Yummer Reading

Shakespeare's Kitchen: Renaissance Recipes for the Contemporary Cook

Random House, 263 pp., $35

Admittedly, the idea of re-creating food from the Elizabethan era was less than appealing. The notion of duplicating Elizabethan-era food from England is downright frightening. England is a country that has never enjoyed a reputation as a culinary destination, and visions of large saddles of greasy meat roasting over a filthy fire were my images of a proper Shakespearean meal. While I have a more than passing acquaintance with the literary world of Shakespeare, it turns out that I was woefully ignorant about the culinary world he inhabited. Author and drama fan Francine Segan has done her research in compiling this gorgeous book: Recipes are based on and adapted from 16th- and 17th-century cookbooks and are accompanied by Shakespearean text; most include the original recipe with Old English spelling intact. There is a surprising degree of variety in the recipes. While the typical English penchant for dried and candied fruit with everything is widely represented, fresh herbs and vegetables are also called for freely and frequently. The recipe for spring pea tortellini (tortellini?!) is a stunning surprise and quite accurate if you believe the accompanying recipe from The Accomplisht Cook, published in 1660. Segan offers advice for a total Shakespearean epicurean adventure through her party suggestions. Everything from properly worded invitations to table decorations to menus to entertainment is provided.