If you like reading old cookbooks, here’s one from the 16th century: A Proper Newe Booke of Cokerye.
The sub-title reads “declarynge what maner of meates be beste in season, for al times in the yere, and how they ought to be dressed, and serued at the table, bothe for fleshe dayes, and fyshe dayes.”
There’s a charming note telling us that there is “a newe addition, verye necessarye for all them that delyghteth in Cokerye.”
The instructions are a little vague and certainly assume a knowledge of cooking. Here’s one recipe for chickens on sops:
Chekins upon Soppes.Take sorel sauce a good quantite and put in Cinomone and Suger, and let it boyle and powre it upon the soppes, and then laye on the chekins.
The cookbook begins with a list of what must be served at each course—a bewildering amount of food.
In addition to the text of the cookbook, there are also notes on the recipes, an introduction, a glossary, and some background—both on the time period and on the original owner of the book (Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury).
Via Weblog V2.