SC - Brazier? was Mortar and pestle illustration?

[snowfire@mail.snet.net]

Devra at aol.com wrote:
> 
> Re Roux and Vehling--
> 
> If his translations are dubious, what do Flower and Taste of Ancient Rome say
> about roux?
> 
> Devra

Flower and Rosenbaum translate those recipes Vehling redacts as calling
for roux, as calling for either a thickening of crumbled pastry or a
slurry of amulum, a.k.a. amydoun or wheat starch. Many Roman pastries
consisted of meal mixed into a dough with oil (like in that ham recipe,
f'rinstance), then either baked in an oven or on a griddle. Similar to
roux on a chemical level, perhaps, but not structurally the same. And,
of course, it doesn't come very close to the recipes which call for amulum.

FWIW, Vehling is roughly contemporary to Escoffier, who created a big
stir (yes, pun intended) in the culinary community by suggesting white
or blonde roux could be made with much less fat and cooking time using
what he called fecula, described as the starchy detritus left over from
preparing gluten. In other words, amulum or wheat starch. Some of the
less confident and more hidebound professionals (i.e. non-geniuses who
were not the recognized leader of the field) suggested Escoffier had
finally lost it.

Vehling may have been declaring which side he came out on in this
controversy. 

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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