SC - Thanks re Florence

[Lorix]

Ann & Les Shelton wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the responses regarding my question about the availability of
> Platina in Florence by 1495.  I have the Milham version and I don't know
> why I didn't think to look at the publication history.  Sometimes, I
> guess things are just too obvious!  A friend just recently gave me
> Santich; I'll have to go through it to see what I can try.
> 
> John le Burguillun

I don't know if this is any use to you, but . . .

I was having a flick thru a book by Anne Wilson called "Great Cooks and their
Recipes, From Taillevent to Escoffier".  In it, she discusses a cook called
Maestro Martino, former cook to the Monsignor (Chamberlain & Patriarch of
Aquileia).  I had not previously heard of this gentleman but basically, it is
him that is supposed to be the source of Platina's recipes . . . Now for those
with far greater resources than me (and heaps more scholarship, this may not be
a surprise ;-)

Aquileia is located in  Northerner Italy, in the southern part of the Friulian
plain, close to the wide Lagoon of Grado.  In 1420 it was  under the rule of the
Republic of Venice (just to give an idea where it was in relation to Florence
:-)

Ms Wilson advises that the 'Monsignor' Martino worked for was apparently
Ludovico Trevisan, a wealthy cardnial (read a cooks dream since he spent an
extravagant 20 ducats a day on his food;-) who became patriarch of Aquileia in
1439 and papal chamberlain a year later (holding both posts until he died in
1465).  Now Martino was supposed to have flourished between 1450-1475.  There is
a 15th century recipe manuscript written by him (now in the Library of Congress)
which is apparently written in the Italian of Tuscany, not in the latin used by
Platina, but the 250 recipes are identical to those in 'De honesta volupate'.

Whether this particular manuscript was written before De honesta voluptare is
uncertain, but Wilson is emphatic that Platina depended on Martino for the
recipes based on this acknowledgement in Platina's book (in a recipe for bianco
mangare Platina says):  "Oh ye immortal Gods, which cook could compete with my
friend Martino of Como, with whom originates to a large extent that which I am
writing here".  

Wilson also indicates that Martino's recipes were also printed in another
italian cookbook called "Epulario" (Of Feasting), which is almost identical to
the 15th Century manuscript.  Aparently this book ran to 30 editions in a
hundered years (being translated into German, French & Italian & English) and
was still being printed in the mid 1600s.  Wilson indicates that it spent much
of the time being incorrectly attributed to a Giovanne de Roselli.

Basically, then, if her information is correct, given the apparent popularity of
the latter manuscript (and given that it is supposed to be the source of
Platina's info), it may be that Epulario can certainly be found in the required
period in Florence.

my 2 cents

Lorix