Re: Cookbook relay

> --- In conlang@y..., Roger Mills  wrote:
> Sally Caves wrote:
>
>
> >I think "garum" was also used... >
>
> Re garum:  is there any possible connection with the Indian term "garam
> (masala)"?
> Malay also has _garam_ 'salt', apparently < Indic; it is not found
> elsewhere; the reconstructed word for "salt" is something like *asiRaq
> (putative Ml. **sirah).
>
I doubt it. See my previous post on the etymology, apparently it was
originally a species of fish.

>
> Nuoc mam, or Thai  nam pla, is made from fermented fishies, with tons of
> salt.  Of course, fermentation is a form of decomposition too, I suppose.
> It does smell vile, and a little bit goes a very long way; it's good.  Aside
> from a bat cave, the worst smell I ever experienced was when I wandered
> around Saigon and came upon the riverside area where they collect, recycle
> (and presumably clean ) the nuoc mam jars.  Oy!
>
    Well, according to Roman sources (and my experiences with the Thai
stuff) the smell is not too bad when you have it ready for cooking. When
it goes bad it's supposed to stink terribly, and also when it's being
prepared; this is why the Romans had zoning laws forbidding the
manufacture of garum in residential areas!

>
> >The only thing I remember from what I read about
> >Roman cooking is that feasts started with eggs and
> >ended with apples.  I imagine Roman cooking has
> >some Italian and Mediterranean features to it.
>
>
> Before his run-in with the Morals Police, Jeff Smith, "The Frugal Gourmet",
> many years back did some programs on Roman cookery, which might have found
> their way into some of his books.   I seem to recall lots of coriander:
> braised leeks and string beans (perhaps all shredded?), with coriander?  Or
> just braised leeks with coriander-- anyway, I tried those and they were
> good.
>
I bought his book on the subject and was not too impressed. The shows
were probably better. HOwever, coriander and leeks are indeed common to
Roman cooking.

Sorry this is getting so OT! Um... to bring it back on to topic, the
Caryatic words for coriander and leek are silus and pis respectively.

JDM