Re: Cookbook relay

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).

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!

>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.

ObConlang:  Speaking of Mr. Smith-- amongst my Kash example sentences, I
find:  karune cakasisa kendekiyi  randik ‘The Duke was smitten/besotted with
the muscular kitchen-boy’

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