[Sca-cooks] Forks dated 1526

[johnna holloway]

While doing some background research in Italian sources, I came across
the following item that should be of interest to at least Stefan for his
files--- The article and item are not cited as far as can be determined
in the Florilegium or in Thomas Gloning's files.

The volume is the:

 Opera Nova chi insegna apparechiar una mensa a uno convito: e etaim  by
Eustachio Celebrino da Udine, published in Venice in 1526. This
extraordinarily rare item of 15 leaves was found in the Vatican Library.

This book regarding the office of the Scalo or Head Steward includes
what Italian food historian Claudio Benporat asserts is the earliest
mention of the fork found in a gastronomic text.
For a sumptious banquet, one is instructed to lay "in front of each
guest... a plate with a piece of bread, a cracker (biscottello) and a
cake (pignochato), the whole covered by a napkin." At the side of the
plate were placed a knife and fork (pirone).

An article about this find and what else the volume contains is in PPC
30, PP. 41-45. November 1988. The article is titled: A Discovery at the
Vatican - The First Italian Treatise on the Art of the Scalo (Head
Steward).

Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway