[Sca-cooks] Libro di cucina spices was Re: Brussel sprouts

[Louise Smithson]

Elizabeth/Betty Cook wrote regarding the sprout recipe
from Libro di cucina:

> I haven't worked from the Libro del Coch; when he
> says "spices", can
> you tell from neighboring recipes (or related
> cookbooks) what he is
> likely to mean?

There are recipes for three spice blends in Libro di
cucina:

LXXIII. Fine spices for all things.
Take one ounce of pepper and one of cinnamon and one
of ginger and half a quarter (of an ounce) of cloves
and a quarter (of an ounce) of saffron.

LXXIV.  Sweet spices for enough things good and fine.
The best sweet spices that you make one wants for
lamprey in crust and for other good sweet water fish
that one cooks in a pie and for making good broth and
good sauces.  Take one quarter of cloves and one ounce
of good ginger and take an ounce of cinnamon and take
enough leaves of all these spices and make a powder
together how you please, and if you don't want to do
more, take the things in this same ratio and it is
marvelously good.

LXXV. Spices black and strong for enough sauces.
Spices black and strong to make sauces; take half a
quarter of cloves and two ounces of pepper and take
enough long pepper and two nutmegs and do as all
spices.


In other dishes with vegetables we are asked to add
spices sweet and strong:

XXIV. Maize dish (Frumenty) good and perfectly useful.

If you want to make a frumenty, take the wheat and
beat it well to when it leaves the shell/husk, then
wash it well, then put it to boil not much, then throw
away the water, then put into it that fat of the meat
that you choose, and it needs to be not too much, and
mix spices sweet and strong and saffron, and if you do
not have wheat take rice; it will be good.

XXV. Mushrooms
If you want to make mushrooms, take dried mushrooms
and set them to moisten in hot water and wash them
well, then boil them and then make them good how you
want and know; then take onions and herbs and season
with sweet and strong spices; and then put the
mushrooms into and fry every thing together, and take
unpeeled almonds and grind them and then put them over
the mushrooms; or else add verjuice and they should be
hot.

Or just sweet spices:
XXXIX.  Meat of the apples good and perfect.
Take the apples, and peel and cut in quarters and let
them boil; when they are enough cooked pour away the
water, then put in the fat of the meat that you
choose, and do in this way gourds also, and put good
sweet spices and beaten eggs how it seems to you.

When I made the sprouts I found that the bitter taste
of them are balanced by a predominant use of sweet
spices, with a little strong spices for peppery bite.

Hope this helps.




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