Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome

Tor. [4] Still being done today in the same manner. [295] ANOTHER SWEETMEAT _ALITER DULCIA_ GRATE [scrape, peel] SOME VERY BEST FRESH APHROS [1] AND IMMERSE IN MILK. WHEN SATURATED PLACE IN THE OVEN TO HEAT BUT NOT TO DRY OUT; WHEN THOROUGHLY HOT RETIRE FROM OVEN, POUR OVER SOME HONEY, STIPPLE [the fruit] SO THAT THE HONEY MAY PENETRATE, SPRINKLE WITH PEPPER [2] AND SERVE. [1] Tor., Tac., Lan. _musteos aphros_; Vat. Ms., G.-V. _afros_; List. _apios_, i.e. celery, which is farthest from the mark. Goll. interprets this a "cider apple," reminiscent, probably, of _musteos_, which is fresh, new, young, and which has here nothing to do with cider. _Aphros_ is not identified. Perhaps the term stood for Apricots (Old English: Aphricocks) or some other African fruit or plant; Lister's celery is to be rejected on gastronomical grounds. The above treatment would correspond to that which is given apricots and peaches today. They are peeled, immersed in cream and sweetened with sugar. Apicius' heating of the fruit in milk is new to us; it sounds good, for it has a tendency to parboil any hard fruit, make it more digestible and reduce the fluid to a creamy consistency. [2] The "pepper" again, as pointed out in several other places, here is some spice of agreeable taste as are used in desserts today. [296] ANOTHER SWEET DISH _ALITER DULCIA_ BREAK [slice] FINE WHITE BREAD, CRUST REMOVED, INTO RATHER LARGE PIECES WHICH SOAK IN MILK [and beaten eggs] FRY IN OIL, COVER WITH HONEY AND SERVE [1]. [1] "French" Toast, indeed!--_Sapienti sat!_ [297] ANOTHER SWEET _ALITER DULCIA_ IN A CHAFING-DISH PUT [1] HONEY, PURE WINE, RAISIN WINE, RUE, PINE NUTS, NUTS, COOKED SPELT, ADD CRUSHED AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS [2] AND SERVE. [1] G.-V. _Piperato mittis_. _Piperatum_ is a dish prepared with pepper, any spicy dish; the term may here be applied to the bowl in which the porridge is served. Tac. _Dulcia piperata mittis_. [2] Dann. Almonds. [298] ANOTHER SWEET _ALITER DULCIA_ CRUSH PEPPER, NUTS, HONEY, RUE, AND RAISIN WINE WITH MILK, AND COOK THE MIXTURE [1] WITH A FEW EGGS