APPENDIX OF RECIPES

M.E. Milham, in an amusing short article, 1 recounts how a leading American classical scholar, who had been invited to a Roman banquet in the 1930s, was driven because of the inedibility of the unfamiliar seasonings in the dishes to head for a hamburger stand afterwards to satisfy his hunger. However, with the growth, at least in Britain, of overseas holidays particularly during the past decade, and the establishment of diverse · ethnic restaurants, people have become more adventurous in what they choose to eat: supermarkets from St. Andrews to Manchester to Bristol display guavas, papayas, yams, persimmons (of whiC:fi 'Sharon fruits' are a variety), okra, pommelos, ginger and turmeric roots, and numerous fresh herbs.

It is often habit which predetermines a reaction to a particular dish, and the Roman love of combining honey and pepper in dishes (to me a delicious idea) is no more obtuse than the Tunisians sprinkling pepper on their coffee and tea;2 or, to the French, the English serving lamb with mint .3 J. Edwards, in his book 7he Roman Cookery ef Apicius, describes ancient cuisine as 'delicious',4 whilst JD. Vehling found the recipes in Apicius 'practical, good, even delightful' and lauded some as being 'of the rarest beauty and of consummate per­ fection in the realm of gastronomy'.5 Museum pamphlets and booklets6

1 'In Defence of Hamburger: Apicius and Roman Cooking', Vergilius 12 (1966), pp. 46-48. 2 See N. Douglas, Fountains in the Sand, Oxford 1986 (reprint of 1912 edition), pp. 25-26; cf. also coriander in Greece, P. Levi, The Hill qf Kronos, London 1980, p. 93. 3 E. David, Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen, Harmondsworth 1973, pp. 234-235. 4 London 1984, p. ix. 5 Apicius, Cookery and Di,ning in Imperial Rome: A Bibliograplrf, Critical Review and Trans­ lation qf the Ancient Book known as 'Apicius de re Coquinaria', Chicago 1936 (reprinted New York 1977), p. 38. 6 M. Woodman, Food and Cooking in Roman Britain, 4th edn., Cirencester (Corinium Museum) 1985; C. Holliger, Culinaria Romana: So assen und tranken die Romer, Brugg (Vindonissa Museum) 1983; J. Renfrew, Food and Cooking in Roman Britain: History and Recipes, Ruislip (English Heritage: Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) 1985; although not museum publications the following books have chapters on ancient Greek and Roman food and recipes: K. Stewart and P. Michael, Wild Blackberry and Other Old Fashioned Recipes, London 1985, pp. 12-25; 328 APPENDIX OF RECIPES indicate the awakening interest of a wider audience, and there have been many recent articles and books of a general nature on ancient eating habits. 7 Oribasius surely meant his work to be a practical manual of diet and medicine, and therefore this appendix offers a selection of recipes derived from the Medical Compilations and adapted for the modem kitchen.

(1) , Orib. 1.7.1-2

1/4 lb wholemeal flour 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 teaspoon sea-salt l 'h oz grated cheese (mature cheddar) Olive-oil 1 teaspoon sesame seeds Put the flour in a bowl, add the sea-salt, honey, and about 2 table­ spoons of water, and mix into a dough, adding more water if nec­ essary to make it the correct consistency. Knead well for several minutes, and then pat out into a thin circle about 7 inches in diam­ eter on a floured board. Pour enough oil into a heavy frying pan to come level with the top of the dough circle, heat, and when it is hot but not smoking slide in the and cook steadily for about five minutes. When the underside is golden tum it over. Repeat this turning over if required. If wished the pancakes can be garnished: spread over the top the cheese and sesame seeds, and cover the pan until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

(2) Cabbage Salad, Orib. 4.4.1-2

¼ red cabbage '/4 teaspoon powdered asafoetida

'/4 teaspoon fresh ru~ 1 tablespoon honey Bunch of fresh 1 tablespoon wine- coriander leaves Shred the cabbage and place in a salad bowl. Finely chop the rue and coriander and put on top of the cabbage. Mix the honey and vinegar together until the honey is completely dissolved and pour over the cabbage. Toss the salad well, and then sprinkle on top the asafoetida.

R. Barber, Cooking and Recipes .from R.ome to the Renaissance, London 1973, pp. 6-35; R. Tannahill, Food in History, New York 1973, pp. 71-104. 7 E.g. H. Blanck, 'Essen und Trinken bei Griechen und Romern', AW 11 (1980), pp. 17-34; M. Gechter, 'Lentaculum und Cena', AW 12 (1981), pp. 58-59; I.G. Giacosa, A Taste ef Ancient Rome, Chicago (Chicago University Press) 1992; A. Dalby and S. Grainger, The Classical Cookbook, London (British Museum) 1996.