The King's Table
The image of Henry VIII holding an ever-present
chicken drumstick is a common stereotype of the infamous Tudor king
in matters of cuisine, yet in reality the representation could not
be further from the truth.
"The King's Table" by Deborah O'Toole was inspired by
her novel, In the Shadow of the King, where
food is often mentioned in the storyline. The cookbook contains more
than 60 authentic recipes common
to the time period, including appetizers, beverages, bread &
pastry, breakfast, entrees, side dishes, soups & stews, and sweets.
(Above): Tudor recipe for
Charwardon
(pears in a red wine sauce). Click on image to view larger size in a
new window.
ABOUT IN THE SHADOW OF THE KING:
In the Shadow of the King by Deborah O'Toole is a semi-fictional account of the dramatic life of Sir Francis
Bryan, confidant to King Henry VIII.
Sir Francis Bryan was a man of letters who
distinguished himself as a cipher, diplomat, poet, sailor and
soldier. He was also knight bannerette, chevalier, Lord of the Tor
Bryan, chief gentleman of the privy chamber, Lord Chief Justice of
Ireland and a gifted sportsman. He lost an eye during a jousting
tournament and forever after wore a rakish eye patch, which merely
added to his allure.
During his time in Henry VIII's court and one of the
few who escaped the King's wrath, Bryan was dubbed the "one-eyed
Vicar of Hell" by the King's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell,
because of his apparent lack of scruples and legendary sexual
exploits. Bryan had a well-earned reputation as a self-indulgent
libertine, and was said to have been a willing accomplice in the
King's tangled love affairs.
Bryan's irresistible charm masked an inveterate
intriguer full of barely-contained energy. He could be duplicitous,
manipulative and promiscuous as well as highly articulate,
ferociously witty and generous when the mood struck him. In
videlicet, he was the perfect courtier. Many observers were
astounded by the familiarity he used towards Henry VIII, especially
in speaking his mind. However, Bryan was no creature of principle.
By bending his opinions to fit the King's policy, he managed to
remain in favor throughout Henry VIII's reign.
In the Shadow of the King brings to
life the story of Sir Francis Bryan, as told by one of his
descendants in the twenty-first century.
"The King's Table" Information
The King's Table
is freely available as a PDF (Adobe)
download.
Please note that text in The King's Table is
copyrighted by Deborah O'Toole. Images contained in The
King's Table not created by the author are fully credited.
Click
here to go to the official website for "In the Shadow of the
King."
Book Details & Extras
Book cover image:
Original painting by Joos Van Cleve (about 1530-1535). The image is
in the public domain in its country of origin and other
countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's
life plus 100 years or fewer. The image is also in the public
domain in the United States because it was published (or
registered with the United States Copyright Office) before
January 1, 1925. Reproduction for use on a book cover is
therefore also considered to be in the public domain in the
United States.
Hampton Court kitchen logo:
Joy of
Museums (2016). Licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
license, which allows users to adapt, copy, distribute and
transmit the work with attribution. Edited by
Webs Divine.
*Book
cover & logo design:
Webs Divine.
