Pour Faire Croistre Des Songes

This recipe comes from the 1564 edition of 'Les secrets du seigneur Alexis Piemontois,' a celebrated compendium of practical and magical household knowledge, attributed to Girolamo Ruscelli and published by Christophe Plantin in Antwerp. The work was a bestseller of its time, blending Renaissance experimentalism with rumors, alchemical notions, and practical wisdom. Recipes like this, straddling the boundary between the natural and the fantastical, reflect how early modern people sought to manipulate their world by both scientific and magical means. The recipe is categorized among medical and household secrets—concoctions and treatments that promise to cultivate not just food but wonders. 'Songes' in the period French refers ambiguously to either mushrooms or, literally, 'dreams,' but in context likely points to mushrooms believed to spring up magically when stimulated by simple means.

In the 16th century, this recipe would have required a sturdy spade or digging tool for exposing the roots of the poplar tree. A large clay or wooden bucket would have been used to heat and mix water on the hearth, while a wooden spoon or stick helped dissolve the leaven. The yeast itself could be homemade sourdough or brewer’s yeast, commonly available in market towns. No fine measuring tools would have been used; quantities were gauged by hand, eye, and feel. The recipe is as much an experiment as it is a culinary instruction.