[Sca-cooks] Cato as a recipe source

[Terry Decker]

> Bear said:
> <<< It is a nice selection, but it is not complete.  I have most of  these 
> that I
> have collected from various sources over the years.  I also have recipes
> for Epityrum (olive paste), Mustacei (a cookie-like dessert, baked on  bay
> leaves), a couple of recipes for preserving and preparing green olives 
> and a
> recipe for preserving whole dried figs. >>>
>
> When you say you "also have", does this mean these aren't in the  webpage 
> that Caraidoc gave? I haven't had time to more than glance at  that page 
> so far.
>

The webpage Cariadoc gave states (IIRC), that it is a selection from Cato. 
Since I have some recipes from Cato that are not on the webpage, the 
selection is obviously incomplete, as I am certain the list of recipes I 
have are incomplete.  I keep forgetting to find a translation of De 
Agricultra to see what I'm missing.

> If so, can you please post the recipes for the olive paste and 
> particularly the recipes for preserving and preparing green olives? I 
> previously asked about how you make these inedible olives edible here  but 
> didn't get much info other than some references to a modern book  on 
> olives. I'm not sure I could ever find the raw olives to try this  with, 
> but it would be interesting to know how this is done.


I'll transcribe them and post to the list when I have a little more time. 
Today, I am reinstalling the drain system for a central A/C and the hot 
water heater safety valve and preparing for and delivering a demo on making 
manchet.

> The mustacei sounds interesting as well, although I guess you would  need 
> to find a source for fresh, rather than dried, leaves. Would  plucking the 
> leaves off of a fresh Laurel work? Or are they too dried  out by the time 
> they're made Peers? :-)
>
> Stefan

Since the object appears to be to impart flavor, dried bay leaves should 
work fine.  You should have the mustacei recipe in the Florilegium, since I 
posted a copy to the list a number of years ago.

Bear