Serious 14th century diners -- and particularly those in royal courts -- would spend the entire day eating their way through a three-course meal, each comprising perhaps 12 dishes.

In Britain's Royal court, the lust for grandeur and exoticism were pronounced.

King Richard II, for example, feasted with more than 10,000 guests daily, and employed three hundred cooks to prepare the repast.

His chefs were culinary artists. Some were sculptors, others architects who erected towering castles of dough whose crenellated walls actually formed the crusts of deep, stuffed pies.

The most extravagant preparations were reserved for special feasts, but cooks responded to creative impulses even when preparing ordinary fare. They particularly enjoyed colouring food with organic agents, such as saffron -- not to enhance natural beauty, but to disguise it.

Food was prepared on open hearths, with enormous implements to distance the cook from the flames. Techniques were similar to our own -- roasting, baking, stewing, toasting and so forth.

Mediaeval cooking was sweet and spicy, and in the course of a research project at Columbia University, Lorna J. Sass became intrigued with a collection of manuscripts written in 1390 at the request of King Richard II.

Noting that most of the ingredients were still available today, Ms Sass ultimately published To the King's Taste, a fascinating adaptation of the British king's book of feasts and recipes, for home consumption. It is available at the Bermuda Library. Here is a sampling: The leek was a popular vegetable in the Middle Ages, perhaps because of the belief that it stimulated the appetite. But leek also had its harmful effects: "It causes headache and gives bad dreams ... after eating it, some lettuce, purslane, or endive should be taken, to temper its heating effects.'' What follows is a mediaeval cousin to vichyssoise.

SLIT SOPS 4 medium leeks 2 tbsp. butter 11 cups dry white wine OR 1 cup canned consomme plus 1 cup wine 1 tsp. salt freshly ground pepper beurre manie: 2 tbsp. flour blended with 1 tbsp. soft butter sops: 1-2 slices toast, quartered, OR 1 cup croutons REMOVE green tops and roots of leeks. Cut white section in half lengthwise and once across the middle. Wash thoroughly. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Toss leeks to coat and saute over gentle flame until they begin to wilt (about 5 minutes). Add wine, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer an additional 10 to 15 minutes until leeks are done. Blend in beurre manie to thicken just before serving. Serve in soup bowls over toast or croutons. Serves 2.

Here is a pungent ancestor of moules mariniere: MUSSELS IN BROTH 3 lbs. mussels, scrubbed and bearded 3 cups boiling water 1 large onion, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp. butter 3 tbsp. finely ground bread crusts 2 tsp. (or more) vinegar salt to taste 1 tsp. saffron 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper or cubeb * garnish: minced fresh parsley * Cubeb is a berry from Java resembling a peppercorn and tasting somewhat like allspice. Its special aromatic flavour cannot be duplicated, but a blend of half pepper and half allspice may serve as a substitute.

PLUNGE mussels into boiling water. Cover and cook over high flame just until shells open (less than a minute). Remove with a slotted spoon. Strain broth through fine mesh strainer.

Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in butter in a heavy skillet until onion is transparent. Return broth to pan. Add onion and garlic, bread crusts, vinegar, salt, saffron, and pepper or cubeb. Simmer, stirring until smooth and well blended. Check seasoning. Remove mussels from shells, add to broth. Cover and simmer about 15 seconds. Serve in soup bowls, garnished with parsley. Serves 4.

Noumbles were considered suitable fare for the feast and, in fact, were served at one bishop's 15th century repast. Noumbles include all of the inner parts of the beast, particularly the digestive organs. Other innards may be substituted or used in combination with the tripe, but do some reading on suggested pre-cooking preparations beforehand.

TRIPE 2 lbs. honeycomb tripe (rinsed thoroughly, rubbed with salt, then rinsed again) 2 qts. boiling water plus 2 tbsp. salt 5 cups vegetable/beef stock 1 cup red wine 1 cup minced onions 1 tsp. powdered ginger 1 tbsp. vinegar (or more, to taste) salt to taste 1 cup bread crumbs (optional) garnish: minced fresh parsley PLACE tripe in boiling salted water. Boil for 15 minutes. Drain, and discard water. Cut tripe into half-inch cubes. Place remaining ingredients (except garnish) in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Add tripe. Reduce flame and simmer, covered, for 21 to 3 hours until tripe is tender. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with parsley. Serves 6.

Much fish was eaten in the Middle Ages due to a large number of meatless Lenten days. Used with fresh fish, this recipe is unusual and delicious. If you wish to leave the pastry cover off, arrange most of the fish on the top for visual effect (the salmon pink is striking against the fruit) and bake about 15 minutes less, or until fish flakes.

FISH TART 8-inch uncooked pie pastry plus pastry lid 2 tbsp. butter 2 pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced 2 apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced 1 cup good-quality white wine 2 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. brown sugar 5 cubebs (see note above), finely crushed 1 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup raisins 10 prunes, minced 6 dates, minced 6 dried figs, minced 11 lbs. salmon, cod, or haddock (or a mixture), cut into 11 -inch chunks, lightly salted, and sprinkled with 2 tbsp. lemon juice 3 tbsp. damson or red currant jelly 2 tbsp. milk BAKE pie pastry bottom at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Let cool. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet and toss pear and apple slices in it until they are lightly coated. Combine wine, lemon juice, brown sugar, spices, and dried fruits, and add to mixture in skillet. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until fresh fruit is soft but still firm. Check seasoning, and drain off excess liquid. Combine fish chunks with fruits and place mixture into crust.

Cover pie with pastry lid, flute edges, and paint lid with milk. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden. Serves 6-8.

This recipe exemplifies Boorde's belief that "a good cook is half a physician.'' All of the herbs included were thought to have beneficial medicinal value. We think of eating an herb omelet for breakfast, but the mediaeval nobleman preferred to start the day with "sops'' in wine. Most likely, erbolate would have been eaten by someone concerned about his digestion -- perhaps as a light snack before retiring. The herbs would have been taken fresh from the castle garden. Although one might expect some of the herbs like rue and tansy to be blanched before use to draw out some of the bitter juices, it seems from the recipe that they were taken "straight.'' If you are lucky enough to have fresh herbs, mince approximately twice the amount indicated, eliminate steps 1 and 2, and combine the herbs with the egg mixture.

BAKED HERBED EGGS 1 cup hot milk 3 tbsp. dried herbs as available 5 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. butter POUR milk over dried herbs and stir until they have all been coated. Allow mixture to sit for 30 minutes, or until the milk is strongly flavoured. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard herbs. Combine eggs, milk, and salt, beating a few moments with a wire whisk. Melt butter in an 8-inch ovenproof skillet or baking dish. Pour in egg mixture. Bake in pre-heated 325 degrees F. oven for 35 minutes or until eggs are set and top is golden brown.

Serve as you would a pie. Serves 3-4.

Here is a light, tasty batter for any type of fried food. The foamy ale barm acted as a yeast substitute in many mediaeval recipes. If you add the saffron, let batter sit about 15 minutes so the colour will come out.

PARSNIP FRITTERS Batter 2 cups white flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. saffron (optional) 1 egg 11 cups ale at room temperature COMBINE all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until mixture is almost smooth. Batter should be somewhat thick and a bit lumpy. YIELD: enough batter for either parsnip or apple fitters.

Unfortunately, parsnips have been relegated to the soup pot or ignored altogether. This recipe allows their delicate, sweet flavour to come through.

Parsnip Fritters 10-12 medium parsnips 6 tbsp. vegetable oil salt to taste SCRAPE parsnips, cut into thirds, and each piece into thin strips. Steam in half an inch of boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain and pat pieces dry. Dip strips into batter. Fry in hot oil until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and arrange on a platter. Serves 6-8.

This creamy gruel was often served as a healing drink to the sick. It goes down easily, like warm milk and honey. Make it with your favourite wine.

WARM, THICK GRUEL 1 cup wine 1 cup finely ground crumbs from fine-quality white bread or pound cake 1 tsp. honey or sugar (or to taste) 1 tsp. saffron pinch salt 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten pinch ginger and sugar COMBINE wine, crumbs, honey or sugar, saffron, and salt in the top of a double boiler. Cook over a medium flame, stirring to blend. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove it from the heat. Beat a few tbsp. of hot liquid into beaten egg yolk. Add remaining wine mixture and stir. Pour into a mug and sprinkle ginger and sugar on top before drinking. Serves 1.