[Sca-cooks] Black-eyed peas recipes?

[Terry Decker]

If you go with Powell's translation of Galen's "De alimentorum facultatibus" 
(On the Properties of Foodstuffs), V. unguiculata (cowpeas, black-eyed peas) 
are "phaselos."  Galen also lists a number of other legumes by different 
names with "dolchios" being a problematic V. sinensis (taxonomically V. 
unguiculata) and possibly referencing up to four related legumes. 
"Phaselos" equates to "fasoli" in Italian.  "Fasoli" was expanded to 
encompass the New World beans after 1492.

If you are willing to accept that "fasoli" are black-eyed peas, then these 
14th Century recipes supplied by Urtatim a number of years ago, might work 
for you:

"Here are the originals and Vittoria's translations:

[57]
 De' fasoli. Fasoli bene lavati e bulliti, metti a cocere con oglio e 
cipolle, con sopradette spezie, cascio grattato, et ova dibattute.

Beans well cleaned and boiled, set them to cook with oil and onions, with 
aforementioned spices, grated cheese, and beaten eggs.

[58]
 Altramente al modo trivisano. Metti fasoli bulliti, descaccati, a  cocere 
con carne insalata, e con pepe, e zaffarano. E possonsi dare soffritti con 
oglio, postovi dentro un poco d'aceto, amido e sale.

Another preparation in the style of Treviso.  Put boiled beans, shelled, to 
cook with salted meat, and with pepper and saffron.  And this can be served 
fried in oil, put in a bit of vinegar, starch, and salt.

[59]
 Altramente. Tolli i fasoli bulliti, e gittatane via l'acqua, mettili a 
cocere con carne di castrone, di porco, o di bue, o qualunche vuoli, e molto 
pesta, e un poco di zaffarano e sale, e da' mangiare.

Another preparation.  Take boiled beans, and throw away the water, set them 
to cook with mutton, pork, or beef, or whatever you like, and grind it well, 
and a bit of saffron and salt, and serve it."


The source is Tuscan, but I don't seem to have the bibliographic data with 
the recipes.

Bear



>I got some black-eyed peas, since they are one of the old world beans, but 
>so far I haven't found any period recipes for them. Anyone here know any?
>
> -- 
> David/Cariadoc