[Sca-cooks] Re: tomato evidence

[Louise Smithson]

Adamantius wrote:

We might look at some alternate sources for ideas.
Gerard is certainly one; while it's true he published
some things that weren't  completely reliable, there
was enough contact between his English readers and
various Spaniards (think of all the Spanish recipes,
possibly equally questionable, in Digby, for
nstance), that this would be pretty easily confirmed.
There's also an Italian herbal (I forget the name, I
am in desperate need of caffeine) from right around
the end of our period. Castel-somebody-or-other...

How about the Epulario? (I don't have a copy...) It
was translated into English either before, or not long
after, 1600, and is plainly a period, post-Columbian,
Italian cookbook.

Hey, the lady could simply use Gerard's description,
and explain that she got the info from a slightly mad
Englishman...

I have a copy of Epulario, it was printed (at least my
copy) in 1598, within the confines of the period.  But
was to my knowledge actually written much earlier.  It
does not contain any mention whatsover of Tomatoes.

The italian herbal in question is "Brieve racconto di
tutte le radici, di tutte l’erbe e di tutti i frutti
che crudi o cotti in Italia si mangiano."  Short
account of all the roots, all the herbs and all the
fruits that raw or cooked are eaten in Italy.
Written by Giacomo Castelvetro (1546-1616) in 1614
while staying in London with sir Adam Newton.  The
text is available on-line in Italian at
http://www.liberliber.it/biblioteca/c/castelvetro/index.htm
I scanned both the summer (Estate) and autumn
(Autunno) section of this work and could find no
reference at all to Tomatoes.  Although it is a fairly
comprehensive study of all the vegetables eaten.  E.G.
in beans it lists:
fava lupina - lupini beans
fagiuoli turchesci - turkish beans (seeds can be white
black or red)
fagiuoli nostrano - our beans (short bushes, beans can
be eaten in salads)
ceci - chickpeas
lente - lentils
cecerchuia - vetch
Understand that I did not do a full translation mearly
scanning of the text for names of fruit or nature of
plant to find something that resembles tomatoes.  If
you are assuming that this author would not list
peasant foods then you are mistaken.  He says of
lentils
Abbiam noi con molte altre nazioni la lente, ch’è
forse e senza forse il più mal sano legume di quanti
se ne mangi, dal suo brodo in fuori, che vogliono che
giovi mirabilmente a darlo a bere a’ fanciulli aventi
i vaiuoli; nonostante questo, altri che la vil plebe
da noi la mangia.
We have in common with other nations lentils.  That
are without doubt the most bad health (ill humored)
legume of all than one eat, give its broth outside
(pour out), that we want that it to be marvelously
useful give it to drink to children who have the small
pox; notwithstanding this, others of the country
plebians (read peasants) of ours eat this.

This does not give me the impression that it was a
vegetable favored at rich tables, yet was mentioned.

Scappi is the latest (and to my knowledge) most
complete Italian cookbook of late period.  But I don't
have mine yet so cannot vouch for the presence or not
of tomatoes.  So far the evidence is against it.  Why
do tomatoes have to be included in the meal when there
are many good Italian recipes out there without them.
If they want a period feast go with the known recipes.
 If not then just make up whatever you want, just tell
people that there is no evidence that it was eaten.

My two cents worth.

Helewyse de Birkestad



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