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Food and drink

The "American Nectar": William Hughes's hot chocolate
Shakespeare and Beyond

The "American Nectar": William Hughes's hot chocolate

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Author
Marissa Nicosia

The perfect post for a winter’s day: Marissa Nicosia shares an early modern recipe for hot chocolate, associated with 17th-century author, botanist, and pirate William Hughes.

Savory biscuits from a 17th-century recipe
Savory Cogs Biscuits. All photography by Brittany Diliberto. www.beetwosweet.com
Shakespeare and Beyond

Savory biscuits from a 17th-century recipe

Posted
Author
Elisa Tersigni Jack Bouchard

Interested in adding variety to your Thanksgiving dinner? Try this modernized 17th-century recipe for savory biscuits based on a manuscript in the Folger collection.

In the spirit of Oktoberfest: Food, drink, and changing times in early modern Europe
Hartmann Schopper. Panoplia omnium… 1568. Folger Shakespeare Library.
Shakespeare and Beyond

In the spirit of Oktoberfest: Food, drink, and changing times in early modern Europe

Posted
Author
Jack Bouchard

As October comes to an end, we celebrate food, drink, and culture in the German cities of Shakespeare’s day, including the creation of beer and wine and the harvest festivals each fall, marked by our modern-day tradition of Oktoberfest.

Toil and trouble: Recipes and the witches in 'Macbeth'
recipes
Shakespeare and Beyond

Toil and trouble: Recipes and the witches in 'Macbeth'

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Author
David B. Goldstein

Shakespeare’s witches, like nearly all witches of Shakespeare’s time, have their roots in the kitchen more than in the study.

Mince pies and mirth: Transcribed 17th-century recipes
Recipe for mirth from the cookbook of L. Cromwell
Shakespeare and Beyond

Mince pies and mirth: Transcribed 17th-century recipes

Posted
Author
Sarah Powell

Mince pies and a honey-spiced drink called mirth are just two of hundreds of recipes found in a 17th-century handwritten recipe book once owned by Leticia Cromwell.

A pumpkin pie recipe from 17th-century England
Pumpkin pie
Shakespeare and Beyond

A pumpkin pie recipe from 17th-century England

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Author
Amanda Herbert

In this pumpkin pie recipe from the late 1600s, you peel and slice the pumpkin into thin wedges, dipping them in egg before frying them. Apples, raisins, currants, and sherry also get added to the pie.

Salmon in pastry: A Renaissance recipe from Shakespeare's Kitchen by Francine Segan
Salmon pastry
Shakespeare and Beyond

Salmon in pastry: A Renaissance recipe from Shakespeare's Kitchen by Francine Segan

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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Salmon, oysters, asparagus, and grapes are all ingredients in this unusual pie recipe from Francine Segan’s cookbook “Shakespeare’s Kitchen.”

A recipe for 1610 rose cakes
Shakespeare and Beyond

A recipe for 1610 rose cakes

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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Francine Segan, a food historian with a taste for the Renaissance, adapts a 1610 handwritten recipe for rose cakes from a recipe book that’s part of the Folger collection.

A Renaissance recipe for citrus tarts
Shakespeare and Beyond

A Renaissance recipe for citrus tarts

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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Food historian Francine Segan has a taste for the Renaissance and a love of Shakespeare. Here she adapts a recipe for “Citron pye” from a 1587 cookbook. You’ll find an intense combination of vinegar and pepper in these citrus tarts.

A recipe for Twelfth Night cake
Shakespeare Twelfth Night
Shakespeare and Beyond

A recipe for Twelfth Night cake

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Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Park’s Shakspearean Twelfth-Night Characters. Handcolored print, ca. 1830. Folger Shakespeare Library. Twelfth Night is a Christian holiday typically celebrated on January 5 or 6, concluding the 12 days of Christmas and celebrating the visit of the Magi (the three kings). Twelfth…

Renaissance cooking: Food historian Francine Segan and a recipe for 'pears' in broth (they're not really pears)
Shakespeare and Beyond

Renaissance cooking: Food historian Francine Segan and a recipe for 'pears' in broth (they're not really pears)

Posted
Author
Esther French

Francine Segan is a food historian with a taste for the Renaissance. She’s the author of six cookbooks, including Shakespeare’s Kitchen (2003) and the Opera Lover’s Cookbook, which was nominated for a James Beard award. This year she’s been spending…

Feasting on (Second) Shepherd's Pie
Folger Spotlight

Feasting on (Second) Shepherd's Pie

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Author
Folger Theatre

Tending to the flock, stealing sheep, walking to Bethlehem, playing the music that underscores it all…the company of The Second Shepherds’ Play does this and more, night after night. It’s no wonder, then, that such a hectic schedule helps them work…

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