Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome

mean our modern _réduction_. [3] The fruit to be used here has not been satisfactorily identified. The texts have _citrium_ and _citrum_--a sweet squash or cucumber--perhaps even a melon, but not the citron, the _mala citrea_ as read by List. This specimen is hard to identify because of the many varieties in the cucumber, squash and the citrus families. _Citrus_, as a matter of fact, is but a corruption of _cedrus_, the cedar tree. We are not sure whether this fruit is to be stuffed with the ragout and then baked, as is often the custom to do with such shells; the texts prescribes distinctly to hollow out the fruit. The title, implying a "sweet dish" is obviously wrong. It may be remarked here that Apicius makes no mention of that marvelous citrus fruit, the lemon, nor of the orange, both of which are indispensable to modern cookery. [169] MINUTAL OF FRUIT _MINUTAL EX PRÆCOQUIS_ IN A SAUCE PAN PUT OIL, BROTH AND WINE, FINELY CUT SHALLOTS, DICED COOKED PORK SHOULDER. WHEN THIS IS COOKED, CRUSH PEPPER, CUMIN, DRY MINT, DILL, MOISTEN WITH HONEY, BROTH, RAISIN WINE [and] A LITTLE VINEGAR, SOME OF THE GRAVY OF THE ABOVE MORSELS, ADD FRUITS THE SEEDS OF WHICH HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT, LET BOIL, WHEN THOROUGHLY COOKED, SKIM, BIND, SPRINKLE WITH PEPPER AND SERVE [1]. [1] This, rather than {Rx} No. 168, deserves the title, Sweet Minutal, for it is practically the same, with the addition of the fruit. [170] MINUTAL OF HARE'S LIVERS _MINUTAL LEPORINUM_ THE WAY TO MAKE A MINUTAL OF HARE'S GIBLETS MAY BE FOUND AMONG THE HARE RECIPES [1]. [170a] IN A SAUCE PAN PUT OIL, BROTH AND WINE, FINELY CUT SHALLOTS, DICED COOKED PORK SHOULDER. WHEN THIS IS COOKED, CRUSH PEPPER, CUMIN, DRY MINT, DILL, MOISTEN WITH HONEY, BROTH, RAISIN WINE [and] A LITTLE VINEGAR, SOME OF THE GRAVY OF THE ABOVE MORSELS, ADD SEEDLESS FRUITS, LET BOIL, WHEN THOROUGHLY COOKED, SKIM, BIND, SPRINKLE WITH PEPPER AND SERVE. [1] {Rx} No. 386, Book VIII is one of these recipes. This is one of the few instances where the