Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Friday, April 8, 2016

How to Use Asparagus, 1568

John Gerard, The Herball (1636)

"Asparagus cooked with wine alleviates pain of the loins and kidneys, provokes urine, loosens the stomach, and frees the liver and kidneys from attacks, especially the roots and seeds. But if asparagus is used too much, it brings great harm, since it expels urine quickly, and irritates the bladder, which is bad. It is believed to incite lust… asparagus is a helpful food for a man, especially a newlywed having trouble in bed with an eager spouse: if at first he is unable to please his wife, this will allow him finally to have a sweet and loving partnership." 
Hugo Fridaevallis, De tuenda sanitate 
Ah, springtime, the season of love: the birds, the bees, the newlyweds gobbling asparagus...

Monday, March 2, 2015

How to Prepare for Spring, 1528

Walters Art Museum MS W.195, f. 4r
"Of prymtyme, and what it is. The prymtyme is hote & moyst temperatly as the ayre. This season the blode moeueth and spredeth to all the membres of the body, and the body is parfyte in temperate complexyon. In this season chekyns, kyddes, and poched egges ought to be eaten, with letuses & gotes mylke in these thre monethes. Prymetyme begynneth whan the sonne entreth the sygne of Aryes and lasteth .xcii. dayes, an houre and a halfe fro the .x. day of Marche to the .x. day of June. In this season is the best letyng of blode of ony tyme. And than is good to trauayle and to be laxatyfe. And to be bathed. And to eate suche thynges as wyll purge the bely." 
Secretum secretorum, tr. Robert Copland
Are you ready for primetime? Nothing makes for a festive spring like lettuce, bloodletting, and laxatives.