Manuscript Location

Folger Shakespeare Library, Manuscripts

Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

ca. 1675

Description

This book of approximately 364 pages contains 365 numbered medical recipes through page 73, all written in a single hand, and additional medical recipes, written in a second hand, through page 125, including a remedy attributed to Dr. Willis (possibly Thomas Willis, 1621-1678, page 118).

The remainder of the book contains a mix of culinary and medical recipes written in a number of different hands. The culinary recipes are concentrated on pages 125 through 229, with additional culinary recipes scattered throughout, particularly around pages 328 to 335. The recipes appear to be of the late seventeenth century. A full range of dishes is covered: meat, poultry, and fish; preserved foods and pickles; pies and puddings; sweet dishes, cakes, and fruit preserves; and wines and other drinks. The recipe titles "to make Spunge Diet Bread the best way" (page 144) and "to make Sugar Cakes or short cakes" (page 145) are of lexical interest, the first being a very early instance of "sponge" used in connection with cake, the second implicitly defining "short cakes" as cookie-like dessert cakes. "How to dresse a calves' head extraordinary" (page 190) requires an impressive roster of ingredients and procedures.