Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks. 2nd ed.

Thomas M.F. Gerry is a professor of English at Laurentian University.

This intriguing collection of recipes draws upon culinary styles that
prevailed during the (European) Middle Ages. In introducing Pleyn Delit,
the authors downplay the exoticness of the ingredients, dispel the
commonly held assumption that medieval dishes are unhealthy, and show
how integrally connected these 500- to 600-year-old comestibles are to
present-day fare. They respond to earlier students of medieval cuisine
who were disgusted by the ancients’ rich, spicy sauces by arguing that
such sauces were necessary given the blandness of the meats and fishes
served to medieval folk. Pleyn Delit, accordingly, offers a dozen sauce
recipes to perk up anything from steamed halibut and boiled frogs’
legs to cold mutton and roasted peacock. The receptiveness of
cholesterol-conscious 20th-century consumers to these dishes remains to
be seen.

The authors thoughtfully convert measurements and ingredients into
modern equivalents, and allow for such conveniences as food processors
and blenders. Without the services of a full-time kitchen staff,
however, the preparation of one of these meals could still be beyond the
capabilities of even the most dedicated home cooks.