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

[Stefan li Rous]

Devra mentioned:
>       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).
>
>       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),

Sounds good and perhaps a good finger-food/pot luck/appetizer item. Do 
we know which Apicius recipe this might be from? And if so, what is the 
recipe/redaction?

> small bread rolls made with 'wine must',

Did these end up being purplish? Do we have a recipe? I don't remember 
any talk of a bread recipe in Apicius previously.

> and a spiced honeyed wine punch.

Again, do we know the recipe for this? Is it a sweetened wine or a 
mead/methlaglyn?

> One of the Culinary ladies made dates stuffed with
> nuts and fried in honey.

Oh! I think I've made this one. I thought it was more like boiling the 
dates in the honey rather than frying, though. Can you "fry" in 
something other than an oil? Maybe this just means it is supposed to be 
cooked at a higher temperature and in a smaller quantity of honey than 
I expect.

>       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;

>  And you can call them and make an appointment to examine it without
> a letter of recommendation from twelve professors!

Oh! wow. I'll have to keep this in mind if I ever get up to NYC again. 
I often can't see manuscripts, and other items, under glass that well 
(and their labels and descriptions) because of my eyesight.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
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