SC - Fw: Origin of Ravioli

[allilyn at juno.com]

My new copy of Dr. Thomas Scully's  mid 15th C. 'The Neapolitan Recipe
Collection' arrived today--Thanks, Devra!--and there are ravioli recipes
in it.  NOT Chef Boyardee, in case you are new to medieval cooking,
Nicholas.

This collection is 'Cuoco Napoletano', MS Bu:ler 19, Pierpont Morgan
Library, New York.  Book citation: The University of Michigan Press, Ann
Arbor, 2000.  ISBN 0-472-10972-3.  Contains the original recipes, as well
as criticism, and commentary on the recipes.  Scully says it has clear,
primary connection to Martino.

Recipe #10 is a fairly standard, if elaborate, version that we've seen in
a number of collections, calling for ground meat- pork belly, loin of
veal,and  capon breast; spices-fragrant herbs, pepper, cloves, ginger,
and saffron; old cheese and a little new, creamy cheese.  All of these
are to be well ground, enclosed in a thin dough in nut-sized amounts, and
cooked in capon broth or other meat broth, garnished with a mix of grated
cheese and good spices.

Recipe #11 is different.  It calls for buffalo cheese well ground
(Scully's comment on the buffalo cheese calls it 'probatura' and says the
taste and texture resemble mozzarella, but it is exported from Italy)
butter, ginger and cinnamon; for one cheese add 3 well beaten egg whites
and a decent amount of sugar; mix well; shape it into ravioli the length
and thickness of a finger and coat with flour; note that these are made
without dough; boil gently so they don't fall apart, when they begin to
boil, remove and set out with sugar and cinnamon; can make it yellow with
saffron.

In the two, cheese, sugar and spices, and flour are all they have in
common except for the simmering method of cooking.  Were they called
ravioli because of this?  About a year ago, I posted some comments about
German versions which were fried, some baked.  Probably in the
Florilegium by now.  Stefan, what did you call the file "little
individual stuffed dough thingies"?  Scully lists some other collections
for #10--Forme of Curye, etc., but  #11 is Southern Italy and seems to
have no counterpart.

Anybody know of other ravioli that are fried, baked, or similar to #11? 
It almost seems dessert type, doesn't it?  Depending on what they
considered a 'decent' amount of sugar for this.

Notes on ravioli as feast food:  very popular in a number of versions,
but very labor intensive.  Making them the morning of the feast is the
least practical way, unless you are overflowing with experienced, willing
cooks.  One of the most practical ways were some that Margaret and I did
ahead of time, she making and cutting the dough, I filling, pressing, and
partially cooking the stuffed ones in boiling water--just so they
wouldn't stick together.  These were frozen on cookie sheets, the frozen
ones stored in freezer bags, then cooked in broth at the event.  Do Not
wrap and freeze raw dough in waxed paper!  When thawed, you will have one
gigantic lump of garbage.

Regards,
Allison,     allilyn at juno.com


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