Tag Archives: illusion food

Re-Shaped Chicken Legs

Posted on 14 October 2025 by carlton_bach

Here is another recipe from Staindl’s cookbook that goes back to a deep tradition: To make a chicken ‘put back on the bone’ (angelegts Huen) clxxi) Take a hen of a capon, either old or young, cut it apart, remove … Continue reading →

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Flaming Pig Heads and Textual Transmission

Posted on 29 September 2025 by carlton_bach

As I got deeper into the ‘meat’ section of Balthasar Staindl’s 1547 cookbook, I came across a funny little party trick. A pig’s head is set on fire with ginger-scented brandy: Pig heads clvi) If you want to prepare a … Continue reading →

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Faux Capons and Venison

Posted on 13 July 2025 by carlton_bach

The section in fish in Staindl’s 1547 Kuenstlichs und Nutzlichs Kochbuch begins with two very traditional recipes: The fourth book speaks of all kinds of fish, how to cook them, first how to make a roast capon in Lent. lxxxii) … Continue reading →

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Fake Chitterlings

Posted on 9 July 2025 by carlton_bach

Just when I thought Staindl had nothing but sweet custards to offer, he comes up with a recipe like this. From the 1547 Kuenstlichs und nutzlichs Kochbuch: Sliced chitterlings (flecken) of eggs lxxix) Take as many eggs as you want, … Continue reading →

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Jelly Eggs in Lent

Posted on 23 May 2025 by carlton_bach

Here is another recipe from Balthasar Staindl, and it illustrates once more just how prolifically gadget-minded Renaissance cooks could be: xxiii) Item make eggs in Lent this way: Have a wooden mould made, or one of another material, that consists … Continue reading →

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A Chequerboard Jelly

Posted on 13 May 2025 by carlton_bach

Another short recipe from Staindl’s 1547 cookbook: Jellied Almond Paste xi) You make jellied almond paste thus: Take isinglass and boil it in water. Then take parsley, chop it very finely, and stir it into a third part of the … Continue reading →

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Moulded Marzipan Chanterelles

Posted on 11 May 2025 by carlton_bach

A playful dish from Staindl’s 1547 Künstlichs und Nutzlichs Kochbuch: Chanterelles made from Almonds x) Take ground almond as you grind it in a grinding bowl (reyb scherben) and mix it with sugar and rosewater so that it becomes quite … Continue reading →

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Live Birds in a Pie

Posted on 9 April 2025 by carlton_bach

Everyone knows the nursery rhyme and we all must have wondered if they really did that. It appears they did. This recipe from the Dorotheenkloster gives detailed instructions for making a pie that is both edible and will release live … Continue reading →

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Lacing Points in Aspic

Posted on 3 April 2025 by carlton_bach

Though today’s recipe looks quite odd, it is not, in fact, an April Fool‘s joke. Rather, it seems to be an example of robust creative culinary humour, an illustration of ‘playing with food’. 190 A galantine of deer(-skin) laces Take … Continue reading →

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Another Drumstick Meatball Recipe

Posted on 25 March 2025 by carlton_bach

There are two recipes in the Dorotheenkloster MS that resemble of something I tried before: 184 A dish of chickens Take three chickens for a dish. Take their sheer (pretig) meat and chop it small. Season it with good spices … Continue reading →

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