Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 66

[466] SAUCE FOR EEL _IUS IN ANGUILLAM_

EEL WILL BE MADE MORE PALATABLE BY A SAUCE WHICH HAS [1] PEPPER, CELERY SEED, LOVAGE [2], ANISE, SYRIAN SUMACH [3], FIGDATE WINE [4], HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, OIL, MUSTARD, REDUCED MUST.

[1] Tor. sentence wanting in other texts.

[2] Note the position of lovage in this formula. Usually it follows pepper. We have finally accounted for this peculiarity. Torinus, throughout the original, treats "pepper" and "lovage" as one spice, whereas we have kept the two separate. He believed it to be a certain kind of pepper--_piper Ligustic.u.m_. _Piper_, as a matter of fact, stands for pepper, and _Ligustic.u.m_ is the herb, Lovage, an umbelliferous plant, also called _Levistic.u.m_. The fact that the two words are here separated plainly shows that Torinus has been in the dark about this matter almost to the end.

One wonders why he did not change or correct this error in the preceding books. His marginal errata prove that his work was being printed as he wrote it, or furnished copy therefor--namely in installments. Since the printer's type was limited, each sheet was printed in the complete edition, and the type was then used over again for the next sheet.

[3] Tor. _thun_.

[4] Wanting in Tor.

[467] ANOTHER SAUCE FOR EEL _ALITER IUS IN ANGUILLAM_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, SYRIAN SUMACH, DRY MINT, RUE BERRIES, HARD YOLKS, MEAD, VINEGAR, BROTH, OIL; COOK IT.

END OF BOOK X THE LAST OF THE BOOKS OF APICIUS

_CELII APITII HALIEUS LIBER DECIMUS & ULTIMUS. EXPLICIT_ [Tac.]

{Ill.u.s.tration: CANTHARUS, WINE BOWL OR CUP

With elaborate ornamentation: Over a sacred fountain the walls of a theatre, with emblems of a theatrical nature and garlands of flowers and fruits, wine skins, tyrsus, torches, masks and musical instruments. Hildesheim Treasure.}

{Ill.u.s.tration: OPENING CHAPTER, BOOK I, VENICE, 1503

From the Lancilotus edition, printed by Tacuinus in Venice in 1503.

Identical with the two previous editions except for very minor variants. The rubrication is not completed here. Fine initials were painted in the vacant s.p.a.ces by hand; the small letter in the center of the square being the cue for the rubricator. This practice, a remnant from the ma.n.u.script books, was very soon abandoned after the printing of books became commercialized.}

{Transcription:

Laseratum Oxyporum Oxygarum digestibile Oenogarum in tubera Hypotrima Mortaria

-- Ciminatum in ostrea de conchiliis.

Apicii Celii epimeles Incipit liber primus conditum paradoxum.

Conditi Paradoxi compositio: mellis partes. xv.

in aeneum uas mittuntur in praemissis inde s.e.xtariis duobus ut in cocturam mellis uinum decoques.

quod igni lento: & aridis lignis calefactum comotum ferula dum coquitur. Si efferuere cperit uini rore compescitur preter quod subtracto igni in se redit. c.u.m perfrixerit rursus accenditur Hoc secundo ac tertio fiet ac tum demum remotum a foco postridie despumatur c.u.m piperis unciis iiii. iam triti masticis scrupulo. iii. folii & croci dragmae singulae. dactilorum ossibus torridis quinque hisdem dactilis uino mollitis intercedente prius suffusione uini de suo modo ac numero: ut tritura lenis habeatur: his omnibus paratis supermittes uini lenis s.e.xtaria. xviii. carbones perfecto addere duo milia.

-- Conditum meliromum.

Ulatorum conditum meliromum perpetuum quod subministratur per uiam peregrinanti. pp tritum c.u.m melle despumato in cupellam mittis conditi loco. & ad mouendum quantum sit bibendum tantum aut mellis proferas: aut uinum inferas: sed suaserit non nihil uini meliromo mittas adiiciendum propter exitum solutiorem.

-- Absynthium romanum.

Absynthium romanum sic facies. Conditi camerini praeceptis utique pro absynthio cessante: in cuius uicem absynthi ponthici purgati terembitique unciam thebaicam dabis.

masticis folii. iii. scrupulos senos. croci scrupulos. iii. uini eiusmodi s.e.xtarios. xviii. carbones amaritudo non exigit.}

THE EXCERPTS FROM APICIUS BY VINIDARIUS

{Ill.u.s.tration: BREVIS PIMENTORUM

Ma.n.u.script of the 8th Century. From the Codex Salmasia.n.u.s, Excerpts from Apicius by Vinidarius.}

{Transcription:

BREVIS PIMENTORUM QUae IN DOMO ESSE DEBEANT UT CONDIMENTIS NIHIL DESIT;

croc.u.m, piper, zingiber, lasar, folium, baca murrae, costum, cariofilum, spica indica, addena, cardamomum, spica nardi. De seminibus hoc.

dapaber, s.e.m.e.n rudae, baca rutae, baca lauri, s.e.m.e.n aneti, s.e.m.e.n api, s.e.m.e.n feniculi, s.e.m.e.n ligustici, s.e.m.e.n erucae, s.e.m.e.n coriandri, c.u.minum anesum, petro silenum, careum, sisama

Apici excerpta. a Vinidario vir intut

De siccis hoc lasaris radices, menta, nepeta, saluia, cuppressum, oricanum, zyniperum, cepa gentima, bacas timmi, coriandrum, piretrum, citri fastinaca, cepa ascalonia, radices iunci, anet puleium, ciperum alium, ospera, samsuc.u.m, innula, silpium, cardamomum.

De liquoribus hoc.

mel, defritum, carinum, apiperium, pa.s.sum.

De nucleis hoc.

nuces maiores nuclos pineos ac midula aballana.

De pomis siccis hoc.

damascena, datilos, uva, pa.s.sa, granata. haec omnia in loco sicco pone ne odorem et virtutem perdant. Brevis cyborum.

caccabina minore. ii. caccabina fusile. iii. ofellas garatas. iiii. ofellas a.s.sas. v. aliter ofellas.

vi. ofellas graton. vii. pisces, scorpiones}

{Ill.u.s.tration: CACCABUS