Introduction

In this web journal, web page, on-line space, bLog, or whatever you would like to call it, I will attempt to cook, as well as ponder, my way through “Libre de Arte Coquinaria” a 15th century Italian cookery book by Maestro Martino de Como.

His cookbook is filled with interesting recipes that not only illuminate the food and cooking of the Renaissance, but are also appealing to the modern palate. For a short synopsis of the history of the Martino Manuscript I have provide a piece that was written for “The Vast Repast”, my weekly syndicated newspaper column. For a more detailed account this piece from the University of California Press, which forms the introduction to the first complete English translation of the Martino Manuscript, is very good. Gillian Riley’s translation of the Library of Congress copy of Martino is very well done (although any translation shows the bias of the translator, including mine which accompanies this project). Gillian Riley’s translation can  be purchased, along with a beautiful facsimile of the Library of Congress manuscript through Octavo Editions.  The material which accompanies her translation will also be of interest. Bruno Laurioux’s essay on the history of the Martino manuscript and Paul Shaw’s comments on the possibilities of who the scribe for the manuscript is thought to have been are excellent additions Ms. Riley’s work. If you don’t already own it you should buy it NOW!

Two papers I prepared for the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery are related to this project. Neither paper is available on-line, but you can order the entire symposium papers through Prospect Books or just my papers through The Madrone Culinary Guild where they have been re-published in The Feudal Gourmet Series.

You are welcome to contact me by leaving a comment on the bLog or by e-mailing me at CookingMartino@VastRepast.com. I will try my best to reply, but I can’t promise to write back. A more than full time job, a weekly newspaper column, a family with very active children and a hungry husband, keeps me a bit busy.

I hope this “Renaissance Culinary Adventure” interests you. Historical food is my passion. Through food we can connect to people and places. I hope this journal inspires you to create your own “Culinary Adventure”. Remember:

Food is life. May the Plenty that graces your table truly be a VAST REPAST.

David Walddon

PS -  Make sure you check out the bibliography, links, manuscript, and translation notes pages for this project, as well as my biography.

THE MEAT (and other foodstuffs) OF THE ADVENTURE!

I have organized this project by recipe, or more exactly by manuscript entry. Often there is more than one recipe (or variation of a recipe) in each manuscript entry. The first thing you will encounter as you wind your way through this site is a side-by-side presentation of the Tuscan from the original manuscript (I have used the LC Martino for this) and my English translation. This is followed by my thoughts and comments on the entry (including translation issues, variations between the manuscripts, etc. and other translations), practical application notes from my kitchen, photographs and illustrations, and other relevant information.

Once the entry has been finished (or at least finished to the point where I have exhausted most of the tangents and want to move on to the next entry) I will add a modern recipe (if appropriate) at the beginning of the notes section, right after the Tuscan transcription and English translation.

Go to the index of recipes to review my adventure to date. Please note that there are gaps in the manuscript numbers. I have chosen to cook what inspires me, filling in recipes here and there as time allows and passion inspires. Eventually all the manuscript entries will be completed.

All materials on this site, including, but not limited to the written material, audio, and graphics are for non-profit educational use intended to be used for study and research only.

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Copyright © 2005, Renaissance Productions