[Sca-cooks] Natural Magick as a Culinary source?

[Jeff Gedney]

Sorry I did not read that correctly....
I often get a related question from students when I mention "Roman 
corn ships", such as the great ships recovered at the bottom of 
Lake Nemi. So I geeked on that and missed your emphasis...

It looks like it. 
The Spanish brought Indian corn to Europe quite early in the 
conquest, but it remained rather a curiosity, as I understand it.
Natural Magic was first published in 1550-1560 or so, which is 
late enough that he could have had soem experience with maize.
Certainly the Spanish and the Italians of Naples were in great 
communication at the time, as Naples was under spanish rule at 
that time for close to 100 years. 
So it is possible that he got a chance to see some maize. 

Capt Elias
Dragonship Haven, East
(Stratford, CT, USA)
Apprentice in the House of Silverwing

-Renaissance Geek of the Cyber Seas
- Help! I am being pecked to death by the Ducks of Dilletanteism! 
There are SO damn many more things I want to try in 
the SCA than I can possibly have time for. 
It's killing me!!!

-----------------------------------------------------
Upon the hempen tackle ship-boys climbing;
Hear the shrill whistle which doth order give
To sounds confused; behold the threaden sails,
Borne with the invisible and creeping wind,
Draw the huge bottoms through the furrow'd sea,
Breasting the lofty surge: O, do but think
You stand upon the ravage and behold
A city on the inconstant billows dancing;
For so appears this fleet majestical,
Holding due course to Harfleur. 
  - Shakespeare - Henry V, Act III, Prologue







---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Barbara Benson <voxeight at gmail.com>
Reply-To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Date:  Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:32:06 -0400

>Greetings,
>
>I have been doing research on the Camera Obscura which led me to
>peruse the text "Natural Magick" by Giambattista della Porta. Some
>good person is fascinated enough with the text that he has webbed not
>only the entirety of the original Latin, but also the entirety of an
>English translation from 1658. His website is:
>http://homepages.tscnet.com/omard1/jportat5.html
>
>There are many fascinating items in this text, including sections on
>household items and cookery. Just for fun I looked through the
>sections and did not find anything that resembled actual recipes - but
>it was interesting none the less. Now the question is, how on if we
>should consider this source. If anyone else would like to take a look
>and venture an opinion that would be great.
>
>One of the most significant culinary things that I noticed was on the
>following page:
>
>http://homepages.tscnet.com/omard1/jportac4.html#bk4XVIII
>
>In the ancient days they made Bread of diverse kinds of Corn and
>Pulse, it would be needless to repeat them, for you may find them in
>the books of the Ancients, and there can be no error in making them. 
>In Campania, very sweet Bread is made of Millet.  Also the people of
>Sarmatia are chiefly fed with this Bread, and with the raw Meal
>tempered with Mares Milk, or Blood drawn out of the veins of their
>legs.  The Ethiopians know no other Corn then Millet and Barley.  Some
>parts of France use Panick, but chiefly Aquitane.  But Italy about Po,
>add Beans to it, without which they make nothing.  The people of
>Pontus prefer no meat before Panick.  Panick Meal now adays is
>neglected by us and out of use, for it is dry and of small
>nourishment.  Of Millet Bread and cakes are made, but they are heavy
>and hard of digestion and clammy to eat.  Unless they be eaten
>presently when they are newly baked, or hot, else they become heavy
>and compact together.
>****[emphasis by me]
>Of the Indian Mais, heavy Bread is made and not pleasant at all, very
>dry and earthy next to Millet.
>****
>Like to this is Bread called Exsergo, that is also void of nutrimental
>juice.  There was also of old Bread called Ornidos, made of a certain
>seed of Ethiopia, so like Sesamum that it is hard to know them
>asunder. Also...
>
>Is this a reference to Europeans making a sort of bread out of Maize
>in period? Has anyone seen anything like this?
>
>I just thought I would bring it up here - possibly this road has been
>traveled before and I missed it. Or it could be complete bunk. I
>figured the people here would be the best equipped to figure this out.
>
>Glad Tidings,
>Serena da Riva
>
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