Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome

OF A HEAVY JUICE [4]. [1] List. _Osprios_; G.-V. _Ospreon_--cookery of leguminous plants. [2] _Puls_--formerly a simple porridge of various kinds of cereals or legumes, eaten by the Romans before bread came into use. _Puls_ remained in use after the introduction of bread only as a food of the poor. It was also used at sacrifices. The _pultes_ and _pulticulæ_ given by Apicius are illustrations of the ever-present desire to improve--to glorify, as it were, a thing which once was or still is of vital importance in the daily life of humans. The _nouveaux-riches_ of the ancient and the modern world cannot find it easy to separate themselves from their traditions nor are they wont to put up with their plainness, hence the fancy trimmings. The development of the American pie is a curious analogy in this respect. We see in this the intricate working of human culture, its eternal strife for perfection. And perfection is synonymous with decay. The fare of the Carthusian monks, professed, stern vegetarians, underwent the same tortuous evolution. [3] Named for Didius Julianus, the emperor who was a vegetarian. Of course, his majesty could not live on a plain porridge, hence the Apician artistry. The _pultes_ were popular with the many professed vegetarians though the obliging cooks mixed finely ground meat in this and other porridges. Our various cream soups and legume purées--those most salubrious creations of modern cookery are no doubt lineal descendants from the Apician _pultes_. They are so scarce comparatively because they require all the ingenuity and resourcefulness of a gifted cook to be perfect. [4] Dann. remarks that this formula is wanting in List. Both Lister's first and second editions have it. [179] GRUEL AND WINE _PULTES {OE}NOCOCTI_ PORRIDGE AND WINE IS THUS MADE: [1] FLAVOR THE PULSE WELL WITH WINE [2] AND IMMERSE IN THE JUICE DAINTY MORSELS [3]. [1] Tor. sentence wanting in other texts. [2] Tor. _Oenogari_; G.-V. _Oenococti_. [3] Tor. _cupedias_; _copadia_. [180] SIMILAR _SIMILAM_ [1] OR FLAVOR COOKED SPELT WITH THE LIQUOR OF DAINTY PIECES OF PORK, OR CAPON [2] COOKED IN WINE [3]. [1] Tac.