Originally published in German, “A Culinary Journey Through Time,” is a ‘cookery book’ with recipes from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. The book focuses on the archeo-history of food in Denmark, and both Danish and English versions of the book are available. Although the book is simple, without too much in the way of background notes, it is clear that book is well-researched by the Swiss authors. The recipes are organized to follow the seasons, while each recipe has a symbol indicating what epoch it is from – Meslolithic, New Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Viking Age, or Middle Ages. The recipes are simple and clearly described, without a hint of modern contrivance or ingredients in the instructions.
The illustrations are beautiful pen and ink with the occasional acrylic tableau painting, much as you might find in an archeological journal or history book.
Karg, Sabine, Regula Steinhauser-Zimmerman, and Irmgard Bauer. (2011) A Culinary Journey Through Time: A Cookery Book with Recipes from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. Gylling, Denmark: Narayana Press.
One of my pet peeves is that the diets inspired by the foodways that existed before the Agricultural Revolution, such as the “Paleo Diet,” merely adapt modern recipes by dropping ingredients or adding bizarre substitutes (coconut flour anyone?). A person from the European Paleolithic Era or a Neanderthal would not recognize any of the foods in those cookbooks. The Mesolithic recipes in this cookbook, however, probably would have been actually recognizable in the Stone Age. Let’s bring back the #RealPaleo recipes!
1 hare or rabbit, skinned and cleaned
Mugwort leaves, dried and pounded
Vegetables and/or fruit of choice, as available
Sorrel or coltsfoot leaves
Dig a pit in the earth, line it with stones (not limestone or flint!) and light a big fire in it. After about ½ hour, spread stones, c. 10-20 cm in diameter; over the hot embers. About 1 hour later push the stones close together with a piece of wood. Wrap the hare or rabbit, which has already been stuff with the vegetables and/or fruit, in several layers of leaves, then place it on the embers and cover with the hot stones. Seal the pit with grass turves (grass side down) and soil, and leave the hare/rabbit to bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Before serving, sprinkle the meat with a pinch of ground mugwort leaves.
[Modern cheat: Instead of leaves, use several layers of aluminium foil to wrap the meat. When sprinkling the mugwort on the meat, also sprinkle coltsfoot ashes. (They are salty and provide flavour.)]
