Ralph Ayres' Cookery Book

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Ask not what would make a busy, doubtlessly hard-working chef in early 18th Century Oxford, England, write down his favorite recipes. Just thank the stars he did. The handsome book which one "Ralph Ayres" created is a charming and beautiful little book, fascinating as much for what he cooks as how he writes. Ralph Ayers' Cookery Book: With an Introduction and Glossary by Jane Jakeman (Bodleian Library 2006, distributed by the University of Chicago Press) is the kind of book, once buried in the Bodleian Library, that brings to life the social history of New College, Oxford. The Forward by David Vaisey, Bodley's Librarian Emeritus, provides background on the book, of which three copies exist, as well as what biographical information exists about Ralph Ayers himself. Vaisey points out: But whether you choose to try out the recipes or not, Ralph Ayers' little book remains an evocative reminder of the gargantuan appetites of our ancestors. (p. 7) Many of the recipes are rich in cream, fat and liquor and many are concerned with preserving food since there was no refrigeration. Even with little biographical information about Ayers, he comes to life through his recipes and and the very flourish of his handwriting. The Introduction by Jane Jakeman, a writer of crime fiction and ghost stories, as well as the editor of Kidder's Receipts, an edition of an 18th century cookbook, describes the kitchen equipment used by Ayers and compares the cuisine in Oxford to Kidder's: It is masculine, meaty, strong on filling substances such as pastry and puddings and caters generously for those with a sweet tooth. The quantities are large and the recipes include dishes which can be served with a flourish, such as the elaborate instruction for presenting veal olives on spits set around a roast fowl with the optional addition of forcemeat balls, sausages, oysters, and mushrooms." (p. 9). She points out that Oxford was not the seat of intellectual vigor it is today, since there were no passing examinations or requirements to teach, so that university life revolved around social gathering that often involved elaborate meals. The head chef had to cook not only for New College but also for the private members of the college who ordered feasts in their rooms. Jakeman describes the elaborate customs involved in Dinner, served between noon and 2pm: ...dons were expected to wear white waistcoats, wigs and gowns. Until 1850, New College had a special tradition whereby two choristers proceeded from the gateway to the dining hall singing out in a mongrel of Latin and French, " Tempus vocandi a manger O seigners" (Time to call you to dine, my masters"). (p. 11) The recipes are not ordered in any particular way, with desserts followed by meats, followed by preserved fruits and pickles. Some of the recipes Ayers includes are still prepared in Oxford today, such as Queen Cakes (p. 75) that resembles a recipe for a professional chef one might find today in Food Arts: To Make Queen Cakes take one pound of flour one pound of butter one pound of fine suger, one pound of Currans 3 penney worth of Cloves & mace beat fine, 10 new laid Eggs well beat with 4 spoonfulls of the best bradey & leave out 8 whites, then worke it with your hands for half an hour or longer then thee pans being buttered & the ovin redy fill them & scape over some Doublerefined suger, you may put in Candied Lemmon & Cittorn Each one ounce if you please. There are plenty of recipes for pickling, everything from Pigeons and Wallnutts (p. 25) to Barberyes (p. 29) and Musheroones (p. 39) and many recipes for potted dishes, such as Pott Beef or Venison (p. 31) and Hare (p. 53). Jakerman has provided an excellent glossary for the trickier words like London wiggs (p. 45), which turn out to be small cakes for Lent. Perhaps the single most alluring aspect of this book, however, is its layout. As you leaf through the book, the left pages bearing facsimile copies of the actual book, the right bearing transcriptions and decorated with colored botanical illustrations of ingredients such as berries, roots, or herbs: If you are at all interested in the history of recipe books and British food, Ralph Ayers' Cookery Book is unburied treasure. Book details: Publisher Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Previous articles: La Bonne Cuisine Food Forever: Pieter Claesz Jack Turner's Spice for Christmas Food in Painting: Kenneth Bendiner The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Jean Bottero [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks --> back to superchefblog