Book I

.]

XVI

[31] LASER FLAVOR _LASERATUM_

[Tor.] LASER IS PREPARED IN THIS MANNER: LASER (WHICH IS ALSO CALLED LASERPITIUM BY THE ROMANS, WHILE THE GREEKS CALL IT SILPHION) FROM CYRENE [1] OR FROM PARTHIA [2] IS DISSOLVED IN LUKEWARM MODERATELY ACID BROTH; OR PEPPER, PARSLEY, DRY MINT, LASER ROOT, HONEY, VINEGAR AND BROTH [are ground, compounded and dissolved together].

[1] Cyrene, a province in Africa, reputed for its fine flavored laser.

[2] Parthia, Asiatic country, still supplying _asa f{oe}tida_.

The African root furnishing laser was exterminated by the demand for it. Cf. Laser in Index.

[32] ANOTHER [LASER] _ALITER_

[ANOTHER LASER FLAVOR WHICH TAKES] PEPPER, CARAWAY, ANISE, PARSLEY, DRY MINT, THE LEAVES [1] OF SILPHIUM, MALOBATHRUM [2] INDIAN SPIKENARD, A LITTLE COSTMARY, HONEY, VINEGAR AND BROTH.

[1] Tor. _Silphij folium_; List. _Sylphium, folium_; G.-V. _Silfi, folium_, the latter two interpretations meaning _silphium_ (laser) _and leaves_ (either nard or bay leaves) while both Tor. and Tac. (_silfii folium_) mean the leaves of _silphium_ plant.

[2] _Malobathrum_, _malobatrum_, _malabathrum_--leaves of an Indian tree, wild cinnamon.

XVII

[33] WINE SAUCE FOR TRUFFLES _{OE}NOGARUM _[1]_ IN TUBERA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CORIANDER, RUE, BROTH, HONEY AND A LITTLE OIL.

ANOTHER WAY: THYME, SATURY, PEPPER, LOVAGE, HONEY, BROTH AND OIL.

[1] Also _Elæogarum_.

V. Directions wanting whether the above ingredients are to be added to the already prepared _garum_, which see in dictionary. Gollmer gives the following direction for _garum_: Boil a _sextarium_ of anchovies and 3 _sextarii_ of good wine until it is thick _purée_. Strain this through a hair sieve and keep it in glass flask for future use. This formula, according to Goll. should have followed our No. 9; but we find no authority for it in the original.

_Oenogarum_ proper would be a _garum_ prepared with wine, but in this instance it is the broth in which the truffles were cooked that is to be flavored with the above ingredients. There is no need and no mention of _garum_ proper. Thus prepared it might turn out to be a sensible sauce for truffles in the hands of a good practitioner.

Note the etymology of the word "garum," now serving as a generic name for "sauce" which originally stood for a compound of the fish _garus_.

Cf. _Garum_ in index.

XVIII

[34] OXYPORUM _OXYPORUM_

[Tor. OXYPORUM (WHICH SIGNIFIES "EASY PASSAGE") SO NAMED BECAUSE OF ITS EFFECT, TAKES] 2 OZS. OF CUMIN, 1 OZ. OF GINGER [List. 1 OZ. OF GREEN RUE] 6 SCRUPLES OF SALTPETER, A DOZEN SCRUPLES OF PLUMP DATES, 1 OZ. OF PEPPER AND 11 [List. 9] OZS. OF HONEY. THE CUMIN MAY BE EITHER ÆTHIOPIAN, SYRIAN OR LYBIAN, MUST BE FIRST SOAKED IN VINEGAR, BOILED DOWN DRY AND POUNDED. AFTERWARDS ADD YOUR HONEY. THIS COMPOUND, AS NEEDED, IS USED AS OXYPORUM.

Cf. No. 111, A Harmless Salad.

Bran. _op. cit._, p. 25-6, of Greek origin.

XIX

[35] HYPOTRIMA [1] _HYPOTRIMA_

[Tor. HYPOTRIMA, MEANING IN LATIN A PERFECT MESS OF POTAGE, REQUIRES THIS]: PEPPER, LOVAGE, DRY MINT, PIGNOLIA NUTS, RAISINS, DATE WINE, SWEET CHEESE, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, WINE, OIL, MUST OR REDUCED MUST [2]

[1] List. and G.-V. _Hypotrimma_.

V. This formula, lacking detailed instructions, is of course perfectly obscure, and it would be useless to debate over it.

[2] Tor. and Tac. _cariotam_; Sch. _cariotum_; List. and G.-V. _car{oe}num_. This (_carenum_) is new wine boiled down one half of its volume. _Cariotum_ is a palm wine or date wine.

XX

[36] OXYGARUM, AN AID TO DIGESTION _OXYGARUM DIGESTIBILE_

[Tor. OXYGARUM (WHICH IS SIMILAR TO GARUM OR RATHER AN ACID SAUCE) IS DIGESTIBLE AND IS COMPOSED OF]: 1/2 OZ. OF PEPPER, 3 SCRUPLES OF GALLIC SILPHIUM, 6 SCRUPLES OF CARDAMOM, 6 OF CUMIN, 1 SCRUPLE OF LEAVES, 6 SCRUPLES OF DRY MINT. THESE [ingredients] ARE BROKEN SINGLY AND CRUSHED AND [made into a paste] BOUND BY HONEY. WHEN THIS WORK IS DONE [or whenever you desire] ADD BROTH AND VINEGAR [to taste].

Cf. Note to No. 33.

[37] ANOTHER [OXYGARUM] [1] _ALITER_

1 OZ. EACH OF PEPPER, PARSLEY, CARRAWAY, LOVAGE, MIX WITH HONEY. WHEN DONE ADD BROTH AND VINEGAR.

[1] Wanting in Torinus.

XXI

[38] MORTARIA [1] _MORTARIA_

MORTARIA ARE PREPARATIONS MADE IN THE MORTAR. PLACE IN THE MORTAR [Tor.] MINT, RUE, CORIANDER AND FENNEL, ALL FRESH AND GREEN AND CRUSH THEM FINE. LOVAGE, PEPPER, HONEY AND BROTH [2] AND VINEGAR [3] TO BE ADDED WHEN THE WORK IS DONE.

Ex Tor. first sentence wanting in other texts.

[1] List. and G.-V. _moretaria_, from _moretum_.

[2] Dann. calls this "_Kalte Schale_" which as a rule is a drink or a cold refreshing soup, popular on the Continent in hot weather. Not a bad interpretation if instead of the broth the original called for wine or fruit juices.

V. _Mortaria_ are ingredients crushed in the mortar, ready to be used in several combinations, similar to the ground fine herbs, _remoulade_, in French cuisine that may be used for various purposes, principally for cold green sauces.

[3] Wanting in Tor.

[XV]

[39] CUMIN SAUCE FOR SHELLFISH _CUMINATUM IN OSTREA ET CONCHYLIA_

[Tor. CUMIN SAUCE (SO CALLED BECAUSE CUMIN IS ITS CHIEF INGREDIENT) FOR OYSTERS AND CLAMS IS MADE OF] PEPPER, LOVAGE, PARSLEY, DRY MINT, MALABAR LEAVES, QUITE SOME CUMIN, HONEY, VINEGAR, AND BROTH.

[40] ANOTHER [CUMIN SAUCE] [1] _ALITER_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, PARSLEY, DRY MINT, PLENTY OF CUMIN, HONEY, VINEGAR AND BROTH.

[1] wanting in List.

The cumin sauce formulæ are under chap. XV in G.-V., following our No. 30.

END OF