Manuscript Location

University of Iowa Main Library, Special Collections, Szathmary Culinary Archive

Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

1690-1710

Description

This 70-page recipe book is in two parts. The book is inscribed "Eliz Langlie her receipt book" on a front flyleaf, and the first 48 pages of the book appear to be in the hand of the inscriber. The recipes on these pages are organized, albeit somewhat loosely, suggesting that they were copied from another book or from loose sheets. The principal recipe clutches are: wines and spirits; dessert butters; puddings; dessert creams and gelatin jellies; meat and fish pies; meat dishes; fruit preserves; marinated dishes and pickles; waters, some of which are medicinal, and medicines; and miscellaneous meat and vegetable dishes. The section of waters and medicines is the lengthiest, comprising some 18 pages. Detailed serving instructions are provided for some of the culinary recipes, including the orange and almond dessert butters, the former to be served in spoonfuls on a silver salver, the latter to be decorated with flowers. The recipe for damson white pot, a rich bread pudding made with marrow and preserved damsons, is uncommon. The first 48 pages are numbered, but the pagination skips at several points. The recipes from digital page 49 to the end of the book are in several different hands. At least half of the recipes in this section are medical. The culinary recipes are various but focus particularly on desserts and preserving.