry.

UNSOLICITED PIMPING LINK:  I used Bob's Red Mill products for this recipe, and I highly recommend you do, as well.

Patreon Link:  SUPPORT ME!  Yay!  This stuff ain't cheap, you know!

Posca!

Posca!

Posca is the drink that conquered an empire.  This beverage was the preferred "sports drink" of the Roman Empire, and as history has shown, they had a pretty good run of things.

I know, I say I'm focusing on Viking stuff and immediately go off into Roman beverages.  Go figure. I don't know how to justify it aside from saying I had some posca laying around and decided to put some content up.  Click HERE to view Wikipedia's article on posca.

Historical Accuracy:  Well, as far as we can tell, this is more or less 100% accurate.  As time passed, posca became haymaker's punch, swapping out the coriander for ginger.  There is plenty of room for interpretation, however:  vinegar and honey would be available nearly everywhere, but various herbs or spices would be added as flavoring.  Try it with mint on a hot day.

How does it Taste?  Honestly, it tastes rather like funky lemonade.  It takes a little bit to get over the change from citric to acetic acid, but once you do that, the beverage is quite enjoyable.  I have personally found that my enjoyment of the drink increases as the temperature rises (which is pretty much par for the course for any sort of sports drink).

Difficulty:  None.  If you can use a measuring cup and a long-handled spoon, you've got this.

Time:  About two minutes if that.  Let it sit for 30 minutes or more to let the flavors blend.  You'll be happier when you do so.

Recipe:  
1/2 cup raw honey
1 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

4 cups water

Either:

1 tablespoon crushed coriander seed

4 sprigs mint leaves, muddled

1 tablespoon preserved ginger, diced small

Mix all ingredients.  Let sit, refrigerated, at least 30 minutes.

Obligatory Patreon Link:  Want to help me make more things like this?  Click HERE and give me money!  Yay people paying for stuff!

Okay, So This is New

Okay, so this is new.

After attending Midreign for Amtgard this past weekend, a few people suggested that I create a blog to chronicle my adventures with period cooking.  Therefore, here I am!  I hope to bring you guys a plethora of recipes (with pictures, instructions, and all sorts of fun stuff) to make the best period food possible.

It is important to note that there really isn't a whole lot of information about "period" cooking. Cookbooks just weren't a thing way back then, so there will be quite a lot of conjecture going on.  If I make a mistake, call me out on it!  Please!  Email me at JustCookingPeriod@gmail.com with any issues and I will do my best to address them!

What is Period?  This is one of those nebulous terms that gets thrown around in recreation and LARP circles.  "Period" can be any time from prehistory until the advent of gunpowder in a region. Obviously, this can cover a VAST amount of time.  I plan on focusing primarily on "Viking" food, although you should expect a lot of deviance from that!  Whatever catches my fancy will be chronicled!

Suggestions Welcome!  I encourage all my followers to email me with ideas for recipes, cuisines and cultures to try to emulate, or whatever else is going on.  Please, help me get some ideas!  My goal is to have a repository of recipes for themed feasts here that could be used by anyone.

Pimping my Patreon!  Get used to this.  I'm going to be shameless here.  You can donate to my Patreon HERE.  Donating is very much appreciated--it will help me afford ingredients and otherwise make things easier, blah blah blah.  Yes, I'm begging you for money.  It's horrible, I know, and ALL my content will be available free-of-charge as long as I maintain this blog.  Please, don't ever feel like you HAVE to give me money.  That said, if you like what I do and feel that it's worth a few dollars a month, by all means, throw it my way!  I'll be ever so grateful!

Please note, my Patreon is set up as a monthly donation.  Don't give me more than you can afford in a given month, because once the calendar rolls around, it'll take that again.  I think.  I don't really know how all this works.

Anyways, howdy and welcome!  I hope you guys enjoy this blog as much as I will enjoy making it!