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Roman food... the tastes and smells of centuries past — exotic and strange, yet... something that is strangely familiar, a part of our racial memory. The food that our Roman forebears ate was different in a number of ways: taste, smell and even texture. Roman food, and the recipes that make it, isn't bad, it's just different and that, is what we hope to impart in this section.
Author: Sally Grainger
‎ Prospect Books
Why is this first? Well, for one, Sally is one of the cooler and more knowledgeable people on the subject of modern cooking AND, she nicely let me use part of her book on the Romans in Britain website about Garum. Buy her book, watch her videos on YouTube wherein she has a channel called A taste of the ancient world

Sally Grainger has gathered, in one convenient volume, her modern interpretations of 64 of the recipes in the original text. This is not ‘recipes inspired by the old Romans’ but rather a serious effort to convert the extremely gnomic instructions in the Latin into something that can be reproduced in the modern kitchen which actually gives some idea of what the Romans might have eaten. Sally Grainger, therefore, has taken great pains to suggest means of replicating the particular Roman taste for fermented fish sauce. It may sound unpleasant, but actually is not too far removed from the fish sauces of the Far East and any reproduction of Roman cookery must depend on getting this particular aspect right.

Author: Mark Grant
Interlink Publishing
Roman Cookery unveils one of Europe's last great culinary secrets — the food eaten by the ordinary people of ancient Rome. Based on olive oil, fish, herbs and vegetables, it was the origin of modern European cooking and, in particular, of what we now call the "Mediterranean diet".

Mark Grant, author and reasearcher extraordinaire, has unearthed everyday recipes like tuna wrapped in vine leaves, olive oil bread flavoured with cheese, and honeyed quinces. Like an archaeologist uncovering a kitchen at Pompeii, he reveals treasures such as ham in red wine and fennel sauce, honey and sesame pizza, and walnut and fig cakes. The Romans were great lovers of herbs and Roman Cookery offers a range of herb sauces and purees, originally made with a pestle and mortar but here adapted, like all the dishes in this award-winning book, to be made with modern kitchen equipment. This revised and expanded edition includes previously unknown recipes, allowing the reader to savour more than a hundred simple but refined dishes that were first enjoyed more than two millennia ago.

As Amazon.com says: Here is a complete range of traditional Roman dishes, such as olive oil bread flavored with cheese. Included are explanations of the cultural values Romans ascribed to food and the social context in which it was prepared and eaten. While most Roman cookbooks detail complex banquet food enjoyed by only a tiny social elite, this cookbook provides easily made recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner that can be enjoyed by everyone.

The recipes are easy to follow, and the ones I've tried so far are not very fussy, and the results quite tasty. I really like that this focuses on "everyday" foods, and that it includes the (translated) original reference, so you can adjust or re-interpret for yourself. One thing about Roman food is that there are ingriedients that we aren;'t used to — Roma food isn't bad, it often has a different taste. Sometimes that might bring back a racial memory that you didn't know existed.

The ingredients are often given in weights, so if you plan to make any of these recipes it's a good idea to have a kitchen scale on hand. Also, fair warning, apparently the Romans ate an unbelievable amount of cheese. Which I guess makes sense, since most people wouldn't have been able to afford meat or fish that often. Dates Alexandrine are great.

Author: John Edwards
Rodale Pr
This is the first book I was aware of that had ACTUAL Roman recipes. Someone I used to be friends with, turned me on to it. And the thing is, it's a great book. Dates Alexandrine is so good. Anyway, this is really the beginning for many people who are into Roman cooking.

Apicius , first century author of De Re Conquinaria (On Cookery), has been described as the most demanding of gourmets, and his amazingly sophisticated recipes havve long been awaiting rediscovery with practical adaptation for the modern kitchen. In The Roman Cookery of Apicius, John Edwards has given us a new, close translation of Apicius' manual, coupled with his adpted and tested versions of 360 superb recipes. Most attractive for modern lovers of fine cookery is the enormous variety, orginality and richness of flavours, achieved with entirely pure and natural ingredients. The many kinds of meats, vegetables, fish, fowl, shellfish, cheeses, fruits, nuts, herbs, spices, honey and wines — all familiar in themselves — here appear delectably transformed in surprising combinations. One can prepare theses recipes and actually experience the distinctive dishes of Apicius' day, with flavours that range from the delicate and subtle to the hot and pungent, or the richly sweet. This is a perfect manual for food lovers an adventurous cooks, hoping to be inspired.

If you want to be on a gluten free diet and have an adventure at the same time, this is a fun book. Fun for both teachers of nutrition and their students to hear about ingredients they have heard of, but no one ever uses now — something new to help. The ancient ways were often healthier.

Author: Marcus Gavius Apicius (Author), Sally Grainger (Editor), Christopher Grocock (Translator)
‎ Prospect Books
Apicius is the sole remaining cookery book from the days of the Roman Empire. Though there were many ancient Greek and Latin works concerning food, this collection of recipes is unique. The editors suggest that it is a survival from many such collections maintained by working cooks and that the attribution to Apicius the man (a real-life Roman noble of the 2nd century AD), is a mere literary convention. There have been many English translations of this work (and, abroad, some important academic editions) but none reliable since 1958 (Flower and Rosenbaum). In any case, this edition and translation has revisited all surviving manuscripts in Europe and the USA and proposes many new readings and interpretations. The great quality of this editorial team is while the Latin scholarship is supplied by Chris Grocock, Sally Grainger contributes a lifetime’s experience in the practical cookery of adaptations of the recipes in this text. This supplies a wholly new angle from which to verify the textual and editorial suggestions.

Author: Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa (Author), Anna Herklotz (Translator)
University of Chicago Press
From appetizers to desserts, the rustic to the refined, here are more than two hundred recipes from ancient Rome tested and updated for today's tastes. With its intriguing sweet-sour flavor combinations, its lavish use of fresh herbs and fragrant spices, and its base in whole grains and fruits and vegetables, the cuisine of Rome will be a revelation to serious cooks ready to create new dishes in the spirit of an ancient culture.

Author: Max Miller
S&S/Simon Element
Why is this here? Because his YouTube chanel opens things up to people in a way that others might not. If you like historical foods, this is a great book for you. Watch his vids too.

What began as a passion project, when Max Miller was furloughed during Covid-19, has become a viral YouTube sensation. The Tasting History with Max Miller channel has thrilled food enthusiasts and history buffs alike, as Miller recreates a dish from the past, often using historical recipes from vintage texts, but updated for modern kitchens as he tells stories behind the cuisine and culture. From ancient Rome to Ming China to medieval Europe and beyond, Miller has collected the best-loved recipes from around the world and has shared them with his fans. Now, with beautiful photographs portraying the dishes and historical artwork throughout, Tasting History compiles over sixty dishes such as:
  • Tuh’u: a red beet stew with leeks dating back to 1740 BC
  • Globi: deep-fried cheese balls with honey and poppy seeds
  • Soul Cakes: yeasted buns with currants from circa 1600
  • Pumpkin Tourte: a crustless pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon and sugar on top from 1570
  • And much more.
Including the original recipe and Miller’s modern recreation, this cookbook is a must-have for any avid cook or history fan looking to experience delicious recipes from the past.


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