The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Kt. Opened,[1] first printed in 1669, is a 17th century English cookbook and an excellent resource of the types of food that were eaten by persons of means in the early 17th century. It is supposedly based upon writings of Sir Kenelm Digby, a privateer whose interests, apparently, included cooking, medicine, swordplay, astrology, alchemy, literature, and natural philosophy. More recent editions of the book includes one from 1910, with an introduction by Anne Macdonell[2] and a 1997 edition edited by Jane Stevenson and Peter Davidson.[3]
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This, and other works, according to Anne Macdonell, was not intended, by the author, for publication, but for his own use. They were published by the efforts of others, notably his steward, Hartman, and his son, John, who experienced some financial difficulty after his father's death.
This book is an excellent resource for those looking into medieval cuisine and cuisine of the Renaissance, especially for those limited, by linguistic expertise, solely to English manuscripts.
Like most historical cookbooks, however, it does not include complete information on the preparation of the foods within; while methods of cooking and ingredients are included, amounts are, by and large, not. This is standard for cookbooks and herbals of this time, and earlier, and requires some experimentation.
Modern scholars who work with medieval and ancient cookbooks must engage in the process of redaction to duplicate the dishes within; for cookbooks, redaction means a formulation, based upon trial-and-error, of a (hopefully, edible) dish which uses the ingredients and methods in the book. These recipes, with baking times, amounts, and any additional information, are called "redactions," being more than merely translations.
Digby, for its type, includes a great deal of information, and rather bridges the period between the era of the Renaissance and the medieval period; it includes suggested uses of the recipes, as, in ancient and medieval times, foods were considered also curative, and the difference between a cookbook and an herbal or medical text, was slight, even non-existent.
Unlike many antique cookbooks, Digby includes a vast array of ingredients, including flowers, vegetables, meats, herbs, spices, alcohol, fruits and berries, eggs, milk, grains, and honey. In fact, his recipes include substitutions, based, we can assume, on both personal taste, and seasonal availability.
This variety should give those engaged in historical reenactment enough options that they can both provide authentic foods, and, perhaps, extrapolate a bit on variations.
A great deal of the work appears to be taken up with various mead and metheglin recipes, but there are plenty of other recipes for sallets (which we would, today, call salads), eggs, several recipes for types of potage, recipes for meat pie and meat and vegetable pasty, cooked and prepared meats, syllabub, cakes, dessert pies, jellies and puddings and other sweets and desserts. There are also some other recipes that fall into other headings; for information, please read the book, online.