Be more confident: How to Cook Like a Roman

How to Cook Like a Roman

Roman food and kitchenware Much of Western cooking, and
especially Mediterranean cooking, descends from Roman
cooking. To cook like a Roman today you need to use only
ingredients that were available to the Romans, adapt your
cooking techniques somewhat, and learn to combine flavors in
ways that may be new to you.

!! Steps !!

Create a Roman pantry. If possible, set up your food storage so that
Roman foods and non-Roman foods are stored on different shelves to
make it easier for you. Stock up on the following important Roman
staples:

* Olives and olive oil. Pliny the Elder sang the virtues of the
olive by claiming that: "Except the vine, there is no plant which
bears a fruit of as great importance as the olive". Buy "pure"
olive oil for cooking and "extra virgin" for flavoring uncooked
things;

* Honey. Use this instead of sugar. Or, you can also use dates to
sweeten dishes;

* Chickpeas (also known as "garbanzo beans") and lentils;

* Whole grains and whole grain flour such as "emmer", "spelt" or
"far" (kinds of wheat) and barley. Emmer and spelt are available
in "health food" stores. Emmer is a very ancient variety of wheat
and is the most authentic choice for early Roman cooking. Rye was
also consumed by the Romans;

* Salt;

* Vegetables such as radishes, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, leek,
endive, celery, globe artichokes, cucumber, marrow, lettuce,
onions. pennycress, nettles, asparagus and beets;[1] [1]

* Fruit such as grapes, raisins, currants, sultanas, figs, dates,
medlar, mulberry, damson, plums, cultivated cherry, apples, pears,
crab apple, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and elder
berries;[2] [2]

* Many herbs and spices such as oregano, dill, mustard, lovage,
rosemary, rue, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme, aniseed, borage, black
pepper, poppy seeds, fennel, mint, flat parsley, garlic, and
savory;[3] [3]

* Nuts include walnut, almond, chestnuts, and stone pine;[4] [4]

* Meat in the form of chicken, mutton, or pork (and ham, bacon,
sucking pigs) was far more common than beef, although beef was
supplied as rations to Roman garrisons in Britain and was much
enjoyed in Roman Britain;[5] wild fowl was common, such as duck
[5] and goose, and other birds we're less likely to eat nowadays
like swan, stork, flamingo, and crane;[6] [6] rabbit, hare, and
deer would also have been consumed by Romans;

* Fungi (edible mushrooms);

* Snails and frogs (the French weren't there first!);

* Seafood including many types of fish (eel, perch, pike, carp,
etc.), crustaceans, and shellfish was very popular;

* Several sauces, including _garum_ (a fish sauce similar to that
used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking) or fermented fish sauce
(_liquamen_); _oenogarum_ was fish sauce mixed with wine. See
"Tips" for how to make your own fish sauce;

* Cheese both hard and soft was made by Romans. Ricotta and feta are
two very suitable types;

* Wine (cooking and drinking) and vinegar. Vinegar added a sharp
taste to sauces, preserved fruits, vegetables, and fish. The
Romans also brewed beer.[7] [7]

Not Roman food... Avoid using the wrong ingredients when cooking
Roman style. Some common non-Roman foods that you should not use in
authentic Roman dishes are these foods from the Americas: tomatoes,
potatoes, chilies, corn (maize). Broccoli is a modern hybrid and
pasta (except lasagna) was not known to the Romans.

Prepare your kitchen equipment. By the time of the Romans, cooking
equipment had become far more complex than previous cooking
cultures.[8] Cooking was done over a raised brick hearth with a
charcoal [8] fire. While some foods such as meat or fish could be
grilled direct on the charcoals, other food had to be cooked in
tripod pots over the coals. In addition, it is likely that the
Romans used steaming methods. Baking and roasting was also done in
an oven using wood or charcoal as fuel.[9] [9] Naturally, your
modern day oven and stove will be perfect substitutes. As for your
cooking equipment, the extent of the authenticity is up to you but
here are some common Roman items and possible substitutes:

* Use a good, large mortar and pestle (_mortaria_). This is your
Roman style food processor. A marble one is best because it will
not pick up flavors from such common ingredients as garlic.
Naturally, if you're feeling lazy, the Romans would probably have
snapped up food processors in the blink of an eye, so don't
hesitate!

* Use a pizza stone for baking.

* Use a large pot for stews. The Romans used iron cauldrons but
there's a good reason we don't tend to anymore – they're
_heavy_! A large casserole can also be used as a Roman oven.

* Use a frying pan (_fretale_ or _sartago_) for cooking fish and
frying vegetables. A _patella_ was used as a slightly deeper
frying pan that could also be taken to the table, and the _patina_
was an even deeper pan for more complex dishes. Perhaps use such
items as paella pans and casserole dishes without lids for
substitutes.

* Use jugs and pitchers (_amphorae_) for storing and pouring your
olive oil, wine, and other liquids. Naturally, a measuring jug is
also perfectly acceptable as a modern-day substitute.

* Roman knives, strainers, pots, and pans were generally similar to
our modern day ones, so it's likely your kitchen is already
well-equipped for Roman cooking.

Know how to prepare the food. The cooking methods include: baking,
roasting, steaming, raw (salads), frying in oil, and heating. Grain
could be milled, so flour for baking and sauces is permissible
(_amulum_ thickened sauces), as well as ground grain dishes such as
porridge and gruel (_puls_ or _pulmentus_). If you're really keen,
look for your own flour mill to grind the flour fresh at home.
Although extra work, the freshness can make it worth your while.
Bread was common but there are different types: _autopyron_ was a
slave and dog bread made from mostly bran with a little flour;
_athletae_ was unleavened bread mixed with soft curd cheese;
_buccellatum_ was the troop's staple dry biscuit; and _artophites_
was light leavened bread made from the best flour baked in a
mold.[10] [10]

Find some recipes. Several ancient writers left collections of
recipes, but they are really hard to use. Some good modern
interpretations of Roman cookbooks are listed below. Try making some
of the following:

* Libum (like cheese bread) or moretum (a garlic and vegetable
cheese spread) to start.

* Cooked mussels, prawn cake, and oyster omelet

* Seared fish

* Grilled pork chop using a dry method

* Cooked chicken

* Roman sweet cake and honey cakes.

Serve the food. Serving the food was a little different from
nowadays, where fingers are relegated to fast food and nibbles,
while table food requires the use of modern utensils. In Roman
times, eating food with the fingers was far more common and napkins
were an essential for wiping dirty fingers. Romans had knives and
spoons but they lacked forks.[11] It's up to you how far you wish to
live without your fork! Once again, no doubt Romans would have
embraced the fork if they'd thought of it first. Spoons [11] were
used for sauces and soft food, with a small spoon known as a
_cocleare_ used for removing shellfish from shells.[12] [12] It is
also likely that larger spoons served as ladles. Solid foods were
eaten using the fingers.

* Romans had bowls, plates, cups, finger bowls, jugs, goblets, and
wine ladles.

* Items were typically made from a range of materials including
pottery, glass, silver, bronze, iron, pewter, etc. You may wish to
research further if you're trying to achieve an authentic table
look along with your Roman food.

Add the wine. Romans adored their wine, so feel free to add wine to
your meal. In Roman times, it was considered bad manners to drink
wine undiluted[13] [13] but you might want to ignore than nicety
given the care taken in making modern day wines "just right". And
the other drink? Water. That makes the choices easy!

Hold a Roman banquet. Romans were renowned for banqueting. Once your
Roman cooking skills have broadened, consider holding a mini-banquet
for your family and friends, to introduce them to the delights and
healthy aspects of eating like a Roman.

* Bear in mind the presentation was a very important aspect of a
successful banquet. Place candelabra on the table, use your best
dinnerware, and add some fresh flowers to the dining room
(_triclinium_) for beauty.

* Romans would often recline to eat, placing three couches around
the table.[14] [14] So, you have a good excuse to pull the couches
up to a low lying table and to chill out as you enjoy your Roman
banquet.

* Guests would be expected to bring their own dining napkins with
them; at the end of the evening, they'd fill their napkins with
leftovers to take home as what you might perceive as a sort of an
eco-friendly Tupperware equivalent![15] [15]

!! Video !!

!! Tips !!

* Romans often cooked over charcoal, so a hibachi-type charcoal
grill is pretty authentically Roman! Be careful using charcoal,
and don't ever use it indoors because you risk carbon monoxide
poisoning.

* Romans either milled their own flour by hand or bought it from
millers who used large stone mills. Course stone-ground whole
wheat flour is your best choice.

* Romans usually reduced sauces before cooking, unlike now, when we
usually reduce sauces while cooking.

* Horse meat was sometimes eaten. It is likely that if Romans went
to Australia they'd also have eaten kangaroo or if they'd gone to
North America, they'd have indulged in bison. The Romans weren't
afraid to try new foods, so it's really up to you how far you
extend the ban on non-Roman foods. You might prefer to adopt the
overall cooking styles and flavors, keeping to foods in their
unprocessed and healthy state, rather than completely abandoning
New World foods.

* To make fish sauce (_liquamen_): In a bowl mix sprats with fish
intestines. Add olive oil to cover. Pour it all into a clean
container (in those days they usually used a clay container).
Sprinkle with herbs. Place in the sun for three days. It will
ferment during this time. Strain the fish sauce; it's now ready to
eat.[16] [16] Note: this is an Ancient Roman recipe and you might
not wish to run the risk of leaving fish intestines in the
sunshine and then eating the resulting sauce!

!! Things You'll Need !!

* Suitable utensils and cooking equipment as outlined

* Drinking vessels (goblets, etc.)

* Couches to recline on, napkins, tablecloth for a banquet

!! Related WikiHows !!

* How to Make Moretum (Garlic Cheese)

* How to Make Libum

* How to Make Posca

* How to Make Mulsum

* How to Buy, Store and Cook With Garlic

!! Sources And Citations !!

* Dalby, A., Grainger, S, _The Classical Cookbook_, 1996. ISBN
0892363940. An excellent book which combines historical discussion
and classical recipes for satisfying results.

* Patrick Faas, Shaun Whiteside trans., _Around the Roman Table:
Food and Feasting in Ancient Rome_, 2003, University of Chicago
Press. ISBN 0226233472.

* Grant, M., _Roman Cookery: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens_,
2008. ISBN 1897959605. New illustrated edition of the 1999 text.
An excellent collection of recipes for preparing everyday Roman
meals.

* Gozzini Giacosa, _A Taste of Ancient Rome_, 1994, Univ. of Chicago
Press. ISBN 0226290328. Nicely translated and illustrated The bulk
of the recipes come from Apicius and include the standard
numbering from that work. The Latin is always included, then
translated, then converted into a modern recipe.

* Jane Renfrew, _Roman Cookery: Recipes & History, 2004. English
Heritage, UK. ISBN 1-85074-870-5. Most recipes are derived from
Apicius. – Also used as a research source to authenticate this
article._

* Segan, F., _The Philosopher's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Greece
and Rome for the Modern Cook_, 2004, Random House. ISBN
1400060990.

* Paul Elliott, Legionary Rations,
http://www.comitatus.net/research_files/rations.pdf. (PDF)

* Alternative Wheat Cereals as Food Grains, Emmer,
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/V3-156.html#EMMER

* AncientRomeKit, Experiments with wheat,
http://ancientromekit.wikispaces.com/Wheat

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Thursday 10 February 2011

How to Cook Like a Roman

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