Ronnie James Dio, you made my thighs hurt. RIP

Salutations my Lords and gentile fair maidens,
this morns document of foodly wonders are here by dedicated to our most Noble fallen hero Ronnie James Dio, whomst sadly departed the land of living to go hense forth to the etherial plane, Valhalla or to an other worldly existence where buxom wenches serve the finest of feasts and strong mead all day long.

What a tragedy to have lost such a character as Ronnie. He was one of the pioneers of Heavy Metal. Without him there would be NO Heavy Metal. NO throwing of the Horns.
From his beginnings in Elf and Rainbow, to Black Sabbath,Heaven and Hell and DIO, Ronnie has contributed vastly to the Heavy Metal scene.

Ronnie died on 14th May after battling stomach cancer.

I think that it's only fitting that Ronnie should be honoured with a Medieval feast.
Not being born in Medieval times myself I had to nick the recipe from a very good archive site called "Gode cookery".
They translate old authentic Medieval recipes and adapt them to work in the modern day kitchen.

So put on some tights, get your plastic swords out and speak in Ye olde English, get some mead down you and pump up some Classic DIO.

This ones for you big guy. We shall feast in your honour.

(incase you are wondering what the "you made my thighs hurt" comment was all about, I ran the cancer research race for life yesterday and did it in honour of Ronnie as well as my my Uncle Tommy who died of pancreatic cancer a few years back and for both of my very brave Grans who are battling cancer just now. You can donate to Ronnie's "Stand up and shout cancer fund" through his official web site and through the official "Cancer research" website).



Beef y stywyd

GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:

Stewed Beef. Take fair beef of the ribs of the fore quarters, and smite in fair pieces, and wash the beef into a fair pot; then take the water that the beef was washed in, and strain it through a strainer, and boil the same water and beef in a pot, and let them boil together; then take cinnamon, cloves, mace, grains of paradise, cubebs, and minced onions, parsley, and sage, and cast there-to, and let it boil together; then take a loaf of bread, an steep it with broth and vinegar, and then draw it through a strainer, and let it be still; and when it is nearly done, add the liquid there-to, but not to much, and then let boil once, and add saffron there-to a quantity; then take salt and vinegar, and add there-to, and look that it taste poynaunt enough, & serve forth.

INGREDIENTS:

* Beef ribs
* Cinnamon Sticks
* Cloves (powder)
* Mace
* Grains of Paradise (or substitute Cardamom)
* Cubeb (or substitute Black Pepper)
* Onions, minced
* Parsley, chopped
* Sage
* Unseasoned Bread Crumbs
* Red Wine Vinegar
* Saffron or a few drops of yellow food coloring
* Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Place the ribs in a large pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil; add all spices except saffron & salt & reduce heat to a simmer. Continue simmering until the beef is completely cooked. Remove some of the broth; with a wire whisk, thoroughly blend the broth , red wine vinegar, & bread crumbs into a smooth gravy-like consistency. When the beef has cooked, add some of this mixture to the pot, just enough to slightly thicken the broth. Be sure that this thickening agent has thoroughly blended with the broth. Return to a boil and cook for several more minutes. Reduce heat, add salt to taste and enough additional vinegar to give it a slightly sharp taste - it needs to be "poynaunt." Remove the cinnamon sticks. Serve forth!

Caudell


DESCRIPTION: A frothy wine or ale-based drink

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

Caudell. ¶ Take faire tryed yolkes of eyren, and cast in a potte; and take good ale, or elles good wyn, a quantite, and sette it ouer þe fire / And whan hit is at boyling, take it fro the fire, and caste þere-to saffron, salt, Sugur; and ceson hit vppe, and serue hit forth hote.

- Austin, Thomas. Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 & Harl. MS. 4016, with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS 55. London: for The Early English Text Society by N. Trübner & Co., 1888.

GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:

Take fair tried yolks of eggs, and cast in a pot; and take good ale, or else good wine, a quantity, and set it over the fire / And when it is boiling, take it from the fire, and cast there-to saffron, salt, Sugar; and season it up, and serve it forth hot.

INGREDIENTS:

* Egg yolks - "faire tryed yolkes" means yolks separated from the whites.
* Ale or wine - use fresh ale (not flat) or a slightly sweet red or white wine.
* Saffron
* Salt
* Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Beat together the egg yolks and wine/ale; place in a pot over medium to high heat. Bring to a boil while continually stirring with a wire whisk. As the mixture heats up, it will begin to become thick & frothy. (Add more egg yolks if needed - the more egg, the thicker & frothier the result. You want the consistency of a well-whipped milkshake.) As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce heat. Beat in sugar to taste, saffron, and a dash of salt. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve at once in small bowls or as a drink in glasses.

I've snuck this little video in too as I think it is a fantastic piece o 80's film making. Bloody funny.