If you take a second to think about it, sausage is a weird idea. The offal of one animal (or several) is combined with the fat and blood from another, which is then forced into the innards of, possibly, yet another. A bit gory, I’ll admit, but sausage has for ages been an wonderfully resourceful… Continue reading Lucanian Sausage

Salt was an essential ingredient in the Roman kitchen, seasoning and preserving food. Here, I write about an ancient sort of salad with a refreshing touch, plus a recreated recipe to try. A photo of the sala cattabia with shaved ice and mint. It tastes much better than it looks! Greek, Caesar, Cobb, Waldorf, Niçoise…… Continue reading Sala Cattabia

Cabbage, native to the crags of Europe’s Atlantic coast, has been cultivated into almost a dozen varieties. Here, a short history of the brassica family and of the avid cabbage-eater Cato the Elder, with a recipe for you to try. A photo I took of the broccoli with leeks and olives on a plate. Cato… Continue reading Broccoli with Olives

An enterprising Roman farmer brought snail farming into the mainstream many centuries ago, but people have been eating these mollusks for much longer. Here, a history of snails and a recipe to try. A photo I took of the cooked snails put back in shells, with a bit of parsley. They may be most familiar… Continue reading Roman Land Snails

Legionaries built the might of ancient Rome, but they couldn’t have marched around the Mediterranean without food. Here, I tell of this early hardtack, the simple cereal sustenance that fueled ancient soldiers, with a recipe for you to try. A photo I took of the buccellatum biscuits on a plate. Best soaked in something! After… Continue reading Buccellatum (Soldier’s Hardtack)

Much as melons are popular summertime fruits today, they found a spot on the Roman table. Here, I describe gardening, convoluted melon terminology, and an ancient melon salad recipe you can make in your own kitchen. A photo I took of the chopped melon salad in a bowl, served with the dressing over top. With… Continue reading Melon Salad

Fresh seafood was quite the treat on the ancient dining table, so I was lucky to cook up a fish à la Apicius. Here, a brief history of fish and fishing in Rome, plus a recipe for a dressed sea bass you can whip up yourself. A photo I snapped of the roasted sea bass… Continue reading Sea Bass with Wine Vinaigrette

Gladiator games may be one of the most legendary features of Roman culture, but what was it like to be a gladiator? Here, a look into the grueling, risky lives of the famed fighters and a recipe for their staple food. The barley polenta in a giant bowl. Fit for a gladiator! Juvenal, a satirical… Continue reading Gladiators’ Barley Polenta

Just as many people may claim their favorite cheese — Gouda, Cheddar, Brie — stands above the rest, Pliny the Elder thought a variety from Gaul was superior. Here, a look into curdled milk and a recipe for this prince among cheeses. The ball of cheese I made on a plate, garnished with a wreath… Continue reading Gallic Curd Cheese

Porridges can be found around the world, and have been eaten for tens of thousands of years. Cato the Elder wrote a recipe for boiled wheat with milk that may have been eaten by peckish Romans. Here, a recreated version for you to make, plus a story of porridge’s past. A bowl of Cato’s wheat… Continue reading Graneam Triticeam (Whole Wheat Porridge)