Byzantine cuisine basically evolved from the ancient Greek gastronomic tradition. The type of ingredients, preparation methods and quite often the names of foods employed in both periods are testimony to this fact. Byzantine cuisine had already developed at a time when the European diet was still frugal and unrefined. As in ancient times, formal Byzantine dinners were […]

Original recipe: al-Andalusi no. 79 p. C-2 (Good) Knead the necessary quantity of flour, one time with water, another with oil, and to it add yeast and milk until it has the same consistency as the dough of fritters, and leave it until it has next risen. Next grease with oil a large earthen pot, stretch in […]

Original Recipe: al-Baghdadi p. 212/14 Take fine white flour, and with every ratl mix three uqiya of sesame-oil (one part oil to four of flour), kneading into a firm paste. Leave to rise; then make into long loaves. Put into the middle of each loaf a suitable quantity of ground almonds and scented sugar mixed with rose water, […]

Original Recipe Dulciaria Apicius, #294 Little home confections (which are called dulciaria) are made thus: Little palms or (as they are ordinarily called) dates are stuffed – after the seeds have been removed – with a nut or with nuts and ground pepper, sprinkled with salt on the outside and are candied in honey and served. [Vehling, pp. […]

Original Recipe Melca Bassus,Country Matters The best method for making what are known as curds is to pour sharp vinegar into new earthenware pots and then to put these pots on a slow fire. When the vinegar begins to boil, take it off the flame so it does not bubble over and pour milk into the pots. […]

Original Recipe Savillum Cato 84. Make a savillum thus: Mix 1/2 libra of flour and 2 1/2 librae of cheese, as is done for libum. Add 1/4 libra of honey and 1 egg. Grease an earthenware bowl with oil. When you have mixed the ingredients well, pour into the bowl and cover the bowl with an earthenware […]

al-Baghdadi p. 206/12 Take spinach, cut off the lower roots, and wash: then boil lightly in salt and water, and dry. Refine sesame oil, drop in the spinach, and stir until fragrant. Chop up a little garlic, and add. Sprinkle with fine-ground cumin, dry coriander, and cinnamon: then remove. Ingredients: 1 lb spinach 1 T sesame oil […]

al-Andalusi p. C-5 (no. 377) Wash lentils and put them to cook in a pot with sweet water, oil, pepper, coriander and cut onion. When they are cooked throw in salt, a little saffron and vinegar; break three eggs, leave for a while on the flame and later retire the pot. Other times cook without onion. If […]

Original Recipe Avem: Apicius, #231 Another recipe for birds: Stuff the stomach with crushed fresh olives, sew up, and boil thus.Then remove the cooked olives. [Giacosa, p. 112] Ingredients: One whole chicken OR eight pieces of cut up chicken 3/4 – 1 cup assorted Greek olives, crushed olive oil salt (optional) Preparation Steps Wash chicken. […]

Original Recipe: Apicius, #61: Lucanicae: … Teritur piper, cuminum, satureia, ruta, petroselinum, condimentum, bacae lauri, liquamen, et admiscetur pulpa bene tunas ita ut denuo bene cum ipso subtrito fricetur. Cum liquamine admixto, pipere integro et abundanti pinguedine et nucleis incies in intestinum perquam tenuatim perductum, et sic ad fumum suspenditur. Translation: [Lucanian Sausages: … Pepper is ground with […]