Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 15

The reference by the original to "which the Romans call 'color'" indicates, according to Brandt, that this formula is NOT of ROMAN origin but probably a translation into Latin from a Greek cookery book.

This is an interesting suggestion, and it could be elaborated on to say that the entire Apicius is NOT of Roman origin. But why should the Greeks who in their balmy days were so far in advance of Rome in culinary matters go there for such information?

It is more likely that this reference to Rome comes from the Italian provinces or the colonies, regions which naturally would look to Rome for guidance in such matters.

[56] ANOTHER AMULATUM _AMULATUM ALITER_

DISJOINT A CHICKEN AND BONE IT. PLACE THE PIECES IN A STEW PAN WITH LEEKS, DILL AND SALT [water or stock] WHEN WELL DONE ADD PEPPER AND CELERY SEED, THICKEN WITH RICE [1] ADD STOCK, A DASH OF RAISIN WINE OR MUST, STIR WELL, SERVE WITH THE ENTReES.

[1] G.-V. _oryzam_; Tor. ditto (and on margin) _oridam_; Hum. _oridiam legendum orindam_--a kind of bread. Dann.

and Goll. rice flour.

In a general way the ancient formula corresponds exactly to our present chicken frica.s.see.

[57] SPELT OR FARINA PUDDING _APOTHERMUM_

BOIL SPELT WITH [Tor. PIGNOLIA] NUTS AND PEELED ALMONDS [1] [G.-V.

AND] IMMERSED IN [boiling] WATER AND WASHED WITH WHITE CLAY SO THAT THEY APPEAR PERFECTLY WHITE, ADD RAISINS, [flavor with] CONDENSED WINE OR RAISIN WINE AND SERVE IT IN A ROUND DISH WITH CRUSHED [2] [nuts, fruit, bread or cake crumbs] SPRINKLED OVER IT [3].

[1] V. We peel almonds in the same manner; the white clay treatment is new to us.

G.-V. and--which is confusing.

[2] The original: _confractum_--crushed, but what? G.-V.

pepper, for which there is neither authority nor reason.

A wine sauce would go well with it or crushed fruit.

List. and Goll. Breadcrumbs.

[3] This is a perfectly good pudding--one of the very few desserts in Apicius. With a little sweetening (supplied probably by the condensed wine) and some grated lemon for flavor it is quite acceptable as a dessert.

[58] DE AMBOLATO CAP. IIII

Ex Torinus, not mentioned by the other editors. The sense of this word is not clear. It must be a recipe or a chapter the existence of which was known to Torinus, for he says: "This entire chapter is wanting in our copy."

III

[59] A DISH OF SOW'S MATRIX _VULVULae BOTELLI_ [1]

ENTReES [2] OF SOW'S MATRIX [3] ARE MADE THUS: CRUSH PEPPER AND c.u.mIN WITH TWO SMALL HEADS OF LEEK, PEELED, ADD TO THIS PULP RUE, BROTH [and the sow's matrix or fresh pork] CHOP, [or crush in mortar very fine]

THEN ADD TO THIS [forcemeat] INCORPORATING WELL PEPPER GRAINS AND [pine] NUTS [4] FILL THE CASING [5] AND BOIL IN WATER [with] OIL AND BROTH [for seasoning] AND A BUNCH OF LEEKS AND DILL.

[1] G.-V. _Vulvulae Botelli_; Sch. _Vulvulae isiciata_; Tor. _De Vulvulis et botellis_. See note No. 3.

[2] V. "_Entrees_" out of respect for the ancients who used them as such; today we would cla.s.s such dishes among the "_hors d'uvres chauds_."

[3] V. _Vulvula_, dim. for _v.u.l.v.a_, sow's matrix. Cf.

_v.u.l.v.a_ in dictionary. Possible, also possible that _volva_ is meant--a meat roll, a croquette.

[4] V. Combinations of chopped nuts and pork still in vogue today; we use the green pistachios.

[5] V. The casings which were filled with this forcemeat may have been the sow's matrices, also caul. The original is vague on the point.

[60] LITTLE SAUSAGE _BOTELLUM_ [1]

BOTELLUM IS MADE OF [2] HARD BOILED YOLKS OF EGG [3] CHOPPED PIGNOLIA NUTS, ONION AND LEEKS, RAW GROUND PINE [4] FINE PEPPER, STUFF IN CASINGS AND COOK IN BROTH AND WINE [5].

[1] V. _Botelli_, or _botuli_, are sausage of various kind; (French, Boudin, English, Pudding). Originally made of raw blood, they are in fact, miniature blood sausage. The absence of meat in the present formula makes me believe that it is not complete, though hard boiled yolk when properly seasoned and mixed with the right amount of fat, make a tasty forcemeat for sausage.

[2] Tor. _Botellum sic fades ex oui_; Sch. and G.-V.

_s.e.x ovi_--the number of eggs is immaterial.

[3] Dann. Calf's Sweetbreads.

[4] Goll. _Thus crudum_--raw blood. _Thus_ or _tus_ is either frankincense or the herb, ground-pine. Dann.

Rosemary. Hum. _Thus crudum lege jus crudum_--jus or broth which would make the forcemeat soft. There is no reason for changing "_thus_" into "_jus_!"

[5] G.-V. _Adicies liquamen et vinum, et sic coques_.

Tor. & _vino decoquas_.

IV

[61] LUCANIAN SAUSAGE _LUCANICae_

LUCANIAN SAUSAGE [or meat pudding] ARE MADE SIMILAR TO THE ABOVE: CRUSH PEPPER, c.u.mIN, SAVORY, RUE, PARSLEY, CONDIMENT, LAUREL BERRIES AND BROTH; MIX WITH FINELY CHOPPED [fresh Pork] AND POUND WELL WITH BROTH. TO THIS MIXTURE, BEING RICH, ADD WHOLE PEPPER AND NUTS. WHEN FILLING CASINGS CAREFULLY PUSH THE MEAT THROUGH. HANG SAUSAGE UP TO SMOKE.

V. Lister's interesting remarks about the makers of these sausages are given in the dictionary. Cf. Longano.

V

[62] SAUSAGE _FARCIMINA_

POUND EGGS AND BRAINS [eggs raw, brains cooked] PINE NUTS [chopped fine] PEPPER [whole] BROTH AND A LITTLE LASER WITH WHICH FILL THE CASINGS. FIRST PARBOIL THE SAUSAGE THEN FRY THEM AND SERVE.

V. The directions are vague enough, but one may recognize in them our modern brain sausage.