Quintilla’s recipe for this month.

Gustum de cucurbitis farsilibus Cucurbitas a latere subtiliter ad modum tessellae oblongae decidis et excavas et mittis in frigidam. Impensam ad eas sic facies: teres piper, ligusticum, origanicum, suffundis liquamen, copadia agnina cocta teres, ova cruda dissolves et mittes ut unum corpus efficias; liquamine temperabis. Et cucurbitas supra scriptas non plene coctas ex ea impensa imples, de tessella sua recludis, surclas et coctas eximis et frigis. Oenogarum sic facies: teres piper, ligusticum, suffundis vinum et liquamen, passo temperabis, olei modicum mittis in caccabum et facies ut ferveat. Cum ferbuerit, amulo obligas, et cucurbitas frictas oenogaro perfundis et piper aspargis et inferes.	Stuffed marrows Carefully cut out oblong pieces from the sides of the marrows, hollow the marrows, and put them in cold water. Then make the following mixture: pound pepper, lovage, origan, moisten with liquamen, mince cooked lamb, beat raw eggs, and work all this to a smooth mixture. Blend with liquamen. Fill the marrows, which you have meanwhile partly cooked, with this mixture, replace the cut-out pieces, tie them up, boil until done, then take them out of the water and fry. Make the following garum to serve with the marrows; pound pepper, lovage; moisten with wine and liquamen; blend with boiled down wine, add a little oil, put in a saucepan, and bring to the boil. When boiling thicken with cornflour. Pour it over the fried marrows, sprinkle with pepper and serve.
1. Quintilla’s introductory page 2. Marcus Gavius Apicius 3. Roman Fish Sauce – the Garum and Liquamen problem 4. Return to Quintus’ Latin Translation Service Home Page