Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 35

[2] Tor. here splits the formula, using the above t.i.tle.

V

GRUELS _TISANAM ET ALICAM_ [1]

[200] BARLEY BROTH _ALICAM VEL SUCc.u.m TISANae SIC FACIES_ [2]

CRUSH WELL WASHED BARLEY, SOAKED THE DAY BEFORE, PLACE ON THE FIRE TO BE COOKED. WHEN HOT ADD PLENTY OIL, A SMALL BUNCH OF DILL, DRY ONION, SATURY AND COLOCASIUM, TO BE COOKED TOGETHER BECAUSE THIS GIVES A BETTER JUICE; ADD GREEN CORIANDER AND A LITTLE SALT; BRING IT TO A BOILING POINT. WHEN WELL HEATED TAKE OUT THE BUNCH [dill] AND TRANSFER THE BARLEY INTO ANOTHER VESSEL TO AVOID BURNING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE POT; THIN IT OUT [with water, broth, milk] AND STRAIN INTO A POT, COVERING THE TIPS OF THE COLOCASIA [2]. NEXT CRUSH PEPPER, LOVAGE, A LITTLE DRY FLEA-BANE, c.u.mIN AND SYLPHIUM, STIR WELL, ADD VINEGAR, REDUCED MUST AND BROTH; PUT IT BACK IN THE POT; THE REMAINING COLOCASIA FINISH ON A GENTLE FIRE.

[1] A repet.i.tion of Book IV, Chap. IV, _Tisanam vel suc.u.m_, our ? No. 172

[2] Tor. still has difficulties with the vegetable called by Lister _colocasium_. He reads here _colonium_ and _colosium_. G.-V. _colfium_. Cf. Note 1 to ?

No. 172 and Note to Nos. 74, 216, 244 and 322.

[201] ANOTHER GRUEL _ALITER TISANAM_ [1]

SOAK CHICK-PEAS, LENTILS AND PEAS, CRUSH BARLEY AND COOK WITH THE LEGUMES, WHEN WELL COOKED ADD PLENTY OF OIL. NOW CUT GREENS, LEEKS, CORIANDER, DILL, FENNEL, BEETS, MALLOWS, CABBAGE STRUNKS, ALL SOFT AND GREEN AND VERY FINELY CUT, AND PUT IN A POT. THE CABBAGE COOK [separately; also] CRUSH FENNEL SEED, PLENTY OF IT, ORIGANY, SILPHIUM, AND LOVAGE, AND WHEN GROUND, ADD BROTH TO TASTE, POUR THIS OVER THE PORRIDGE, STIR, AND USE SOME FINELY CHOPPED CABBAGE STEMS TO SPRINKLE ON TOP.

[1] A repet.i.tion of ? No. 173.

VI

GREEN BEANS _FABACIae VIRIDES ET BAIANae_ [1]

[202] GREEN BEANS _FABACIae VIRIDES_

GREEN BEANS ARE COOKED IN BROTH, WITH OIL, GREEN CORIANDER, c.u.mIN AND CHOPPED LEEKS, AND SERVED.

[1] Beans grown in Baiae, also called _bajanas_ or _bacanas_; beans without skin or pods.

[203] BEANS SAUTe _ALITER: FABACIae FRICTae_

FRIED BEANS ARE SERVED IN BROTH.

[204] MUSTARD BEANS _ALITER: FABACIae EX SINAPI_

[The beans previously cooked are seasoned with] CRUSHED MUSTARD SEED, HONEY, NUTS, RUE, c.u.mIN, AND SERVED WITH VINEGAR.

[205] BAIaeAN BEANS _BAIANAS_ [1]

COOKED BEANS FROM BAIae ARE CUT FINE [and finished with] RUE, GREEN CELERY, LEEKS, VINEGAR [2] A LITTLE MUST OR RAISIN WINE AND SERVED [3].

[1] Named for Baiae, a town of Campania, noted for its warm baths; a favorite resort of the Romans.

[2] Wanting in Tor.

[3] These apparently outlandish ways of cooking beans compel us to draw a modern parallel in a cookery book, specializing in Jewish dishes. To prove that Apicius is not dead "by a long shot," we shall quote from Wolf, Rebekka: Kochbuch fur Israelitische Frauen, Frankfurt, 1896, 11th edition. As a matter of fact, Rebekka Wolf is outdoing Apicius in strangeness--a case of _Apicium in ipso Apicio_, as Lister sarcastically remarks of Torinus.

Rebekka Wolf: ? No. 211--wash and boil the young beans in fat _bouillon_ (Apicius: _oleum et liquamen_) adding a handful of chopped pepperwort (A.: _piper, ligustic.u.m_) and later chopped parsley (A.: _petroselinum_) some sugar (A.: _mel pavo_--little honey) and pepper. Beans later in the season are cooked with potatoes. The young beans are tied with flour dissolved in water, or with roux.

_Id. ibid._, ? No. 212, Beans Sweet-Sour. Boil in water, fat, salt, add vinegar, sugar or syrup, "English aromatics" and spices, lemon peel, and a little pepper; bind with roux.

_Id. ibid._, ? No. 213, Cut Pickled Beans (_Schneidebohnen_) prepare as ? No. 212, but if you would have them more delicious, take instead of the roux grated chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, lemon peel and lemon juice, and some claret. If not sour enough, add vinegar, but right here you must add more fat; you may lay on top of this dish a bouquet of sliced apples.

_Id. ibid._, ? No. 214, Beans and Pears. Take cut and pickled beans and prepare as above. To this add peeled fresh pears, cut into quarters; then sugar, lemon peel cut thin, cinnamon, "English" mixed spices, and at last the roux, thinned with broth. This dish must be sweet and very fat.

As for exotic combinations, Apicius surely survives here, is even surpa.s.sed by this Jewish cookery book where, no doubt, very ancient traditions have been stored away.

VII

[206] THE HERB FENUGREEK _FNUM GRaec.u.m_ [1]

FENUGREEK [is prepared] IN BROTH, OIL AND WINE.

[1] Tor. or _fenum_; G.-V. _Faenum_.

VIII

[207] GREEN STRING BEANS AND CHICK-PEAS _PHASEOLI _[1]_ VIRIDES ET CICER_

ARE SERVED WITH SALT, c.u.mIN, OIL, AND A LITTLE PURE WINE.

[1] Tor. _Faseolus_, the bean with a long, sabre-like pod; a phasel, kidney bean, when ripened.

[208] ANOTHER WAY _ALITER FASEOLUS ET CICER_

[Beans or chick-peas] ARE COOKED IN A WINE SAUCE AND SEASONED WITH PEPPER [1].

[1] Dann. and Goll.: "roasted" beans.

[209] BOILED, SUMPTUOUSLY _ET ELIXATI, SUMPTO_ [1]