Spice mixes from Libro di cucina/ Libro per cuoco (14th/15th c.) (Anonimo Veneziano)

For the purposes of experimenting with making this for largess (and in smaller batches for home use) I've chosen to break down the measurements into parts. As ounces seem to be the standard unit of measure used in all of these recipes and for all ingredients this is easily replaced by other units of measure, e.g. one tsp pepper, one tsp cinnamon, one tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp saffron. When I make the test batches at home I will also be pulling out some of the recipes that call for these spice mixes from the same manuscript as sizing up and down spices can sometimes call for more variation depending on the age and quality of the spices used.

LXXIII. Specie fine a tute cosse.

Toi una onza de pevere e una de cinamo e una de zenzevro e mezo quarto de garofali e uno quarto de zaferanno.

LXXIII Fine spices for all dishes (things)
Take one ounce of pepper, one of cinnamon, one of ginger, half a quarter (of an ounce) of cloves, and a quarter (of an ounce) of saffron.

First test batch will be: 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp saffron

LXXIV. Specie dolce per assay cosse bone e fine.

Le meior specie dolze fine che tu fay se vuoi per lampreda in crosta e per altri boni pessi d'aque dolze che se faga in crosto e per fare bono brodetto e bon savore. Toi uno quarto de garofali e una onza de bon zenzevro e toy una onza de cinamo leto e toy arquanto folio e tute queste specie fay pestare insiema caxa como te piaxe, e se ne vo' fare piú, toy le cosse a questa medessima raxone et è meravigliosamente bona.

LXXIV Sweet spices, enough for many good and fine things
The best fine sweet spices that you can make, for lamprey pie or for other good fresh water fish that one makes in a pie, and for good broths and sauces.  Take a quarter (of an ounce) of cloves, an ounce of good ginger, an ounce of soft (or sweet) cinnamon, and take a quantity (the same amount of?) Indian bay leaves (*) and grind all these spices together how you please.  And if you don’t want to do more, take these things (spices) in the same ratio (without grinding) and they will be marvelously good.

First test batch will be: 1/4 tsp cloves,1 tsp "good" ginger, 1 tsp "soft or sweet"cinnamon, 1 tsp Indian bay leaves
 

LXXV. Specie negre e forte per assay savore.

Specie negre e forte per fare savore; toy mezo quarto de garofali e do onze de pevere e toy arquanto pevere longo e do noce moscate e fa de tute specie.

LXXV Black and strong spices for many sauces.
Black and strong spices to make sauces.  Take half a quarter (of an ounce) of cloves, two ounces of pepper and an (equal) quantity of long pepper and nutmeg and do as all spices (grind).

First test batch will be: 1/8 tsp cloves, 2 tsp pepper,  2 tsp long pepper,  2 tsp nutmeg

 

All of these recipes currently come from a single source the Anonimo Veneziano and I'm currently working from the translation found here: http://www.geocities.com/helewyse/libro.html

The original Italian transcription can be found here: http://www.uni-giessen.de/gloning/tx/frati.htm

Translated 2003 to January 2005 CE by Helewyse de Birkestad, OL  (MKA Louise Smithson) from the transcription of  Ludovico Frati (ed.): Libro di cucina del secolo XIV. Livorno 1899 prepared and made available online by Thomas Gloning. Last updated March 28th 2005.

Ref 71 early results! & the crap still left to move

Happy news first- http://www.thenewspk.com/2009/11/the-referendum-71-results/
As it currently stands it looks like Ref. 71 will pass!! Yay for protecting families of all kinds. :)

Now for the not fun. I was hoping to hold up at the new house tonight, make some comfort food and hang out with the girlchild. I really think I need to head to the old house instead and continue packing up and prepping as much as possible.

List of things at the old house to be moved tomorrow: 
Large TV stand
2 full sized bookshelves
3 1/2 sized book shelves
3 dressers
2 side tables
washer & dryer
The victorian couch R so desparately wants me to get rid of- needs new springs - if I can't get it up into my sewing room I may have to let it go. :( 

More boxes of crap stuff, bedding all the stuff in the window seat. I've got to go through a bunch of my research notebooks and get rid of as much as possible too. The copies that were passed on to me will either be quietly passed on to others, or disposed of properly.