[Sca-cooks] late italian feast

[Lilinah]

>  1 tsp strong spice mix
>  1/4 c. black pepper, 1/4 c. long pepper (use black pepper instead),
>  3/4 tsp. ground cloves and 1 whole nutmeg, grated )

The re-creation of the Italian strong dark spice blend from a 
possibly 14th C. (but more likely early 15th C.) Italian cookbook, 
sometimes known as the Venetian Libro di cucina, has been recommended.
The text translated by Helewyse is available at:
http://www.geocities.com/helewyse/libro.html

LXXV Black and strong spices for many sauces.
Take half a quarter [of an ounce] of cloves, two ounces of pepper and 
an [equal] quantity of long pepper and nutmeg and do [grind] as all 
spices.


Now, the spreading fungus that is Whole Foods - where i frequently 
shop - actually sells long pepper! While i know WF is not yet 
everywhere, it's in a lot of cities, so long pepper is no longer the 
impossible-to-find spice it has been until recently.

Before i could find any long pepper, i made the recipe in the 
proportions as stated, but i substituted a blend of half cubeb and 
half grains of paradise (to equal the quantity of long pepper). It's 
not a period recreation, but it is quite tasty. And it has a nice and 
more complex flavor than making it with mass quantities of black 
pepper.
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita

My LibraryThing
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/lilinah