Medieval Cookbook Discovered

News April 18, 2013

(Courtesy Giles Gasper, Durham University)
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(Courtesy Giles Gasper, Durham University)

DURHAM, ENGLAND—A medieval recipe book has been found in Durham Cathedral’s monastery. The collection of twelfth-century recipes, one of which is known to have come from France, was intended to improve health and cure certain ailments. The book also contains recipes for ointments. “The sauces typically feature parsley, sage, pepper, garlic, mustard, and coriander, which I suspect may give them a Mediterranean feel when we recreate them,” said Giles Gasper of Durham University. Restaurant chefs will prepare some of the dishes for workshop participants. A translation of the book is also in the works.

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