Manuscript Location

Folger Shakespeare Library, Manuscripts

Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

ca. 1679-1694

Description

Written in multiple hands, many of which recur, this book contains recipes dated from 1679 to 1694. Many of the recipes are attributed, and the sources are wide-ranging, comprising doctors, "my mother" (pages 47 and 51) and other relatives, landed gentry, and "Matt: coach man" (page 52). The book primarily consists of medical recipes but also includes a number of culinary recipes for puddings, wines, preserves, and pastry (pages 23-29, 49-50, 53-54, 57). Of particular interest is a pair of recipes on page 50, "Pasty past for the Top" and "for the bottom and sides." The pasty (a large cut of meat in pastry) envisioned here is one with a tender top crust, pleasant to eat, and a tough, thick bottom and side crust, whose purpose is hold the shape of the pasty and is not meant to be eaten. In addition, there are very early recipes for "Lemon-ade" and "Orange-Ade" (page 27). The book also gives instructions "To make Ink Mr Bower's way" including the note that "Galls make Ink Red, Copprice makes it blew" (page 32); "to Colour Paper" (page 42); and "for wax work" (page 44). The predominant hand may be that of William Fell, who signs a note on page 37 commenting on taking millipedes with wine as a treatment "for Rhume and Dimness."