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From The Olde Cookery Book

Why Bills of Fare?

The dishes presented in the Recipe section were rarely intended to be eaten as single dishes (unless ,of course, you were poor and were glad to have a dish at all on the table). Rather, they were an integrated part of elaborate menus often consisting of several dishes which were presented like a buffé (service française). This method of presentation was replaced during the 18th century by the more economical, restaurant like, presentation commonly used today (service russe). That the presentation of the dinner table actually was a problem to be solved, can be seen from the letter by S.G, Esq to Richard Bradley published in The Country Housewife And Lady's Director In The Management Of A House, And The Delights And Profits Of A Farm in 1732. Mrs Rundell also has something to say on her division of courses found among the more complex bills of fare.

In this section you will find a selection of menus from past times. All of them has probably been served at one time or another. I have tried to provide a recipe from the time although if the dish was actually prepared as in the recipe I can not say.

Currently available

• Medieval: Coronation of Henry IV unstranscribed
• Late Medieval: From the household of bishop Hans Brask in Linköping, Sweden.
• Late 16th century: A series of "Services" from A Book of Cookrye.
• Mid 17th century: A series of "Bill of Fares" for various occasions from The Accomplisht Cook.
• Mid 18th century: A series of "Bill of Fares" for the whole years found in English Housewifery
• Mid 18th century: A series of "Bills of Service" from The Queen-like Closet
• Early 19th century: A series of more or less complex menus from the grandmother book "Domestic Cookery".
• Early-Mid 19th century: A series of Danish menus from a compilation cookbook.
• Late 19th century: A series of menus from our family in Austria