[Sca-cooks] Roman sauces

[johnna holloway]

Hi, from Johnna Holloway //Johnnae llyn Lewis

Read your query on SCA-COOKS today.

I have some thoughts regarding the Roman transcriptions.

I have a copy of Flower and Rosenbaum's THE ROMAN COOKERY
BOOK which is the 1958 translation of Apicius. I also
have THE ROMAN COOKERY OF APICIUS by John Edwards, 1984.

F&R clearly indicate in their versions that some of the
sauces ought to be boiled. They don't call for boiling
this thyme-mustard sauce that goes along with the Chicken
with Marrows/pumpkins/squash/whatever your substitute is
for the Latin "cucurbitis". Edwards says simmer the chicken
in the sauce on page 141 of his book.

Solomon & Solomon in their book ANCIENT ROMAN FEASTS AND RECIPES,
1977, seem to also call for cooking several of the sauces. They
don't include the chicken with squash.  Mark Grant also doesn't
include the chicken with squash recipe in his ROMAN COOKERY ANCIENT
RECIPES FOR MODERN KITCHENS, 1999, but he does boil down his
various recipes for sauces.

Perhaps the new APICIUS that is due out from Prospect books in late
2001 or early 2002 will provide us with more variations or reasonings
for how to treat the sauces.

Sincerely,

Johnna



Mem Morman wrote:
>
> At our Dragonspine Cooks Guild last night we play-tested four recipes
> for a Roman feast that a relatively inexperienced cook is doing in
> September.  We did Chicken with Squash (Giacosa - Vehling calls it
> Chicken with Pumpkins), and Pork and Apples, and Artichokes with Eggs
> (why does Vehling call them Cardoons?) and Carrots with Cumin.
>
> We noticed significant differences between the Giacosa and Vehling
> translations.  For instance, in the Carrot dish, Giacosa translates it
> as Cumin and Vehling as Lasar.  Same with pumpkins and squash (but that
> part I understand).
>
> My real question here is that there was no instruction in any of the
> originals to -cook- the sauces - just ingredients to prepare them.  We
> made the decision to cook the sauces, but had a lot of discussion on
> whether they should simply be mixed together and served cold.  Opinions?
>
> Elaina
>
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