Augustus' Advent Calendar 2025

Long Pepper

Long pepper was popular in ancient Greece and Rome. It's now cultivated in India and Indonesia and used in Asian and African cuisines. Resembling small, elongated pinecones, long pepper offers a flavor similar to black pepper, but with an earthy undertone and a slightly numbing finish. You can use it in place of black pepper in any recipe. You'll need a spice grinder or mill for ground use or spice blends, but for stews or slow-cooked dishes, you can simply add a few whole peppers to the pot and remove them before serving.

Augustus has used this in many recipes served at feasts and also finely ground, as a topping like pepper, for people to add as they see fit.

Gladiator Puls

Puls is a pottage, like a porridge, served as a hearty meal. This recipe is from Tasting History. Augustus served it to the fighters early in the day at Ironclad.

Time requirements: Soaking overnight

Ingredients

1 cup (150 g) dried fava beans
1 cup (170 g) barley, preferably hulled barley, but pearl will work
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 quart (1 L) water
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Method

Soak the barley and fava beans in cool water overnight.
After they’ve soaked, remove the peels from the fava beans (or buy pre-peeled beans).
In a large pot, stir together the olive oil and onions so that the onions are coated in the oil. Set it over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Add the water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Be careful because the water and oil might spatter.
When the water is boiling, add the barley. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. If you're using pearl barley, cook it for 15 minutes.
Stir in the fava beans, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until it becomes a thick porridge.
You can top with some honey if you like.

Garum

Garum is an ancient Roman condiment made by fermenting fish. It was made using whole fish, or parts of fish, and mixing with herbs and lots of salt. It took months to ferment this down, sitting in the sun, then strained to get the liquid garum. It is a savoury, salty condiment and the modern Asian fish sauces are very similar in taste.

In the photo you can see an Italian Colatura di alici and a typical Asian fish sauce. More information at the Wikipedia Garum page.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg, and the ground spice we use, is a tree seed/pit. What's often not known is another common spice, Mace, is produced from the seed covering. The history of nutmeg is quite tragic in the wars waged over its production (See MySpicer.com history). Freshly grated nutmeg has an amazing blend of aromas from sweet and spicy, to woody/nutty.

More information at the Wikipedia Nutmeg page.

Ancient Roman Cake

Ancient Roman Cake, also known as Torta Antica Roma, has a buttery base spread with jam and topped with a whipped ricotta filling. This recipe is from An Italian in my Kitchen.

Prep time: 60 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Yield: Makes one pie

For the Dough

2 cups pastry flour (260 grams)
½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup + 2 ¼ tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) (200 grams)
1 large egg (room temperature)

For the Filling

¼-½ cup strawberry jam (80-160 grams)
1 cup ricotta cheese (250 grams)
2½ tablespoons powdered/icing sugar

For Finishing

1-2 tablespoons milk (for brushing the dough)
2-3 tablespoons powdered/icing sugar (for dusting)

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease and flour an 8 inch pie plate.
Divide the dough in half and roll one half into a circle 1/8 inch thick, place in the prepared pie pan, (don't worry if it breaks just press it together to fit in the pan with your fingers), prick the bottom of the dough with a fork, spread with a layer of jam, thin or thicker as you prefer, refrigerate.
While the base in chilling, in a small bowl beat together the ricotta and powdered sugar until creamy.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and spread the ricotta on top of the jam, refrigerate.
Roll the remaining dough into a circle a bit thicker than 1/8 inch, place on top of the ricotta and seal the edges, brush with a milk. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until golden.
Let the cake cool completely then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Tavern Bread

This hearty bread stuffed with sausage and cheese has been a favourite at Augustus' feasts. If you cannot find buttermilk, you can combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, stir, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Ingredients

1 cup of unbleached flour
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1-2 cups of buttermilk
1 cup of cheddar cheese
1 cup of summer sausage

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sift the flours together with salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Add the meat and cheese and mix together.
Make a well in the flour and add buttermilk slowly while mixing.
Making sure that the dough is moist pat into a loaf and place into a oiled cast iron skillet.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the bread has risen then lower heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes or until done.

Grains of Paradise

A mix of pepper, ginger, and cardomom flavours, this small brown seed was seen as a substitute for pepper. The usage of the name ‘Grains of Paradise’ first appeared in the 13th century and seems to be an early example of commercial marketing and branding. It is often ground and used within spice blends. More information at the Wikipedia Grains of Paradise page.

Asafoetida Powder

Asafoetida powder (Hing powder) is a gum-resin, a hard substance extracted from Ferula plant roots. It is a potent smelling ingredient also known as Devil's Dung! The smell is very sulpher like with a taste of sauteed garlic and onions. It has been used through the years both medicinally and in cooking. It is well used in Indian recipes and Augustus followed an old Roman Pork and Apple recipe which called for this spice. Even sealed in the container, you can tell which cupboard that container is in! More information at the Wikipedia Asafoetida page.

Cinnamon

You likely have some cinnamon in your pantry. But, which kind of cinnamon is it? In North America it is Cassia cinnamon that is more commonly used. Hard single layer sticks great for infusing in liquid as they hold the shape. The ground Cassia is coarse, bold & rich in flavour. Shown in the image is the Ceylon cinnamon. The sticks are like flakey layers, easy to break up or grind. The ground Ceylon is a finer powder and is subtle in sweetness and has a more delicate aroma. The shown cinnamon was brought back from Sri Lanka where the owner of the spice plantation assured me that we should never use Cassia cinnamon again. There are definately uses for both. A great write up in The Spice House article "Ceylon vs. Cassia Cinnamon".

Chicken with Rice and Almonds

This recipe is from The Medieval Cookbook. While this called for poached white chicken, I had bone in chicken thighs with the skin on. I used the skin and any pieces of fat and rendered it down to get the liquid chicken fat required. I poached the thighs in long pepper, grains of paradise, bay leaves, onion & salt.

Ingredients

225g/8 oz long-grain rice
1.4 litres/6/¼ cups strong chicken stock
125g/4 oz ground almonds
450g/1 lb poached white chicken meat, minced
2-3 tablespoons chicken fat, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

50g/2 oz flaked almonds, toasted
Light sprinkling of white sugar or dried saffron strands (optional)

Method

Wash the rice in lukewarm water, then boil it in 1.1 litres/5 cups of the chicken stock until almost tender.
Heat the remaining stock and use it to steep the ground almonds for about 15 minutes.
Drain the rice well when done and let it cool.
Then return it to the dry pan and strain in the almond 'milk'.
Bring to simmering point. Stir in the chicken meat and fat, stir round and cook until the meat is heated through. Season while cooking.
Serve the chicken and rice into warmed bowls and put a ring of toasted almond flakes around the edge of each helping. If you wish, sprinkle a very small amount of sugar or a few saffron strands in the centre. (Saffron looks and tastes better, if affordable.)

Pynade

Ok, lets just first say that this recipe has various versions including some that list using chicken in it! What I wanted was a medieval dessert, not a main! If you've ever had peanut brittle, this is very similar. It uses the now very expensive pine nuts. Augustus found a pretty good deal so included this in a feast. You can substitue other nuts but likely they'll need to be chopped up somewhat.

Ingredients

2 cups honey
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground galengale
1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground long pepper
1/4 tsp grains of paradise
1 cup pine nuts

Method

Put honey and spices into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Keep boiling the mixture until it reaches 300°F (what's called "hard crack stage" in candy making).
Remove from heat, add the pine nuts and stir to combine.
Pour onto a piece of parchment on a baking sheet. Allow to cool and then break it into pieces and serve.

Stuffed Roman Dates

Searching for snacks to keep the fighters full of energy at Ironclad led me to these Tasting History Stuffed Roman Dates. Since they were a bit sticky I used toothpicks to help serve them. They're sweet, peppery, and rolled in sea salt. All sorts of great flavours!

Ingredients

15 to 20 large dates, such as medjool
1 cup (125 g) walnuts
1/3 cup (45 g) pine nuts
1 teaspoon ground long pepper (or black pepper)
1 cup (235 ml) honey
Fine sea salt

Method

Slice the dates lengthwise on one side. Don’t cut all the way through, just enough to open them up so you can fill them. Remove pits if necessary.
Grind the walnuts and pine nuts in a mortar. The historical recipe isn’t specific on the texture, so do what you like here.
Grind the long pepper as finely as possible. Biting into a big piece of it isn’t fun.
Mix the nuts and pepper until everything is evenly dispersed. Stuff the dates with the nut mixture. Pack as much of the stuffing as you can into each date, otherwise it’ll all fall out when you go to cook them. Close the date around the filling as much as possible, and continue until all the dates are filled.
Put the fine sea salt in a shallow bowl or plate and roll the stuffed dates in the salt.
Bring the honey to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook the honey for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too hot and boil over.
Add the dates to the honey, cut side up so the filling doesn’t come out. Spoon or push the honey over the dates and let them cook for about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Remove the dates and set them on a plate or a piece of foil or parchment to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
Once the dates have cooled and are a bit less sticky, serve them forth.

Saffron Bread

I love to make a lot of different breads for events. While a bit more dense than a fluffy loaf, this bread has a great taste and is equally good at sopping up a stew or to each with a good dish.

Ingredients

8 1/2 cups (1 Kg) medium ground wheat flour
2 cups (500 ml) warm water
1 1/4 oz (35g) yeast
1/4 cup (175g) sugar - I use honey instead
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (100ml) olive oil
3 eggs gently beaten
pinch of saffron

Method

Stir the yeast into the warm water.
Mix the flour, sugar (if not using honey), salt, saffron in a large bowl
Mix everthing into the flour (yeast mixture, honey if using, olive oil, eggs). Knead
Cover the dough with a cloth and leave it to rise.
Form five medium-sized, round loaves, and leave them to rise further on a baking sheet.
Bake on the lower rack in a 200°C (390 F) oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the crust is beautifully brown. Might be more than 15 minutes.
You can carve the shape of a cross onto the surface of each loaf during the second rising stage.

Traveler's Stew

This was a hearty meal at an outdoor event where both a Vegetarian version and one with meat was served with copious amounts of bread.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Pounds Beef Stew Meat, Cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Dark Beer (I used non-alcoholic stout since I was in a public park)
4 Cups low-sodium beef broth
1 Tsp Sweet Paprika
1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 Carrots, peels and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 Cup chopped fresh Parsley

Method

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat well.
Warm the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add one-third to half of the beef - do not crowd - and cook for about 5 minutes, turning to brown all sides evenly. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and repeat to brown the remaining beef, adding more oil, ff needed between batches.
Pour the beer into the bot ad use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Return the browned beef to the pot and add the broth and paprika. Adjust the heat to low, cover, and cook at a simmer until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Add the onion carrots, and potatoes to the pot, and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Medieval Pastry Dough

This is a well used recipe in a lot of my medieval pies and sweets. This particular recipe is from A Feast Of Ice And Fire, an Official Game of Thrones companion cookbook. There may be more to follow in my calendar from this book!.

Makes enough for eight 4-inch tarts, two 9-inch tarts, or one 9-inch double-crust pie

Ingredients

Pinch of saffron
½ cup water
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups flour
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

Method

Dissolve the saffron in the water.
Meanwhile, rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until there are only crumb-size pieces of butter left, then add the egg yolks and the saffron water.
Stir until entirely incorporated, adding more water very gradually if needed, until everything just sticks together.
To prebake a shell, line a pan with dough, rolled very thin-to between ⅛ and ¼ inch.
Using a fork, poke holes all over the bottom of the pastry shell, or use pie weights or dried beans to prevent bubbling.
Bake for around 10 minutes at 350°F.
Don't let the pastry start to brown!
Remove it from the oven and fill as the recipe indicates.

Beef and Bacon Pie

This recipe is from A Feast Of Ice And Fire, an Official Game of Thrones companion cookbook. It's full of wonderful recipes, photos, and recipes by region.
Note that I used a fancy pie form and inverted the whole thing before serving.

Ingredients

½ cup thick-cut bacon, diced or cut small 1½ pounds stew beef, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon ground black (or long) pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup prunes, sliced
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup dates, chopped
1 cup beef broth
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
1 batch Medieval Pastry Dough or dough for a double-crust 9-inch pie, unbaked, rolled into 2 rounds (See Day 15!)
1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cook the diced bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until the fat runs from it, then drain off the fat. To the bacon pan, add the beef, spices, vinegar, and fruits.
Add enough broth to thoroughly wet the mixture; the final consistency should be runny.
Mix in the flour and cook on low heat until the juices form a gravy.
Let the meat mixture cool.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with a round of pastry dough and fill it with the meat mixture.
Add a pastry lid, turn the edges under, pinch them closed, and brush with beaten egg.
Bake until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is cooked, about 40 minutes.

Roman Pork and Apples

Another great recipe from Tasting History! This fed many a hungry fighter and participant at an Ironclad event. The Pork was cooked just before the event on a Big Green Egg smoker. But, this recipe shows using an oven. The rest of the meal was cooked with love on the spot, served with all kinds of breads. I had to scale this by 10x!

Ingredients Roasted Pork

Pork shoulder (you'll need 1 lb (450 g) of cooked pork for this dish)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Honey

Ingredients Pork and Apples

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 lb (340g) ground pork or beef, shaped into 1” balls
1 cup chopped leek
1 cup (235ml) chicken stock, plus extra as needed
2 teaspoons garum (See Advent Day 3!)
Small handful chopped cilantro or parsley
1 lb (450g) roasted pork, cut into cubes
1 lb (450g) sweet apples, cored and cut into about 1” pieces

Ingredients Sauce

1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro or parsley
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons chopped mint
4 long peppers (see Advent Day 1) or 1 tablespoon of peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (see Advent Day 8)
1/4 cup (60ml) white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon garum (see Advent Day 3)
1/4 cup (60ml) defrutum or reduced grape juice
1/4 cup (60ml) cooking liquid from the pork and apples
2 teaspoons starch or cornflour

Method

For the Roasted Pork:

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a roasting rack on top of it.
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey. There should be enough to coat the pork roast. Adjust the amounts to your liking.
Brush the olive oil mixture onto the pork, then roast for 15 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 275°F (135°C) and cook for about an hour per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Take the roast out and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Cut 1 lb (450 g) of the roast into bite-sized cubes for this dish. You can make the roast for one meal and save the 1 lb to make this the next day.

For the Pork and Apples:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the meatballs and leeks and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they start to brown.
Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and garum. Toss in the cilantro and roasted pork. Add enough additional chicken stock so that it covers the bottom of the pot.
Simmer for 15 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.
Add the apples, then cook for another 20 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked.

For the Sauce:

Grind the spices and herbs with a mortar and pestle, then put them in a saucepan with the liquid ingredients. Stir together and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
Mix the starch with a little water, then add it to the sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens.

To Serve:

Dish the pork and apples into a bowl, drizzle with the sauce, and serve it forth.

Vegetable and Herb Pie

From the book The Medieval Kitchen. A book not simply of recipes but of facts and stories about social history.
Augustus tries his best to accomodate everyone's dietary needs and this one fit the bill for a vegetarian main.

Ingredients Crust

1/2 cup butter
1½ cups medium-coarse wheat flour
½ tsp salt
4 tbsp water

Ingredients Filling

1½ cups chopped chard
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped fresh parsly or tarragon
I fennel stalk
¾ cup chopped spinach
Oil for cooking
3½ oz cream cheese
grated cheese
3 eggs
½ tsp ground ginger or pepper
salt

Method

Rinse and chop the vegetables and fresh herbs.
Pan fry in oil until soft; season.
With your fingertips, work wheat flour, salt and butter into a crumbly paste and incorporate water, working fast.
Press the dough onto the bottom and sides of a baking pan with removable bottom (22 cm or 9 inches in diameter).
Line the dough with greased kitchen foil, not forgetting the sides, and fill with dried peas. Blind-bake for 9 minutes on the middle shelf of a 200°C (390°F) oven.
Remove peas and foil, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and bake for a further 2-3 minutes.
Spread the vegetable filling onto the piecrust.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, add cream cheese and grated cheese and pour the mixture onto the vegetable filling.
Bake in a 200°C (390 F) oven for 30-40 minutes or until the filling has solidified and taken on a bit of colour.

Mushroom Pasties

Another wonderful vegetarian recipe from The Medieval Cookbook. Augustus cut a few mushroom shapes out of the dough to give the pie a finishing touch.

Ingredients

1 lb home-made or bought shortcrust pastry, thawed if frozen. See Advent Day 15 for a pastry recipe.
1 lb button mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 oz Cheddar cheese, grated
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black, or long pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 egg, beaten

Method

Use two-thirds of the pastry to line small, deep pans. Chill while making the filling.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Trim off the bottoms of the mushroom stems; then dip the mushrooms in boiling salted water, holding them in a sieve. Drain them, pat dry, then chop or slice them.
Put them in a bowl and mix them with the oil, cheese and seasonings.
Fill the mixture into the pastry cases.
Roll out the remaining pastry and use it to make lids for the pasties.
Seal the lids with beaten egg. Decorate the tops with pastry trimmings and brush with the remaining egg. Make a small cross-cut in the centre of each lid.
Bake the little pies in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm.

Dwarven Potato Leek Soup

Another themed cookbook recipe, this time a Heroes' Feast (Dungeons & Dragons).

Ingredients

2 slices thick-cut bacon
3 leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
salt
ground black pepper or ground long pepper

Method

In a large heavy pot over medium heat, fry the bacon, turning it over as necessary, until well-rendered and lightly browned, about 13 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper towel.
Add the leeks, celery, and thyme to the pot and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, broth, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the potatoes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Alternatively, blend the soup in batches using a countertop blender.
Return the soup to the pot over medium heat. Stir in the cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Taste and season with black pepper and more salt, if needed.
Crumble the cooked bacon.
Serve each bowl of soup piping hot and topped with bacon.

Chicken Something Dumplings

A hearty meal with amazingly filling dumplings from A Heroes' Feast (Dungeons & Dragons).

Ingredients Chicken Stew

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 to 2½ pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup dry sherry
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and diagonally cut into 1-inch slices
2 celery stalks, trimmed and diagonally cut into 1-inch slices
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients Chicken Dumplings

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil or reserved chicken fat (from browning the chicken)
¾ cup whole milk

Method Stew

Sprinkle the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Arrange half the chicken skin-side down in the Dutch oven, adjust the heat to medium, and cook, undisturbed, until the skin is browned, about 5 minutes. Turn over the chicken and continue to cook, undisturbed, until the second side is browned, about 5 minutes more; adjust the heat if it starts to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs (and reserve any accumulated chicken fat). When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin.
Thinly slice one of the leek halves. Cut the remaining three leek halves into 1-inch pieces.
Add the butter to the pot, return it to medium heat, and melt and swirl in the pot to coat. Add the thinly sliced leeks, bay leaves, thyme, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the leeks are softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and flour and continue to cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes more. Add the sherry and bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping the pan bottom to loosen and dissolve any browned bits. Continue to simmer, stirring, until the liquid is thickened and slightly reduced, about 1 minute more. Gradually add the broth, stirring vigorously to incorporate it smoothly.
Add the chicken thighs with any of the accumulated juices to the pot and return to a simmer. Adjust the heat to very low, cover, and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and very tender, about 1 hour, turning the chicken pieces over after about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it into large chunks. Remove the bay leaves from the pot, add the shredded chicken, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper; stir to mix. Over medium-high heat, return to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Method Dumplings

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, onion powder, salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Add the scallions and toss to combine.
In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and olive oil (or reserved chicken fat, if you have any), stopping to swirl occasionally, to melt the butter.
Add the milk and continue to microwave on high until the mixture is just warm (do not overheat), about 1½ minutes.
Add the warmed milk mixture to the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon or fork, mix until incorporated and uniformly moist (the mixture should look like a wet, shaggy dough).

Method Finishing

To finish the chicken and cook the dumplings, add the carrots, celery, 1-inch leek pieces, and most of the parsley to the stew and stir to incorporate it.
Using a soup spoon, drop twelve golf ball-size portions of dumpling dough into the pot, placing them about ½ inch apart (drop eight around the perimeter and four in the center).
Adjust the heat to low, cover, and cook undisturbed until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through, and a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Ladle the stew into bowls, allowing three dumplings per portion. Sprinkle each with some of the remaining parsley and serve.

Augustus' Poudre Forte

There are many, many recipes for the Medieval Poudre Forte and Poudre Douce. Poudre Forte is the more spicey and bold vs sweeter Douce. Augustus has travelled the lands of spice and decided to create a version of Poudre Forte with spices collected during his travels. India and Sri Lanka Spice plantations provide some of the raw material seen in the image above.

Ingredients

1 tsp Whole Cloves
1 tbsp Long Pepper
1 tsp Grains of Paradise
1 tsp Green Peppercorns
1 tbsp Black Peppercorns
1 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon
1 tsp Greater Galangal

Method

Put all whole spices in a spice grinder and blend until a powder.
Add any already ground spices to the ground ones and blend
Use as you would with anything pepper based noting that it is quite bold in flavour. On red meat maybe!

Bone Dust Spice Mix

While not a specific Medieval recipe, this spice mix has always been a hit. Augustus usually makes a massive amount and then bottles it up for friends and family. It's good on meats, seafood, vegetables, roasted potatoes... everything!

Ingredients

½ cup paprika
¼ cup chili powder (or less! depends on chili heat)
3 tbsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. granulated white sugar
2 tbsp. mild Indian curry powder
2 tbsp. dry mustard powder
1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. cayenne (or less! depends on cayenne heat)

Method

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
Transfer to a tightly sealed container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months, or, put into spice jars and distrubute happily.

How Many Books Is Enough?

Some don't get much out of physical cookbooks, but I'm a collector for sure. Whether it's a fantasy book with matched historical recipes to the fiction, or deep dives/translations of historical texts, I like to support the authors and their work. Many have a lot of their material out there, like Tasting History, but I know they put a lot of effort into their research and I want to pay it back. This photo is just some of the ones geared towards Medieval recipes and history. I've got many on various regions of cooking like Northern and Southern India for example, different books! I often transcribe recipes into my recipe program so I can scale them for Amtgard size feasts. But sometimes, I just put a sticky note on the page for quick reference. If you're curious about a particular type of cooking, maybe I have a cookbook to recommend or at least a recipe I've tried. I love to share my love of cooking. You can start anywhere with any simple recipe. Then, invite a friend over to share your creation.

It's the Knight Before Christmas and I hope you clicked through a few of these Advent days and enjoyed the content. If you have any feedback, questions, just want to say "hi", please send an email to Augustus

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