[Sca-cooks] Re: Coronation and Lecture - long

[Devra at aol.com]

        Well, when push came to shove, and I was ready to load the car on 
Saturday at 7:45am (an hour that doesn't normally exist in my consciousness) I 
looked at the pile of boxes, at the absence of Lani-the-hair-stykx who normally 
loads whilst I schlep, and at the rain, and said, Scr*w it and went back to 
bed.  Sorry if you were thinking of wasting money at my booth...  Going to 
Coronation was a last-minute thing, since I was supposed to have my second cataract 
removed on Thursday, which would have made the whole idea mote anyway. Then I 
switched the eye date so I could go to a lecture, and Coronation became 
possible... until I looked at the weather.  Of course, I would also have had to 
unload the car at site, and then reload it to drive home and then carry the boxes 
back up the five steps of the stoop... *sigh*
     The lecture I went to instead of an eye operation was given by the 
Culinary Historians of NY. It was a discussion of Apicius and the new translation 
that has been done by Sally Grainger and her husband Chris (forget his last 
name). Ms Grainger and Chris came here to NY for the lecture and to take a final 
look at the 9th Century copy of Apicius that resides in the NY Academy of 
Medicine on 103rd St. The two talks were very interesting, discussing the physical 
ms and the various handwritings (not written by one person) as well as 
several questions of tricky interpretation. Ms Grainger also spoke of the redacting 
of some recipes, and put in a good word for Vehling (whom I have generally 
heard reviled) for understanding as a cook some things that Latinists did not 
grasp. They ended by saying that, unlike many other historical documents on food, 
which were literary discussions of history and where to get the finest 
ingredients - I only use PARMA oysters, dahling - that Apicius apparently was 
written by blue-collar workers (cooks themselves) for other blue-collar workers 
(other cooks.)
     The Academy had its own caterer do the refreshments, but apparently the 
CHNY was able to give them appropriate recipes: they produced a delightful 
asparagus platina, several kinds of olives, chickpeas with grated cheese, 
mortarium (cheese-garlic-herb balls), small bread rolls made with 'wine must', and a 
spiced honeyed wine punch. One of the Culinary ladies made dates stuffed with 
nuts and fried in honey.  Altogether, a delightful repast.
     Before the lectures, we were escorted up to the library (a model of 
musty antiquity)and given a chance to look at the actual copy of the Apicius. (The 
other copy of this edition is in the Vatican!) It's loose signatures, with 
the rebound cover separate. I was most impressed that they handled the ms 
themselves - without gloves - and let us breathe near it; I had expected to find it 
in a sealed glass case with nitrogen, the way they keep the Declaration of 
Independence. And you can call them and make an appointment to examine it without 
a letter of recommendation from twelve professors! 
     I didn't see any local Scadians, which I was sorry for.  It was a very 
enjoyable evening!
     The new translation, by the way, has been turned in to Prospect Books, 
but don't expect to see it before summer of 2006.
     Devra



Devra Langsam
www.poisonpenpress.com
devra at aol.com