Shakespeare's Kitchen: Renaissance Recipes for the Contemporary Cook

“Shakespeares Kitchen not only reveals, sometimes surprisingly, what people were eating in Shakespeares time but also provides recipes that todays cooks can easily re-create with readily available ingredients.”

—from the Foreword by Patrick OConnell

Francine Segan introduces contemporary cooks to the foods of William Shakespeares world with recipes updated from classic sixteenth- and seventeenth-century cookbooks. Her easy-to-prepare adaptations shatter the myth that the Bards primary fare was boiled mutton. In fact, Shakespeare and his contemporaries dined on salads of fresh herbs and vegetables; fish, fowl, and meats of all kinds; and delicate broths. Dried Plums with Wine and Ginger-Zest Crostini, Winter Salad with Raisin and Caper Vinaigrette, and Lobster with Pistachio Stuffing and Seville Orange Butter are just a few of the delicious, aromatic, and gorgeous dishes that will surprise and delight. Segans delicate and careful renditions of these recipes have been thoroughly tested to ensure no-fail, standout results.

The tantalizing Renaissance recipes in Shakespeares Kitchen are enhanced with food-related quotes from the Bard, delightful morsels of culinary history, interesting facts on the customs and social etiquette of Shakespeares time, and the texts of the original recipes, complete with antiquated spellings and eccentric directions. Fifty color images by award-winning food photographer Tim Turner span the centuries with both old-world and contemporary treatments. Patrick OConnell provides an enticing Foreword to this edible history from which food lovers and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike will derive nourishment. Want something new for dinner? Try something four hundred years old.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [261]-263) and index.

Francine Segan, a noted food historian, introduces us to the foods of William Shakespeare's world through recipes updated from classic sixteenth- and seventeent-century cookbooks such as "The Accomplisht Cook by Robert May, published in 1660, and "The Good Housewife's Jewel by Thomas Dawson, published in 1596. Segan's easy-to-prepare adaptations shatter the myth that the Bard's primary fare was overcooked mutton--in fact, Shakespeare and his contemporaries dined on salads of fresh herbs and vegetables, fish of all kinds, and delicate broths. Watercress Salad in Verjus Vinaigrette with Violets is just one of the delicious, aromatic, and gorgeous dishes that will surprise and delight the reader. Other recipes include: Grilled Tuna with Carrots and Sweet Onions, Fish Bisque with Chestnuts and Artichokes, and Red Snapper with Caviar. Segan's exquisite renditions of these recipes have been thoroughly tested to ensure no-fail, outstanding results. Food-related quotations from Shakespeare and interesting facts on the culinary customs and social etiquette of his time enhance each chapter, as does the text of the original recipes, with peculiar spellings and eccentric directions intact. Fifty photographs by award-winning food photographer Tim Turner span the centuries with both old-world and contemporary treatments. Patrick O'Connell provides an enticing Introduction to this edible history from which food lovers and Shakespeare enthusiasts both will derive nourishment. Want something new for dinner? Try something four hundred years old.

Francine Segan is a psychologist, writes and lectures on food history, and consults on historic menu planning. Segan, her husband, Marc, an inventor and theater producer, and their two children, Samantha and Max, divide their time between New York City, the Berkshires, and Italy.