His Doomsday predictions may have been off the mark, but Nostradamus' celebrity was not all for naught. In addition to his alleged abilities as a "seer," the famous French apothecary possessed another, perhaps more useful, skill: cooking.
His first published book did not contain premonitions, but recipes. Fittingly, the title is a mouthful: "EXCELLENT & USEFUL Treatise to all Needed who want Knowledge of Several Exquisite Recipes ... Newly Composed by Master Michel de Nostredame, Doctor of Medicine in the city of Salon de Craux en Provence."
Some of the book's contents appeal only to the senses, such as those for candied orange peels and pear preserve. Others, according to The Guardian, serve more practical purposes, such as turning one's hair blonde or supposedly curing the plague.
If you're looking to try a taste of Nostradamus' medicine, you may have to fetch some absurd ingredients. His recipe for a "love potion" sounds not unlike a fictional witch's brew, including "the blood of seven male sparrows" and "the arms of an octopus."
A taste of his non-medicinal treats might be more feasible. FXCuisine took on the seer's recipe for cherry jelly. Nostradamus' book contains two cherry jelly recipes, "To do Jelly of Cherryes that is so Clear & Vermillion like a fine Rubey, & of Goodness, Taste & Virtue Excellent, that the Cherryes will Preserve Long in Perfection without adding anything but the Fruit: & will be fit to present to a King for their Supreme Excellence" and "Another Way to make Jelly of Cherryes, that is more Delicate than the First but it is more Dear & is for Great Lords." FXCuisine opted for the latter, which called only for 1 pound of sugar and 4 pounds of cherries.
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