[Sca-cooks] Torta Sambuccea

[Marian Rosenberg]

#2 in a series of "help us plan a period menu for Pennsic"

VIII 32. Elderberry Pie. Mix with elder flowers all the things which we
have noted for white pie. The latter mixture ought to be, however,
thicker than the former, because the flowers are distributed throughout.
Although this dish is of little nourishment and is digested slowly,
nevertheless it makes those eating it frequently happier. Let Caelius
eat this, who surpasses Saturn in melancholy. (Milham, 367)

VIII 26. White Pie. Pound well a pound and a half of the best fresh
cheese, cut up especially  fine. When it is pounded, mix in twelve to
fifteen egg whites, a half pound of sugar, a half ounce of white ginger,
a half pound of pork fat, the same of fresh butter, and as much milk as
will be enough. When you have spread a thin pastry crust in an
earthenware pot, put in all these things. When it has been placed on the
hearth, cook on a slow fire. Put coals on the top of the lid so that it
will become more colored. When it is cooked and taken from this pot,
sprinkle ground sugar with rose water on it. This is very nourishing, is
digested slowly, warms the liver, but it causes blockages, generates
stone, and is bad for eyes and nerves. (Milham, 363)

VIII 44. White Pie.  Soak a well-crushed pound of almonds with rose
water and the juice of almost cooked rice, and pass through a sieve into
a mortar.  Then grind eight ounces of well-cooked rice with these
almonds, adding three ounces of white yeast, a little starch, half a
pound of pike eggs, as has been said above, an ounce of sugar, and a few
pine nuts, pounded in a mortar.  When these are all mixed, spread in a
well-oiled pan with an undercrust and put on the hearth.  When it is
half cooked, spread crepes on top.  On the cooked mixture, sprinkle rose
water with sugar.  I would invite Cassius often for this if it did not
make him sick with colic.  It is very nourishing, helps the liver, and
arouses passion.  (Milham 375)

How do I figure out which White Pie Platina is referring to?

  When I made Torta Sambuccea before I used VIII 26 as the basis of my
  recipe because I hadn't noticed VIII 44.  This was a successful dish
  in that people liked it.  But, should I label it peri-oid instead of
  period?

Next, what type of cheese would be the "best fresh cheese" in Italy in
the 1470s?

  When I made Torta Sambuccea before I used a combination of cheeses,
  specifically normal ricotta, a dry ricotta from the "expensive
  cheese" section of the store, and a lot of brie because I finagled
  some very good brie for very very cheap.  One of my Pennsic camp mates
  has stated that ricotta is the old world equivalent of Velveeta and
  that he will tolerate its usage but prefers alternatives if
  alternatives exist.

Finally, does anyone have any cheese recipes?

  Considering the easy availability of fresh milk at Pennsic, it might
  be very very cool to have fresh homemade cheese to use as the best
  fresh cheese either in this recipe or in others that call for cheese.

-M