Sally Grainger

This seems to be mostly interested in providing material for creating ancient meals for groups. It suffers from the usual questions about whether or not the assumptions made are reasonable. In this case the double translation from Greek or Latin to English and then to German makes checking harder than usual.

Very often the recipes call for 'Poleiminze' (pennyroyal). I couldn't find any note that pennyroyal is poisonous. This obviously depends on the dosage, but it is irresponsible to put it in food without a warning that it can cause abortions, vomiting, and liver damage.… (mais)

This was excellent. I have not tried any of the recipes yet, or I would have scored it higher. It reads very well as a history book on Anicent food history as well as a cook book. The chapter introductions along with the recipe introductions paints a vivid picture of the foods eaten. Many of the recipes are accompanied by quotes from ancient texts and cookbooks which half the entertainment.

If you are interested in ancient everyday history or a reenactor I think this is well worth your time.
http://postej-stew.dk/2016/10/the-classical-cookbook/… (mais)

I was thrilled to receive Christopher Grocock and Sally Grainger's new comprehensive translation of the Apician cookbook, "Apicius, a Critical Edition". It is a masterwork.

I was also pleased to receive Grainger's "Cooking Apicius". Grainger is both a scholar and an excellent cook of Ancient Roman food. Her book is written in a friendly, personal, and sometimes chatty manner, and contains many Britishisms, but, then, she is British, after all.

Her discussions of various ingredients and cooking techniques were quite informative. I have cooked from the Flower/Rosenbaum translation, and also own Andre Dalby & Sally Grainger's "Classical Cookbook", "Around the Roman Table: Food and Feasting in Ancient Rome" by Patrick Faas, "Roman Cookery: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens" by Mark Grant, "A Taste of Ancient Rome" by Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa. I have found all these books instructive, but I enjoy working out the recipes myself and making my own decisions on what substitutes to use here in the US.

At the same time, I always appreciate hearing how another cook interprets a recipe, and I very much appreciated Grainger's explanations throughout of her decisions to make certain interpretations or use particular ingredients. Also of great use are her experiments making garum and liquamen.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in cooking recipes from the Apician cookbook. And it is especially useful to those who are shy of starting out from the original recipes themselves, which can be rather vague.… (mais)