Literary Feast  ·  Read the passage. Cook the meal.
A bill of fare

Kalevala : the Epic Poem of Finland — Complete

by Unknown

KALEVALA : THE EPIC POEM OUNKNOWN
Our binding, not the publisher's

“Straightway Lemminkainen journeyed With the maidens to the castle; There he sang and conjured pitchers On the borders of the tables, Sang and conjured golden goblets Foaming with the beer of barley; Sang he many well-filled vessels, Bowls of honey-drink abundant, Sweetest butter, toothsome biscuit, Bacon, fish, and veal, and venison, All the dainties of the Northland, Wherewithal to still his hunger. But the proud-heart, Lemminkainen, Was not ready for the banquet, Did not yet begin his feasting, Waited for a knife of silver, For a knife of golden handle; Quick he sang the precious metals, Sang a blade from purest silver, To the blade a golden handle, Straightway then began his feasting, Quenched his thirst and stilled his hunger, Charmed the maidens on the island.”

From a cookbook of 1660

A cook of roughly the same moment, setting down the same dish.

1660  ·  May
Chine of Mutton or Veal in Barley Broth, Rack, or any Joynt

Take a Chine or Knuckle, and joynt it, put it in a Pipkin with some strong broth, and when it boils, scum it, and put in some French Barley, being first boiled in two or three waters, with some large Mace, and a faggot of sweet herbs bound up, and close hard tied, some Raisins, Damask Prunes, and Currans, or no Prunes, and Marigold-flowers; boil it to an indifferent thickness, and serve it on sippets.

Sources: The passage is from Unknown, Kalevala : the Epic Poem of Finland — Complete, tr. Crawford, John Martin, free to read in full at Project Gutenberg. The recipe is from May, The accomplisht cook of 1660, also free in full. Both are in the public domain in the United States. The binding above is ours — moss cloth, boar stamp.

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