[Sca-cooks] Scappi

[Huette von Ahrens]

--- Susan Fox-Davis <selene at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Bagna Calda [Frequently cited as a "16th
> Century Christmas Dish" but
> I've never managed to document it]
> Pesto Sauce  [Aresty cites Scappi for this, but
> goodness only knows how
> the original actually read!]
>
> Thanks,
> Selene Colfox
> selene at earthlink.net

Unless there is another Aresty book that I don't
know about, Aresty does not cite Scappi for
Pesto.
She cites Henry Buttes' Diets Dry Dinner,
published 1599.

Here is what Buttes has to say about "Green
Sauce":

"Greene Sauce.

Choice: Made of sweete hearbes, as Betony, Mint,
  Basill: also Rose vineger, a Clove or two, and
a
  little Garlicke.

Use: Eaten with flesh (as mustard) exciteth
  appetite : commendeth meates to the Palate :
  helpes concoction : breaketh fleame in the
stomack.

Hurt: Naught for Fevers and hotte Stomacks,
  especially eaten largely.

Correction: Mingle it with the juice of Sower
  Oranges, and eate very good meates upon it.

Degree: According to the temperature of the
  herbes it is made of, now more, now lesse hot.

Season: In hot weather, for any, expecially for
  youth.

Story for Table talks:

This kinde of Sauce, I never tasted my selfe: yet

am bold to communicate it to my friendes, as I
finde it described by the Italian "Frestagio".
The Italian (as all the world knowes) is most
exquisite in the composition of all sortes of
Condiments, they being indeede the better part of
his Diet.  All kinde of Greene Sauce, is
questionlesse best in season, while herbs retain
their full strength and and perfect vigour."

So, in my humble opinion, I don't think that
Esther Aresty did us any favor by putting a
recipe for modern pesto sauce in her book.  I
think that the Buttes mention and several other
mentions of sauces with basil in them from
Platina, Martino and other period Italian
cookbooks may be the ancestors of pesto, but none
of them are very close to what pesto is today.

Huette




=====
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they
shall never cease to be amused.

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