On wikipedia it is suggested that "Fool" recipes date back to the 15th
century. Does anyone know a source for such a recipe? I had a brief look
in "A Forme of Curry" (which is a bit old being late 14th century) and
couldn't find it there. Any suggestions on an internet available source?
The oldest I have is 1658 which is quite a gap.

Martin S
--
Old time cookery and brewing:
theoldecookerybook.com

Here's another recipe from the same article on Christmases in days
of yore. The spicing, as well as the inclusion of rye flour, is
interesting to me. They sound somewhat akin to pfeffernuisse, but
different. This one dates to 1743.

Crossposting again. Beware.

Honey Cakes
Source: American Cookery, December 1919, page 347
Formatted etc. by Jean B.

1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp anise [seed as vs. ground?]
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 c rye flour
1 1/2 c wheat flour
1 3/4 c honey
1 c sugar

This recipe is somewhat different from others I have seen. Look
at all that rosewater! We have been speaking about rosewater on
rfc, so I perked right up when I saw that. I wonder how much
adhered to the butter?

Note, I am crossposting this one, so eliminate one of the groups
when you reply.

Seed Cakes
Source: American Cookery, December 1919, page 346.
Formatted etc. by Jean B.

This is from an article on Christmas in times past, and is
supposed to be from the year 1700.

When I was a kid, barley pops were sold at a few local events.
You can still find things labeled as such, but they generally seem
not to be any such thing. I must confess that I thought "barley"
was actually a reference to the grain, and that liquid from said
grain was somehow involved. But, here is a description of barley
sugar, which appears on page 423 of American Cookery, February 1941.

"If cane sugar is heated carefully over low heat it will melt and
become a liquid. In order to prevent burning it is necessary to
stir the sugar constantly while the change is taking place. If
the liquid is poured into a buttered pan and allowed to cool, it
will become a clear, light brown sheet of what is known as 'barley
sugar.' "

Crossposting again. Beware.

Someone visited the South and asked for a recipe for "a very
delicious milk drink that tasted... like it had rosewater in it".
That yielded the following interesting recipe (another reason to
get that rosewater that Wayne spoke of on rfc).

Richland County Orgeat (South Carolina)
Source: American Cookery, October 1934, p 180. They got it from
Sheila Hibben's National Cookbook, which seems to have come out in
1932.
Formatted etc. by Jean B.

1 stick cinnamon
1/4 lb blanched almonds
1 qt rich milk
1 Tbsp rosewater
sugar to taste

Crossposted--be sure to delete extra group if replying.

Another interesting (to me, anyway) recipe, found in my new
treasure-trove.... In answer to a query about tartar sauce, there
is a recipe for cold tartar sauce and then this...

Hot Tartare Sauce [sic]
Source: American Cookery, November 1921, page 296.
Formatted etc. by Jean B.

1 Tbsp chives
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp pickled gherkins
1 Tbsp olives
1 Tbsp capers
1 c thick white sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar

Put chives, parsley, gherkins, olives, and capers through a food
chopper. Stir into white sauce. Heat, stirring constantly, but
don't allow to boil. Add vinegar just before serving.

This looks different, and possibly interesting. I am
crossposting, so be sure to select a group if you reply.

Bacon-Oyster Muffins
Source: American Cookery, February 1931, p. 525.
Recipe put into modern format, etc. by Jean B.

2 1/4 c flour
generous tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
5 tsps baking powder [yes, this is the amount given]
2 tsps sugar
1 pint oysters
1 c milk
1 egg, beaten
2 oz bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Add sugar.

I guess the subject line says it all, but the last time I ordered fat, I
asked for the fat from around the kidneys, thinking that this was
preferred for pemmican.
It is white when rendered and makes the pemmican taste like it's been
mixed with candle wax. Also quite hard, not crumbly as when it's made
with ordinary tallow from muscle fat.

So was kidney fat really preferred, and for what?

an oak recipe box with the name Globe on the front? Maybe your
grandmother had one--or your mother? I just acquired two of them,
obviously from different generations, based on writing and ink.
Clues are recipes for brownies (which would place this at least in
the first decade of the 1900s), cooking over a fire and over
coals.... The older hand also mentioned an oven, but I have no
idea what time range this might have encompassed.

Here is one anomaly from the box with the more-recent recipes. I
can only imagine that this wasn't eaten! It sounds more like some
kind of linament.

Camphor Ice
2 oz. lard or nice mutton tallow, 2 oz. spermacetti, 1 oz. white
wax, 1/2 oz. camphor gum, 1/4 oz. glycerin. Melt all together
with as little heat as possible.

An interesting edible idea, in the older hand, is to put a quarter
of an apple of a piece of banana into the popover pan before you
add the batter.

I am currently rewriting the Wikipedia entries on 'Snow cream' and 'Snow
(dessert)'.
It can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Shieldfire/Sandbox
Any comments before I continue?
Please use the discussion page in that case.

Martin S
--
Old time cookery and brewing:
theoldecookerybook.com