If some of you cringe at your upcoming Birthday, look at it this way, Emperor Hadrian is 1940 years young. Here is an ancient Birthday cake recipe easy to make today, giving you again a flavour of what life was like back then. As for the wine unfortunately not available outside Italy, though in Italy it is still made in the antique method BUT must be cut be adding water to your wine, it is undrinkable otherwise. Back then wine was kept in clay amphoras and took on the earthy flavour of the clay, good but potent.
Happy 1940th birthday, Hadrian!
© Carole Raddato
For this year’s birthday cake I chose to cook Cato’s recipe for savillum (a kind of cheese cake/bread).
Savillum recipe in Latin (from LacusCurtius):
Cato’s De Agricultura 84: Savillum hoc modo facito. Farinae selibram, casei P. II S una conmisceto quasi libum, mellis P. et ovum unum. Catinum fictile oleo unguito. Ubi omnia bene conmiscueris, in catinum indito, catinum testo operito. Videto ut bene percocas medium, ubi altissimum est. Ubi coctum erit, catinum eximito, melle unguito, papaver infriato, sub testum subde paulisper, postea eximito. Ita pone cum catillo et lingula.
Translation:
Take ½ pound of flour, 2½ pounds of cheese, and mix together as for the libum; add ¼ pound of honey and 1 egg. Grease an earthenware dish with oil. When you have mixed thoroughly, pour into a dish and cover with a crock. See that you bake the centre thoroughly, for it is deepest…
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Dave said:
I feel like an infant…
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larrymuffin said:
Well hopefully you will look just as good as he does in 1900 years from now.
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underswansea said:
Will have an extra drink to celebrate the occasion! It’s not everyday someone turns 1940. Looks like good pie. . . I mean cake. Enjoy the wine. Wonderful pictures and sculptures in the background. Take care. Bob
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Urspo said:
Hadrian seems to be one of the few Emperors everyone has heard of, either because of his wall or because of his roommate
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larrymuffin said:
you mean is Deifyed lover
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Urspo said:
I remember in school being told they were just good friends, like roommates.
Sort of like Mr. AT Great and his buddy pal.
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larrymuffin said:
The lies you were told for your own good. Sue them I say!
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Urspo said:
Are you saying they were not all they should be? 😱
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larrymuffin said:
All I am saying is that they were friends of Dorothy, wink, wink.
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Urspo said:
You have ruined my childhood
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larrymuffin said:
I am naughty that way! LOL!!!!
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Mitchell is Moving said:
I’ve decided to only read the recipe in its original Latin. My understanding will be no worse than if I were to read the English translation. I’ve been to Italica (where Hadrian likely was born — although it’s still argued), which is only 10 minutes from Sevilla.
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larrymuffin said:
Give the recipe to San Geraldo who will help you out.
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