Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 20

[1] Sentence in Tor.; wanting in List. _et al._

[2] List. No mention of beets is made in this formula; therefore, it may belong to the foregoing leek recipes.

V. This is not so. Here the noun is made subject to the first verb, as is practiced frequently. Moreover, the mode of preparation fits beets nicely, except for the flour to which we object in note 3, below. To cook beets with leeks, spices and wine and serve them (cold) with oil and vinegar is indeed a method that cannot be improved upon.

[3] Tac., Tor., List., G.-V. _uvam pa.s.sam_, _Farinam_--raisins and flour--for which there is no reason. Sch. _varianam_--raisin wine of the Varianian variety; Bas. _Phariam_. V. inclined to agree with Sch.

and Bas.

[98] ANOTHER WAY _ALITER BETAS ELIXAS_

COOK THE BEETS WITH MUSTARD [seed] AND SERVE THEM WELL PICKLED IN A LITTLE OIL AND VINEGAR.

V. Add bay leaves, cloves, pepper grains, sliced onion and a little sugar, and you have our modern pickled beets.

XII

[99] GREEN VEGETABLES, POT HERBS _OLISERA_ [1]

[The greens] TIED IN HANDY BUNDLES, COOKED AND SERVED WITH PURE OIL; ALSO PROPER WITH FRIED FISH.

[1] Tac. _Olisera_; Tor. _Olifera_ (_sev mauis olyra_) Tor. is mistaken. Hum., List. _Olisatra_; (old Ms. note in our Hum. copy: "_Alessandrina uulg_") from _olusatrum_--_olus_--pot herbs, cabbage, turnips. G.-V.

_Holisera_, from _holus_, i.e. _olus_ and from _olitor_ one who raises pot herbs.

XIII

[100] TURNIPS OR NAVEWS _RAPAS SIVE NAPOS_

[Turnips are] COOKED [soft, the water is] SQUEEZED [out; then] CRUSH A GOOD AMOUNT OF c.u.mIN AND A LITTLE RUE, ADD PARTHICAN [1] LASER OR [2]

VINEGAR, STOCK, CONDENSED WINE AND OIL [3] HEAT MODERATELY AND SERVE.

[1] i.e. Persian laser; List. _laser, Parthic.u.m_; (the comma makes a difference!) Sch. _partic.u.m_--a part.

[2] Tac., Tor. _vel acetum_; List. G.-V. _mel, acetum_.

Another comma; and "honey" instead of "or." V. We doubt this: the vinegar is an alternative, for it takes the place of the more expensive Persian _laser_ (which was an essence of the _laser_ root, often diluted with vinegar).

[3] List., G.-V. _oleum modice_: _fervere_; Tor. _& oleum, quae modice fervere facias_. Again note Lister's punctuation here and in the foregoing notes. The misplaced commas and colons raise havoc with the formulae everywhere. Torinus, who in his preface complains that his authority has no punctuation whatsoever and thereby indicates that it must have been a very ancient copy, (at least prior to the 1503 Tac. ed.) is generally not far from the mark. It is also doubtful that the variants are by him, as is claimed by List. In this instance, indeed, Tor. is again correct.

[101] ANOTHER WAY [1]

_ALITER RAPAS SIVE NAPOS_

[The turnips are] BOILED, SERVED DRESSED WITH OIL, TO WHICH, IF DESIRED, YOU MAY ADD VINEGAR [2].

[1] Tor. _ad delitias_--delightful.

[2] V. Presumably served cold, as a salad; cf. No. 122.

XIV

[102] RADISHES _RAPHANOS_

PEPPER THE RADISHES WELL; OR, EQUALLY WELL: GRATE IT WITH PEPPER AND BRINE.

Sch., G.-V. _Rafanos_; _Raphanos agria_,--a kind of horseradish; Plinius: h.e. _rapha.n.u.s sylvestris_.

XV

[103] SOFT CABBAGE _OLUS MOLLE_

THE CABBAGE IS COOKED WITH POT HERBS IN SODA WATER; PRESS [the water out] CHOP IT VERY FINE: [now] CRUSH PEPPER, LOVAGE, DRY SATURY WITH DRY ONIONS, ADD STOCK, OIL AND WINE.

[104] ANOTHER MASHED GREEN VEGETABLE _ALTER OLUS MOLLE_ [_EX APIO_]

COOK CELERY IN SODA WATER, SQUEEZE [water out] CHOP FINE. IN THE MORTAR CRUSH PEPPER, LOVAGE, ORIGANY, ONION [and mix with] WINE AND STOCK, ADDING SOME OIL. COOK THIS IN THE BOILER [1] AND MIX THE CELERY WITH THIS PREPARATION.

[1] _in pultario_. The _pultarius_ is a pot in which cereals were boiled; from _puls_--porridge, pap.

[105] ANOTHER MASHED VEGETABLE _ALITER OLUS MOLLE_ [_EX LACTUCIS_]

COOK THE LETTUCE LEAVES WITH ONION IN SODA WATER, SQUEEZE [the water out] CHOP VERY FINE; IN THE MORTAR CRUSH PEPPER, LOVAGE, CELERY SEED, DRY MINT, ONION; ADD STOCK, OIL AND WINE.

[106] TO PREVENT MASHED VEGETABLES FROM TURNING _OLUS MOLLE NE ARESCAT_ [1]

IT WILL BE REQUIRED ABOVE ALL TO CLEAN THE VEGETABLES WELL, TO CUT OFF ALL DECAYED PARTS AND TO COVER [the cooked vegetables] WITH WORMWOOD WATER.

[1] Tor. _ne ... exarescat_, the difference in the meaning is immaterial.

XVI

[107] FIELD HERBS _HERBae RUSTICae_