Medieval Cheese Bibliography
I thought it was high time I put my books and sources in some kind of format that others may find of use. Plus, it's a good way to put it all in one place so I can use it when I need. It may not be in the proper scholarly format, but I've been banging my head against the LibraOffice bibliography database for the past 2 hours, all because I can't find my style book. I really shouldn't have listened to the charming tall engineer in the other room who suggested LibraOffice in the first place. Grrr.
So, it may not be perfect, but many of the sources are up.
Markham, Gervase. The English Housewife, 1615. Edited by Michael R. Best, McGill-Queen's University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-7735-1103-2 (pbk.) Of particular interest is Chapter VI; Of dairies, butter, cheese, and the necessary things belonging to that office, pp. 166-179.
Dowe, Bartholomew. A dairie booke for good huswives, 1588. Printed for Thomas Hacket, London. ISBN 9022107655, Library of Congress control number 74028888, STC 23702.5. Bound with Tasso's The Housholder's Philosophie #23703. The Dairie Book has separate dated title page and register. An original copy of this work resides at the Library of Congress.
Walter of Henley's Husbandrie, c. 1270-1300. Published by Nabu Press, ISBN 1177078945. Translated by Elizabeth Lamond FRHS, 1890. Originally published by Longman, Green & Co., London. Included in this work is an anonymous manuscript entitled _Seneschauie_ and covers the responsibilities of the diarymaid, sheepherd, cowherd, etc. Gives very good descriptions of the tools used and tasks associated with each. _Husbandrie_ discusses herd management, inspecting cattle, how much milk your cows should yield, sorting sheep, and culling.
Fitzherbert's Book of Husbandry, c. 1543. ~secondary source~ Printed in an 1882 volume by Walter W. Skeat. This second volume was scanned and made available at the Internet Archive http://www.archive.org/details/bookofhusbandry00fitzuoft Discusses raising sheep and cows and how to manage their rearing. Discusses such things as wood evil, belting and greasing sheep. In addition, gives an outline of the responsibilities of a wife; including, keeping the children, having the grain milled (and measuring so that they don't come up short after the miller mills the lot of it), heed the laying of the geese, hens, and ducks, and amek butter and cheese while she may.
Skene of Hallyard's Manuscript of Husbandrie, seventeenth century. Edited by Alexander Fenton in the The Agricultural History Review, Edition XI, Vol 2, 1963. In addition to animal husbandry, the manuscript discusses how much better the cow was than sheep for quality of butter and cheese.
Harrison, William. Description of Elizabethan England, 1577. From Holinshed's Chronicles. Made available by the Holinshead Project and Oxford University here: http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/holinshed/index.php Of particular interest is Chapter VI and XII, discussing food and diet of the english and cattle kept for profit respectively.
Gallo, Agostino Le Vinti. On the Making of cheese, 1592. The original manuscript can be found at the Bibliotheque National de France here: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k602520.r=Compendio+de+i+secreti+rationali.langEN A translated version was done by Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad and is found at the Florilegium http://www.florilegium.org/
Romoli, Domenico. La Singolare dottrina di M. Domenico Romoli. In Venetia: presso Gio. Battista Bonfadino, 1593. Libro Settimo, 238. Seventh book, page 238. Pages 475-476 of 771 on the webbed version. Translated by Mistress Helewyse de Birkestadd.
On the nature of fresh non-salted cheese, & of that that is salted a little chapter 45
The nature of aged salted cheese, and of that aged and not salted, Chapter 46
That cheese that one should choose and that which one should avoid eating Chapter 47
Scappi, B. (1570). Opera dell'arte del cucinare. Bologna, Arnaldo Forni. Translated by Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad, 2003. First book page 6. To understand the goodness of all the cheeses, many fresh, some salted and how to conserve them Chapter 8.
Bifrons, Jacob. 1556. About Cheese, a translation by Aelianora de Wintringham mka Rikki D. Giles. Located on the Florilegium, http://www.florilegium.org/ A letter sent from Jacob Bifrons in Switzerland to Conrad Gessner in Germany discussing the cheesemaking practices in Bifron's region of Switzerland.
Medieval Sourcebook: Asnapium: An inventory of one of Charlemagne's estates, c. 800. Source-Text in Monumenta Germanie Historica, Leges. Webbed by Fordham University http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/sbook1j.asp. From: Frederic Austin Ogg, ed., A Source Book of Mediaeval History: Documents Illustrative of European Life and Institutions from the German INvations to the Renaissance, (New York, 1907, reprinted by Cooper Square Publishers (New York), pp. 127-129. Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. Text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.
MacHugh, David E. and others. Early medieval cattle remains from a Scandinavian settlement in Dublin: genetic analysis and comparison with extant breeds, 1998. Printed in the Journal of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. A dig that unearthed bovine bones from 1000-year-old Viking Fishamble Street site in Dublin.
This is a blend of cheesemaking manuscripts and animal husbandry manuals. The pile of recipes with cheese as an ingredient are daunting. However, there are two that are actual "making cheese" recipes in a couple of sources that I find most enlightening. The first one is a basic curds recipe, what I like is that is specifically states that Romans too liked their instant gratification cheeses. The second makes more of a posset curd that is then mixed in with more curds from the dairymaid and then flavored with honey and herbs. This recipe is particularly delicious.
Melca (Curds)
From Bassus, Country Matters.
As printed in Roman Cookery by Mark Grant, 1999. London. ISBN 1-897959-39-7
The best way for making what are known as curds is to pour sharp vinegar into new earthenware pots and then to put these pots on a slow fire. When the vinegar begins to boil, take if off the flame so it does not bubble over and pour milk into the pots. Place the pots in a store or some other place where they will not be disturbed. The next day you will have curds that are much better than those which are made with a great deal of fuss.
Vyaund Leche
Harlein M.S. 279, xij.
Translation Take a Thousand Eggs or More by Cindy Renfrow, 2003. Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, NY. ISBN 0-89824-950-3.
Take eggs, the white and the yolk, and cast them in a mortar, and break them well; then take cow's milk and cast thereto, and mix them well together; then put all in a pan, and let boil; and with ale make it into a posset; then hang the curds on a pin, and let it run over; mix the curds with honey; then take the blades of barley, or of parsley, and stamp them, and wring through a cloth; and so all the green, mix it among the curds; then take the curds that come from the dairy maid, mix them together, press them, and serve them forth; and the color will be then motley.
So, it may not be perfect, but many of the sources are up.
Markham, Gervase. The English Housewife, 1615. Edited by Michael R. Best, McGill-Queen's University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-7735-1103-2 (pbk.) Of particular interest is Chapter VI; Of dairies, butter, cheese, and the necessary things belonging to that office, pp. 166-179.
Dowe, Bartholomew. A dairie booke for good huswives, 1588. Printed for Thomas Hacket, London. ISBN 9022107655, Library of Congress control number 74028888, STC 23702.5. Bound with Tasso's The Housholder's Philosophie #23703. The Dairie Book has separate dated title page and register. An original copy of this work resides at the Library of Congress.
Walter of Henley's Husbandrie, c. 1270-1300. Published by Nabu Press, ISBN 1177078945. Translated by Elizabeth Lamond FRHS, 1890. Originally published by Longman, Green & Co., London. Included in this work is an anonymous manuscript entitled _Seneschauie_ and covers the responsibilities of the diarymaid, sheepherd, cowherd, etc. Gives very good descriptions of the tools used and tasks associated with each. _Husbandrie_ discusses herd management, inspecting cattle, how much milk your cows should yield, sorting sheep, and culling.
Fitzherbert's Book of Husbandry, c. 1543. ~secondary source~ Printed in an 1882 volume by Walter W. Skeat. This second volume was scanned and made available at the Internet Archive http://www.archive.org/details/bookofhusbandry00fitzuoft Discusses raising sheep and cows and how to manage their rearing. Discusses such things as wood evil, belting and greasing sheep. In addition, gives an outline of the responsibilities of a wife; including, keeping the children, having the grain milled (and measuring so that they don't come up short after the miller mills the lot of it), heed the laying of the geese, hens, and ducks, and amek butter and cheese while she may.
Skene of Hallyard's Manuscript of Husbandrie, seventeenth century. Edited by Alexander Fenton in the The Agricultural History Review, Edition XI, Vol 2, 1963. In addition to animal husbandry, the manuscript discusses how much better the cow was than sheep for quality of butter and cheese.
Harrison, William. Description of Elizabethan England, 1577. From Holinshed's Chronicles. Made available by the Holinshead Project and Oxford University here: http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/holinshed/index.php Of particular interest is Chapter VI and XII, discussing food and diet of the english and cattle kept for profit respectively.
Gallo, Agostino Le Vinti. On the Making of cheese, 1592. The original manuscript can be found at the Bibliotheque National de France here: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k602520.r=Compendio+de+i+secreti+rationali.langEN A translated version was done by Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad and is found at the Florilegium http://www.florilegium.org/
Romoli, Domenico. La Singolare dottrina di M. Domenico Romoli. In Venetia: presso Gio. Battista Bonfadino, 1593. Libro Settimo, 238. Seventh book, page 238. Pages 475-476 of 771 on the webbed version. Translated by Mistress Helewyse de Birkestadd.
On the nature of fresh non-salted cheese, & of that that is salted a little chapter 45
The nature of aged salted cheese, and of that aged and not salted, Chapter 46
That cheese that one should choose and that which one should avoid eating Chapter 47
Scappi, B. (1570). Opera dell'arte del cucinare. Bologna, Arnaldo Forni. Translated by Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad, 2003. First book page 6. To understand the goodness of all the cheeses, many fresh, some salted and how to conserve them Chapter 8.
Bifrons, Jacob. 1556. About Cheese, a translation by Aelianora de Wintringham mka Rikki D. Giles. Located on the Florilegium, http://www.florilegium.org/ A letter sent from Jacob Bifrons in Switzerland to Conrad Gessner in Germany discussing the cheesemaking practices in Bifron's region of Switzerland.
Medieval Sourcebook: Asnapium: An inventory of one of Charlemagne's estates, c. 800. Source-Text in Monumenta Germanie Historica, Leges. Webbed by Fordham University http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/sbook1j.asp. From: Frederic Austin Ogg, ed., A Source Book of Mediaeval History: Documents Illustrative of European Life and Institutions from the German INvations to the Renaissance, (New York, 1907, reprinted by Cooper Square Publishers (New York), pp. 127-129. Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. Text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.
MacHugh, David E. and others. Early medieval cattle remains from a Scandinavian settlement in Dublin: genetic analysis and comparison with extant breeds, 1998. Printed in the Journal of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. A dig that unearthed bovine bones from 1000-year-old Viking Fishamble Street site in Dublin.
This is a blend of cheesemaking manuscripts and animal husbandry manuals. The pile of recipes with cheese as an ingredient are daunting. However, there are two that are actual "making cheese" recipes in a couple of sources that I find most enlightening. The first one is a basic curds recipe, what I like is that is specifically states that Romans too liked their instant gratification cheeses. The second makes more of a posset curd that is then mixed in with more curds from the dairymaid and then flavored with honey and herbs. This recipe is particularly delicious.
Melca (Curds)
From Bassus, Country Matters.
As printed in Roman Cookery by Mark Grant, 1999. London. ISBN 1-897959-39-7
The best way for making what are known as curds is to pour sharp vinegar into new earthenware pots and then to put these pots on a slow fire. When the vinegar begins to boil, take if off the flame so it does not bubble over and pour milk into the pots. Place the pots in a store or some other place where they will not be disturbed. The next day you will have curds that are much better than those which are made with a great deal of fuss.
Vyaund Leche
Harlein M.S. 279, xij.
Translation Take a Thousand Eggs or More by Cindy Renfrow, 2003. Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, NY. ISBN 0-89824-950-3.
Take eggs, the white and the yolk, and cast them in a mortar, and break them well; then take cow's milk and cast thereto, and mix them well together; then put all in a pan, and let boil; and with ale make it into a posset; then hang the curds on a pin, and let it run over; mix the curds with honey; then take the blades of barley, or of parsley, and stamp them, and wring through a cloth; and so all the green, mix it among the curds; then take the curds that come from the dairy maid, mix them together, press them, and serve them forth; and the color will be then motley.