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COOKING MARTINO A Renaissance Culinary Adventure! By David S. Walddon

Sun, 10 May 2009 23:22:20 -0700

Introduction
In this web journal, web page, on-line space, bLog, or whatever you would like to call it, I will attempt to cook, as well as ponder, my way through “Libre de Arte Coquinaria” a 15th century Italian cookery book by Maestro Martino de Como.
His cookbook is filled with interesting recipes that not only illuminate the food and cooking of the Renaissance, but are also appealing to the modern palate. For a short synopsis of the history of the Martino Manuscript I have provide a piece that was written for “The Vast Repast”, my weekly syndicated newspaper column. For a more detailed account this piece from the University of California Press, which forms the introduction to the first complete English translation of the Martino Manuscript, is very good. Gillian Riley’s translation of the Library of Congress copy of Martino is very well done (although any translation shows the bias of the translator, including mine which accompanies this project). Gillian Riley’s translation can be purchased, along with a beautiful facsimile of the Library of Congress manuscript through Octavo Editions. The material which accompanies her translation will also be of interest. Bruno Laurioux’s essay on the history of the Martino manuscript and Paul Shaw’s comments on the possibilities of who the scribe for the manuscript is thought to have been are excellent additions Ms. Riley’s work. If you don’t already own it you should buy it NOW!
Two papers I prepared for the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery are related to this project. Neither paper is available on-line, but you can order the entire symposium papers through Prospect Books or just my papers through The Madrone Culinary Guild where they have been re-published in The Feudal Gourmet Series.
You are welcome to contact me by leaving a comment on the bLog or by e-mailing me at CookingMartino@VastRepast.com. I will try my best to reply, but I can’t promise to write back. A more than full time job, a weekly newspaper column, a family with very active children and a hungry husband, keeps me a bit busy.
I hope this “Renaissance Culinary Adventure” interests you. Historical food is my passion. Through food we can connect to people and places. I hope this journal inspires you to create your own “Culinary Adventure”. Remember:
Food is life. May the Plenty that graces your table truly be a VAST REPAST.
David Walddon
PS - Make sure you check out the bibliography, links, manuscript, and translation notes pages for this project, as well as my biography.

THE MEAT (and other foodstuffs) OF THE ADVENTURE!
I have organized this project by recipe, or more exactly by manuscript entry. Often there is more than one recipe (or variation of a recipe) in each manuscript entry. The first thing you will encounter as you wind your way through this site is a side-by-side presentation of the Tuscan from the original manuscript (I have used the LC Martino for this) and my English translation. This is followed by my thoughts and comments on the entry (including translation issues, variations between the manuscripts, etc. and other translations), practical application notes from my kitchen, photographs and illustrations, and other relevant information.
Once the entry has been finished (or at least finished to the point where I have exhausted most of the tangents and want to move on to the next entry) I will add a modern recipe (if appropriate) at the beginning of the notes section, right after the Tuscan transcription and English translation.
Go to the index of recipes to review my adventure to date. Please note that there are gaps in the manuscript numbers. I have chosen to cook what inspires me, filling in recipes here and there as time allows and passion inspires. Eventually all the manuscript entries will be completed.

All materials on this site, including, but not limited to the written material, audio, and graphics are for non-profit educational use intended to be used for study and research only.
No written material on this site may be copied, stored or published in any format  without the express permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2005, Renaissance Productions

Recipe 139

Sun, 10 May 2009 17:06:06 -0700

WORK IN PROGRESS!
I still have much to add on this page. Please come back at a later date for more information.
There is no title block for this recipe
Tuscan
A bi le Cera∫e de la piu negre ch tu troui, & cauatene fora le o∫∫a macinarale molto bene nel mortale, & habi de le ro∫e ro∫cie batture molto bene colcoltello, cõ vn pocho di ca∫cio fre∫co, & vn pocho di bon ca∫cio uec chio, A gigendoli dele ∫petie, cioie Canella Zenzeuero, & pocho pepe, & del Zuccharo & me∫colarai molto bene tutte que∫te co∫e Agiangendoui etiam tre o quattro ova ∫ecundo laquantita ch vorrai fare & cõ cro∫ta di ∫otto la metterai acocer abello agio í la padella, Et quando ∫ia cotta gli metterai di ∫opra del Zucchero, & dellacqua Ro∫ata

English
Take the blackest cherries you can find, and take out from the stones. Grind very well in a mortar and have the red roses beaten very well with a knife, and with a little fresh cheese and a little old cheese. Add spice, that is cinnamon, ginger, and a little pepper with some sugar and mix these things together very well. Also add three or four eggs according to the quantity you want to make. And with crust underneath put it to cook a good while in a pan. And when it is cooked put on top some sugar and water of roses.

Final Modern Recipe
Roasted Capon with a Fruit Stuffing
Cherry Cheese Tart
1 16 oz. can sour cherries
3/4 cup rose petals
(reserve 10 petals for garnish)
1/2 pound fresh goat cheese
1/2 pound cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 beaten eggs
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pre-baked 9 inch shortbread crust
3 tablespoons flavored water (rose, orange, etc.)
1/4 cup extra fine sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C).

In food processor puree cherries until they are smooth. Place cherry puree in a large non-reactive bowl. Coarsely chop rose petals and fold into cherries.

Beat until smooth the goat cheese, cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Add to this mixture the eggs and white sugar. Continue to beat until smooth. Add spices and mix until combined.

Fold the cheese and egg mixture into the cherries. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until pie is set and slightly golden.

Cool slightly. Then drizzle with rose water and sugar, then garnish with reserved petals. Serve at room temperature. Makes approximately ten slices.

Note: please use only organically grown roses or flowers from your own garden that you know have not been sprayed or fertilized with anything toxic. If you can not find edible roses omit from the recipe. Rose water can be found in Indian grocery stores.

Comments
VatMartino #137 “Per fare torta di cerase rosse rosse”
Bühler #138 “Torta de Cerase”
Rosselli #202 “Per fare torta di cerase rosse”
Platina...tr...Milham Bk Viii #40 “Sour Cherry Pie”
EP1598 #208 “To make Tartes of red Cherries”.

This recipe is not included in Riva. It is in mentioned in the index but is missing from the body of manuscript. It occurs in the index between Per fare torta riso biancho and per fare torta pesso o di lacte. Which are also missing.

All materials on this site, including, but not limited to the written material, audio, and graphics are for non-profit educational use intended to be used for study and research only.
No written material on this site may be copied, stored or published in any format  without the express permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2005, Renaissance Productions

Recipe 4

Sun, 10 May 2009 13:09:17 -0700

WORK IN PROGRESS!
I still have much to add on this page. Please come back at a later date for more information.
P per fare ogni bello arro∫to:
Tuscan
Per fare bello arro∫to de polla∫tri, de capponi, de Capretti, ó de qualunche altra carne ch merti e∫∫ere arro∫ta : prima ∫e fo∫∫e carne gro∫∫a, fagli trare un boglio, excepto ∫e fo∫∫e de vitello giouine, et poi lardala, come ∫e fáno li arro∫ti : se fo∫∫e Cappone, Fa∫ano, pol-la∫tro, capretto, ó qualunchaltra carne, ch meriti arro∫to, fa ch ∫ia ben netta, et polita, poi mettila in aqua bollente, et ∫ubito caula fore, et ponila in aqua freda, et questo ∫e fa, aZio ch ∫ia piu bella, & meglio ∫e po∫∫a conciare :poi lardala, Zio, e, con lardo baituto, & altre cho∫e conuementi odorifere onta bn, ∫econdo el gu∫to del tuo signore : et drento ∫e te piace gliponi de bone herbe con prune ∫ecche mara∫che, et vi∫cioli, ó in temp, del agre∫to. et altre cho∫e simile : poi mittila ordinata-mente nel speto, et ponila al foco, et daglilo nel principio ad a∫cio ad a∫cio, perche ∫ia bello & bono arro∫to ∫e deue cocere pian piano : Et
qn tipare, ch ∫ia presso ch cotto, piglia vn pane bianca, et grattugialo menuto, et con e∫∫o pane me∫cola tanto ∫ale, quanto te pare nece∫∫ario p lo arro∫to :poi gitta qsta me∫colanZa de pane, & de sale sopra lo arro∫to in modo ch ne uadi in ogni loro : poi dalli vna bona calda de foro, facendolo uoltar pre∫to : et in que∫to modo hauerai el tuo arro∫to bello, et colorito: Depoi mandalo á Tabula qto piu psto e meglio:
To make every good roast
English
To make good roast of pullet, of capon, of kid, and of whichever other meat that merits being roasted. First if it was coarse meat bring them to a boil except if it was of young veal and then lard it like you make the roasts. If it is Capon, Pheasant, Pullet, Kid, or whichever other meat that merits roasting, make it well cleaned and trimmed up then put it in boiling water and at once extract it out and put it in cold water. And this is done so that it will be very good and better when you dress it. Then lard it, that is to say with beaten lard and other convenient, fragrant, good anointments, according to the taste of your lord. And within it you put, if you like, good herbs with dried prunes, sour cherries and entrails, or sometimes unripe grapes and similar things. Then set it, arranged on the spit, and put it to the fire and give it from the beginning very soft, because it is beautiful and well roasted if you have cooked it very gently. And when it seems to you that it is almost cooked, take a white bread and grate it very small and with this bread mix enough salt, as much as you think necessary for the roast. Then cast the mixture of the bread and of the salt over the roast in the manner that it goes in every place. Then give it a good heat at the fire having it turned quickly: And in this manner you will have a beautiful and colorful roast. And to be best, hand it to the table quickly.

Final Modern Recipe
Roasted Capon with a Fruit Stuffing
1 medium capon or chicken
1 16 oz. can sour cherries
1 cup dried prunes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh herbs
1/2 cup chicken livers
1/4 cup lard
1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Wash the capon and set aside. Drain the sour cherries. In a bowl combine the cherries, prunes and fresh herbs. Briefly sauté the chicken livers in a few tablespoons of the cherry juice. Chop the livers into medium size pieces and add to the cherry mixture. Stuff the mixture into the cavity of the capon.

Combine lard and second amount of fresh herbs. Spread the lard and herb mixture onto the bird.

Roast for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Combine the breadcrumbs and salt. Just before the capon reaches temperature sprinkle it with the seasoned breadcrumbs. Turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees for the last 5 to ten minutes until the breadcrumbs have browned.

Note: Use whatever fresh herbs you have at hand. Oregano, marjoram, parsley, and rosemary are all appropriate.
Comments
VatMartino #4 “Per fare ogni bello arosto”, Riva#3 Per fare bello Rosto de pollastri de caponi . . .”, Platina...tr...Milham Bk VI #4 “Roasts”, Bühler # 52 “Per fare bello Rosto” Rosselli #4 “Per fare ogni bello arrosto”, EP1598 #4 To make all kind of meat to roast faire & white”.
The "p" of this word sits outside the body of the recipe in the margin and is in a large roman capital that stretches from the top of the first line to the bottom of the second line.

All materials on this site, including, but not limited to the written material, audio, and graphics are for non-profit educational use intended to be used for study and research only.
No written material on this site may be copied, stored or published in any format  without the express permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2005, Renaissance Productions

Recipe 18

Sat, 9 May 2009 22:53:51 -0700

WORK IN PROGRESS!
I still have much to add on this page. Please come back at a later date for more information.
There is no title block to this recipe
Tuscan
Er fare polpette dicarne de vitello, o de altra bona carne, In prima togli de la carne magra de laco∫∫a & tagliala ì fette longhe & sottili & battile bene ∫opra vn tagliero, o tauola cõ la- co∫ta del coltello, & togli ∫ale, & finocchio pe∫to & ponilo ∫opra la ditta fetta dicarne, Dapoi togli de pretro∫imolo, maiorana & de bon lar- do & batti que∫te co∫e in∫eme cõ vn poche di bone ∫petio, & di∫tendile bene que∫te co∫e ì la dicta fetta Dapoi ì uoltela ì ∫eme & polla nel ∫peto accocer, Ma nõ la la∫∫ara troppo ∫ec- car al focho.

English
To make meat rolls of the meat of veal or of other good meat. First take of the lean meat of the haunch and cut in slices, long and thin, and beat well on a trencher or table with the side of a knife. And take salt and fennel pounded and put on the said slice of meat. Then take parsley, marjoram, and of good lard and beat these things altogether with a little of good spice and spread well these things on the said slices then roll-up together and put them on the spit to cook. But do not leave them to dry too much at the fire.
Final Modern Recipe
Savory Meat Roll-ups
4 pounds beef or veal roast
3 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons fennel seed
3/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
(approx. 1/2 a bunch)
1/2 cup fresh marjoram, chopped
(approx. 1 oz.)
1/3 pound lard
pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg to taste

Slice the roast into strips approximately 1/4 inch thick, 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. With the side of a cleaver or a meat tenderizer pound the strips until they are thin and tender.

In a mortar or spice grinder combine the salt and fennel seed and process until completely combined. Season the meat strips with the fennel salt. Beat parsley and marjoram into the lard. Spread a teaspoon of the herb mixture onto the strips. Season the strips a second time with a pinch each of pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Roll-up the meat strips and secure with butcher twine, toothpicks or wooden skewers.

Grill over a medium flame for approximately 10 minutes turning occasionally. Serve hot. Makes approximately 24 meat rolls.

Note: These meat rolls are best grilled. If a grill is not available they could be roasted or broiled in a hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Comments
VatMartino #18 “Per fare polpette di carne de vitello, o de altra bona carne”, Riva #18 “Per fare polpite de carne de vitello o de altra bona carne”, Platina...tr...Milham Bk.VI #18 “On Veal”, Rosselli #25 “Per fare polpette di carne di vittella”, EP1598 #25 “To make Olives of Veale or other flesh”. This recipe does not occur in Bühler 19.

Florio – Voltolare, to roule up and downe, to tumble, to tosse, to overturne, to rumble, to wallowe, topsi-turvie.

All materials on this site, including, but not limited to the written material, audio, and graphics are for non-profit educational use intended to be used for study and research only.
No written material on this site may be copied, stored or published in any format  without the express permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2005, Renaissance Productions

The Book of Cooking Arts Libra de Arte Coqvinaria

Sat, 9 May 2009 22:25:58 -0700

The Book of Cooking Arts
LIBRA DE ARTE COQVINARIA

Tuscan
LIBRO DE ARTE COQUINARIA
COMPOSTO PER LO EGRIGIO
MAESTRO
MARTINO COQVI OLIM DEI
REVERENDISS MONSIGNOR
CAMORLENGO
ET PATRIARCHA DE AQVILEIA>

English
BOOK OF COOKING ARTS
COMPOSED BY THE EMINENT
MASTER
MARTINO ONCE COOK OF THE
MOST REVEREND MONSIGNOR
CHAMBERLAIN
AND PATRIARCH OF AQUILEIA>

Final Modern Recipe
There is no recipe for this entry. It is the title block for the manuscript.

Comments
In LCMartino the manuscript starts with the above title block. It takes up almost a third of the first page and is followed, on the same page, the first “recipe” on meats. All the letters of the title block are calligraphed in red ink and all are in capitals. There is a hole in the manuscript in the word “EGRIGIO” which makes it difficult to read except when magnified.

The title block starts with what is considered to be the title of the manuscript - Libre de Arte Coquinaria - The Book of Cooking Arts. This title raises the recipes contained within the book to a higher level than has been seen up to this point in culinary history. We are about to read not just a book of cookery filled with recipes, but one on the cooking “arts”. This book raises food to the equal to the other arts of the time period. And the recipes were not just recorded, but “composed”, not by a simple scullery servant or kitchen waif, but by the Maestro himself, who we are told, has previous experience cooking for the upper class. This title block does all this in seven short lines. It sets the stage for the rest of the book. Exalting the author and his work. Assuring the reader, or perhaps the readers cook, that the recipes are worth their time and effort. And of course places the humble act of cooking in the same sphere as sculpture, painting, music and medicine.
Through the title block we are told much, but LCMartino there is much that is missing from this manuscript. There are no introductory materials besides the title block. No specifics about the actual recipes or table of contents. No banquets, in which the recipes have been served, are described. No dedication to a patron or benefactor is found. And details about Martino himself are limited. We are told his first name, Martino. His profession, cook. And his former employer, the Patriarch of Aquileia.
The following picture are of the Basilica of Aquileia (the exterior, two of the interior and a close-up of one of the floor mosaics).

Below is the title block from LCMartino. Note the scribal marking above the double “s” in “reverendiss” and the mark at the end of “Aquileia” that resembles a “>”. No other punctuation is included in the title block although it should be pointed out that the words “Maestro” and “Camorlengo” (both personal titles) are “punctuated” by being placed on their own lines with no other words.

Of the other six manuscripts in the Martino corpus that are accessible three contain some sort of title block or title page and three do not have title blocks.
VATMartino - No title block.
Platina - There is no title block at the beginning of the recipe section in “De Honesta”.
Bühler - No title block.
Riva - Two title blocks.
Rosselli - Contains a title page.
EP 1598 - Contains a title page.
Several also contain other information, such as indexes or engravings, before the recipes start. This material, along with the title block material if there is one, is described below.
VATMartino
This manuscript does not contain a title block. It begins with 4 pages that contain many different pieces of text (some of which are names) in multiple scribal hands. Most seem not to be contemporary with the manuscript or are at the very least written by someone completely different than the person who wrote the recipes contained in the manuscript. Also found on these first four pages are a diagram and a drawing, which again may or may not be contemporary to the manuscript. The diagram, found on the first page, is made up of seven rows of dots - each row alternating five dots and four dots. The dots are connect diagonally with short lines to form a diapered pattern. On page three of the manuscript is a crude drawing of what could be a hand.
The manuscript continues with a 12 page index of recipes. The recipes in the index and the recipes in the manuscript have not yet been studied throughly enough to indicate the completeness of the index, however at first glance it is clear that they do not match the body of the text.
The index is divided into six “Capitolo”s or chapters -
c Apitolo primo di ogni carne. - Chapter one, of every meat.
Capitolo secto di ogni maniera di vinande - Chapter two, of every manner of food.
Capitolo terzo p fare ogni vinanda di sapore. - Chapter three, to make every sauce for food.
Capto quarto p fare ogni ragione di torte - Chapter four, to make every kind of tarts.
Capitolo quinto p fare frittelle altpo di caso et di oua. - Chapter five, to make fritters also of cheese and eggs.
Capitolo sexto per quocere ogni pesce. - Chapter six, to cook every fish.
There are a total of 274 recipes listed in the index. The first capitol has 39 recipes listed, which takes up the bulk of the first two pages. The second capitol lists 64 recipes and takes up approximately two and a half pages . The third capitol has 24 recipes and takes up one page which is split between two pages. The fourth capitol has 39 recipes listed taking up approximately one and a half pages. Capitol five lists 36 recipes and like capitol four takes up approximately one and a half pages. Capitol six, the final chapter, has 72 recipes listed and takes up three pages.
Each of the recipes in the index has been annotated at some later date with the letter “c” or letters “a” and “c” and a number. These letters and numbers correspond to a page number that has also been written in at a later date. It is clear that the annotations are in two different hands starting at chapter five.

Platina
There is no title block at the beginning of the recipe section in De Honesta. There is an index at the beginning of this chapter titled “sexti libri capitula” which lists 30 recipes, but this index is only for book six. Four other indexes begin each of the subsequent chapters which makes up the bulk of the Martino recipes in Platina. Luigi Ballerini in his introduction to the English translation of Martino, The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book by Jeremy Parzen does an excellent job of detailing the relationship between Martino and Platina, as well as exploring all the different parts of Martino’s life. It can be found at the University of California Press and does such a good job in detailing these aspects of Martino that there is no need to go into detail here.

Bühler
More on this manuscript at a later date.

Riva
More on this manuscript at a later date.

Rosselli
More on this manuscript at a later date.

EP 1598
More on this manuscript at a later date.

All materials on this site, including, but not limited to the written material, audio, and graphics are for non-profit educational use intended to be used for study and research only.
No written material on this site may be copied, stored or published in any format  without the express permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2005, Renaissance Productions