SC - semolina and mixed herbs

[david friedman]

Aoife challenges us:
>
>What sort of redacted recipe can you make from this Apecius translation (the
>Vehling trans., all I have at the moment):
>
>(129)ALITER PATINA VERSATILIS
>
>THE DISH, CALLED A TURN-OVER, IS THUS MADE: CRUSH VERY FINE WALNUTS AND
>HAZLENUTS TOAST THEM AND CRUSH WITH HONEY, MIX IN PEPPER, BROTH, MILK AND
>EGGS AND A LITTLE OIL.
>

I would wonder about the accuracy of the word "Turnover". Vehling is 
notoriously innaccurate with his translations and interpreatations 
(especially when it suits his modern and rather boring sensibilities). 

I prefer Giacosa's work _A Taste of Ancient Rome_. She even gives the 
original latin (hooray!). In her version of this, she compares two 
similar recipes Patina versatilis (#129) and Patina versatilis vice dulci 
(#143). Since he second one specifies that it is to be a dessert (vice 
dulci), one may assume that the first is not (not that that means its not 
sweet of course, it's Roman food after all). She translates the word 
versatlis to be "inverted". Vehling choses to interpret it as a custard, 
not mentioning how to turn it over. Sounds like a nutty omelet unit to me!

I should try it out...I like Roman food...

- --Anne-Marie

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Anne-Marie Rousseau
rousseau at scn.org
Seattle, Washington