[Sca-cooks] Re: Ruperto de Nola, Libre del Coch

[Stefan li Rous]

While I was off at Gulf Wars, I received this email from a non-SCA person.
He has given me permission to repost this to this list to see if any of
you could answer his questions. I believe we've talked about similar
pots in the past.

Please remember to copy him on any replies as he is not on this list.

Thanks,
   Stefan

> Subject: Ruperto de Nola, Libre del Coch
> Date:  Tue, 12 Mar 2002 17:55:49 -0800
> From: Dick Wild <wild1 at humboldt1.com>
> To: stefan at florilegium.org
>
> Dear Stefan:  I just stumbled across your site in my search for information
> about Ruperto de Nolas "Libre del Coch."  In a quote I found in The
> Heritage of Spanish Cooking by Alicia Rios and Lourdes March, Ruperto de
> Nolas says:  ......."and in case the oven (village) is not ready, put the
> casserole on the coal fire and fill the iron covering with embers; in this
> way it will taste as if it were baked in the oven, and maybe even better
> because it is closer at hand to watch over; this is how to make good rice."
>
> My question is, is there a site that I can access to find a photo, drawing,
> or a more specific description of the iron casserole container that he
> describes?  I've heard that these pots, cauldrons, etc were called
> Marmitas.  If they are Marmitas, my understanding is that they had three
> legs and could hold live coals on their lids.  Part of me thinks that these
> pots may very well have been transported to the Iberian Peninsula by the
> Romans or Greeks and used by the slaves in the Roman kitchens.
>
> Any information about these pots that you can share with me will be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Dick Wild

--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas          stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****