SC - olives

[Stefan li Rous]

Ras said: 
> CBlackwill at aol.com writes:
> << Please say I'm right... >>
> 
> Right. Uncured olives are referred to by that term or 'raw' and rarely 
> 'fresh.' 

Do you mean today, or in period referances?

My comments were originally in referance to a period recipe that put them
in vinegar and oil. That may in fact cure them.

Let's see. Here it is:
> There's also the possibility of using a tapenade made of olives.  I found
> something that looks, smells and tastes like a tapenade in A Taste of Ancient
> Rome...a recipe by Cato, that one of my protege's redacted.  It's called
> "Epityrum", and the recipe is:
> 
> Make Green, black or varicolored epityrum in this way. Pit the green, black or
> varicolored olives.  Season them thus:  Chop them, and add oil, vinegar,
> coriander, cumin, fennel, rue and mint.  Put them in a small jar, with oil on
> top and they are ready to use.

Would "green, black or varicolored olives" necessarily indicate fresh or
cured olives?

If fresh then they still may end up being cured in this recipe, provided
"and they are ready to use" means they may be used without other
preperation rather than they can be eaten immediately.

If this recipe does end up "curing" the olives then why would you
start with cured olives, at least in period? Today you might simple
because the cured ones might be more available or even cheaper.

Maybe if we can get the original recipe in Latin, maybe a cook here
can check the translation, particularly that last "ready to use" part.

- -- 
Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
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