Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book

British theater critic and biographer Spurling offers contemporary readers a cookbook compiled in 1604 by Lady Elinor Fettiplace of Oxfordshire, England. The recipes, reproduced in ""fine, clear, cranky Shakespearean English,'' are easily understood. Spurling adds practical information to compensate for vague quantities and the occasional banquet-size recipe. Literary references and notes on English culinary history and on Fettiplace's family provide an ample, enjoyable backdrop for this small collection. Recipes like rosewater pancakes and chicken with herb and gooseberry sauce will lure readers into the kitchen. Others, such as syrup of tobacco (attributed to Sir Walter Raleigh, a relative of a relative), are more curious than tempting. A few recipes are anonymous additions from later generations of the Fettiplace family. Unfortunately, they are poorly identified. For example, the book's introduction notes that chocolate cream is a later addition, but that pertinent fact is omitted from the text. However, this book will be welcomed by popular and culinary historians. (June 9)