[Sca-cooks] Alexander von Roes on luxury in dining

[James Chevallier]

An amusing thirteenth century commentary on luxury in dining:


Quid enim sapidius et sanius esse potest

simplici pane bene cocto et fermentato et recentibus carnibus et ovis et piscibus in humore et sapore proprio preparatis , ut propter voluptatem provocandam vel fastidium tollendum panis decoquatur aut frixetur in oleo et ova elixentur in butiro et carnes condiantur cum pipere et croco et pisces cum zinzibere et cynamomo , ut homines videantur non refici alimentis de coquina , sed quasi pasci pigmentis de apotheca 


My rough translation:
What is tasty and healthy can be simple, well baked and risen bread and fresh meat and eggs and fish prepared in their own liquids and flavors, so as to provoke pleasure or because of tediousness boiling bread [meaning to make echaudes'?] or frying it in oil and cooking eggs in butter and preparing meats with pepper and saffron and fish with ginger and cinnamon, so that it may be seen of men that they are not refreshed with food from the kitchen, but as if fed by spices from the pharmacy.

1,2: Die Schriften des Alexander von Roes und des Engelbert von Admont. Teil 2: Engelbert von Admont, Speculum virtutum
http://www.dmgh.de/de/fs1/object/display/bsb00066280_00225.html?sortIndex=010%3A100%3A0001%3A010%3A02%3A00&sort=score&order=desc&context=frixetur&divisionTitle_str=&hl=false&fulltext=frixetur


(Note that "cooking eggs in butter" is distinguished from frying.)
jC


Jim Chevallier
www.chezjim.com