dduane:uispeccoll:Robert May (1588?-1664) was one of very few cooks in England who received extensiv
dduane:uispeccoll:Robert May (1588?-1664) was one of very few cooks in England who received extensive training in English and French training (and even some Spanish and Italian). May was the son of Edward May the cook for the Dormers of Ascott Park, a wealthy Catholic family. “W.W.,” May’s biographer, believed that it was the Dormers’ and his father’s influence that led to May studying cookery in France for five years. After his training, May worked with his father and cooked for the Dormers. He was chef to a numer of other Catholic families within the Dormers’ social circle as well.May’s biography prefaces his book, The accomplisht cook, or, The art & mystery of cookery. May included incredibly detailed descriptions on how to prepare flesh, fowl, fish, or any other manner of à-la-mode curiosities. The book includes small woodcuts throughout, but the most exciting features are the fold out diagrams for making all manner of pies. Two whole chapters are dedicated to the many ways to make pies! If you are making a fish pie the crust better show the shape of the fish you are preparing!-Jillian (who now wishes she had found this book before making her first pie last weekend)TX705 .M46 1685We have a copy of this in facsimile. It’s fabulous. -- source link
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