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Macrows
by
Arwen Southernwood

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Original Recipe

Macrows.  XX.IIII.XII.

Forme of Cury, 1390
Take and make a thynne foyle of dowh. and kerve it on peces, and cast hem on boillyng wat(er)& see(th) it wele.  take chese and grate it and butt(er) cast bynethen and above as losyns. and s(u)e forth. 
Translation:  Take and make a thin foil of dough and carve it in pieces, and cast them in boiling water and seethe it well.  Take cheese and grate it and butter.  Cast beneath and above as Losyns, and serve forth. (Translated by Arwen Southernwood)

Redaction

Ingredients:

1 lb. penne pasta
1 1/2 - 2 cups grated cheese (a mixture of hard and soft white cheeses, such as parmesan, romano, mozzarella, provolone.)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon poudre fort or a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and pepper (optional)

Preparation Steps

  1. Cook pasta as directed on package until done.  Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.  Return to pot.
  2. Sprinkle spices (if used) over hot pasta.  Cut butter into chunks and stir into hot pasta until melted.
  3. Add grated cheese and stir until mixed.  Serve immediately.

Number of Servings

8

Serving Size

1 cup

Redaction Notes

Because another period pasta recipe says to make noodles by taking the paste, wrapping it around a stick, and allowing it to dry, I decided that ziti would make an adequate substitute.  Homemade pasta, cut into strips, would of course be preferred.

The cheeses selected are based on a combination of those mentioned in period manuscripts, as well as modern cheeses that match the descriptions of period cheeses.  Both aged (e.g. parmesan) and fresh (e.g. mozzarella) cheeses are used, but this can be adjusted to taste.  Note that orange cheddar cheese is a much later invention, and would therefore be inappropriate for this dish.

I chose to add spices because the combination of noodles and cheese was rather bland otherwise.  The addition of spices is inspired by the spices in the recipe for losyns, which the author mentions.  I saved back a pinch of the spices to sprinkle on top of the finished dish.

With the easy availability of dried pasta and pre-grated cheeses, this dish is quick and easy to make, ideal for SCA potlucks.

References

  • Brander, Gustavus (ed.).  Forme of Cury, A Roll Of Ancient English Cookery, Compiled, about A.D. 1390.  London, 1780.  Scanned facsimile available at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/.

Date Of Redaction

November, 2000

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