[Sca-cooks] Re: Carrot-Cheese Pie in Scappi

[Louise Smithson]

Okay, I've located the original recipe in Scappi's "Opera". It's at:
http://alfama.sim.ucm.es/dioscorides/consulta_libro.asp?ref=X533351951
Go to image 739.

I could use some help from the Italian readers out there. (Helwyse, you listening?) 

It calls for one pound of grated Parmasan cheese or _________ (can't read the word)
A pound and a half of fatty cheese
Six ounces of provatura

To refresh your memories, Granado's version calls for "a pound of Tronchon cheese and a pound and a half of buttery Pinto cheese, and six ounces of fresh cheese".


Ask and you shall recieve.  (I have not transcribed it for speed and space).

To make a pie of carrots and other roots and other things.  Chapter 111

Wash and peel the carrots, and parboil them in water, then take them out of the water and put them to cook in good meat broth.  When they are cooked take them out and cut them very small with a knife.  Add mint and marjoram and for every two pounds of chopped carrots add a pound of Parmegian cheese or of Riviera  grated, one pound and a half of fat cheese and six ounces of provatura.  One ounce of pepper ground, two ounces of Napoletan biscotti ground, one ounce of cinnamon, two ounces of candied sour orange peel cut small, one poind of sugar, eight eggs, three ounces of butter. And with the mixture make a pie with a sheet (of pastry) below and above and "tortiglione sfogliato" around, and cook it in the oven or under a "testo".  Make a crust (icing) with sugar and cinnamon and rose water.  In theis way you can make a tart of any kind of parsnip or root of parsley, having emptied out the heart/seed.

Notes: Parmesan - a hard salty cheese,
Riviera - another hard aged cheese, think of grano padano.
fat cheese - never quite worked out what this is other than a fresh, softer cheese, maybe akin to farmers cheese but is not ricotta OR mozzarella because those are always refered to by name. 
Provatura - the original mozzarella made with buffalo milk.
Napoletan biscotti - biscotti made with flour, eggs, sugar, aniseed and if I remember rightly musk.  Often used as a thickening agent. 
Pies were frequently embelished around the rim with Tortiglione sfogliato.  The best description I can give is of very thin layers of pasty (think flaky or filo) layered and then twisted into rounds. 
The Testo is the dutch oven of the Italian renaisance, it allows you to cook pies in the coals of the fire. 
The Italian pound or libro is about 12 modern ounces.  

Helewyse



			
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