SC - Phaseolus recipes

[Decker, Terry D.]

Platina 7.14

On the Kidney Bean

There is the kidney bean, phaseolus or phasellus, which Virgil calls lowly.
Apuleius writes that this name comes from the island of Phasellus, not far
from Mt. Olympus.  Kidney beans have warm and damp force.  Their use
lubricates the bowels and is fattening, moves the urine, and is good for
chest and lungs but fills the head with gross and bad humors and brings on
dreams, and indeed bad ones.  Its cold and harmfulness can be reduced to
some degree by sprinkling with majoram, pepper, and mustard.  After [eating]
kidney beans, it is necessary to drink pure water.


Platina 7.33

Dish Made from Peas

Let peas come to a boil with carob.  When they are taken from the water, put
in a frying pan with bits of salt meat, especially that balanced between
lean and fat.  I would wish, however, that the bits had been fried a little
beforehand.  Then add a bit of verjuice, a bit of must, or some sugar and
cinnamon.  Cook broad beans in the same way.



Recipe 7.33 is problematical.  The Latin text in Milham states, "Hoc item
modo et phaseolos coquito."  Milham translates this as "cook broad beans in
the same way."  Elsewhere in the text, broad beans appear as "fabam" and
kidney beans appear as "phaseolus."  The pattern of translation suggests
that the "broad beans" of this recipe should be translated as "kidney
beans."  As the two preceding recipes are for broad beans, it is possible
that this apparent translation error is a printer's typographical error.

According to a footnote, the recipe is taken from Martino and was entitled
in his work, "Per fava li piselli fritti nella fava menata."  Said title
suggests that broad beans are meant rather than kidney beans.

Bon Chance

Bear