L'arte del convito nella Roma antica: Con 90 ricette

by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti

Both an archaeologist and a great cook, Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti has drawn from the archaeological findings of ancient Roman towns, especially Pompeii, and from the literary texts that talk about recipes and ingredients, instructions for how to cook a typical Roman meal today.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food

313 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Kyle McNichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting cookbook. Some of the recipes have ingredients so old and archaic that I don't think there's hope to make many of the dishes. But it's certainly an interesting look at the diets of Romans.

I'm glad I put this book back on the shelf at the Colosseum bookstore a few years back. The price (about 25 euros at the time) would have broken my bank, and I'm not sure I could have dealt with the extra weight in my backpack.

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 15 years, I'm ready to pass this along. I really did make--and enjoy--most of the 74 recipes in this book, although it took a bit of know-how on my part. These recipes would be too difficult for the beginning cook, what with sleuthing out a gilt-head bream, caul fat, or fresh brains (yes, I did think of Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein EVERY time). On the other hand, the somewhat vague directions offer much adaptability and experimentation in the way of applying ancient techniques to modern healthy cooking. Classic ingredients prepared simply, without too much fuss and bother, result in truly delicious dinners. Try not to over-think what Ricotti writes, and keep it simple—so worth it!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book recreates documented ancient recipes for modern times. The redactions are easy to follow and understand. The introduction sets everything up, followed by a glossary of ingredients (which helps when going through the recipes themselves, as some ingredients are unfamiliar -- or makes recommendations for substitutes). The recipes are then broken out by category (appetizers, vegetables, meats, etc.). in the usual fashion.

It's important to remember that foodways are one of the primary methods of carrying culture. This look at ancient foodways teaches us a great deal about how people in the ancient Roman world lived. Highly recommended.

[Rhonda Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea when I got this book or exactly why. I guess it just looked a bit interesting. Then I 'found' it tucked in one of my shelves while looking for something else. And I discovered it was fascinating.

The recipes have a lot of things I cannot have but... the author is very gracious about what can be substituted for what other thing. She also goes into the spices and the sauces that were used, what the modern equivalents (most likely) are and so on. Now I am definitely going shopping with a list to start trying a few of these just because... well they do look good. And it will definitely be different.