The Old School Kitchen: Online Summer Camp (2020)

Are you ready for the summer? Are you ready for the good times? So you can’t ship the kids off to camp and you can’t even go out on date night… Who turned up the suck?! Chin up, good readers! You can kill both those birds with one stone by signing up for an online class through The Old School Kitchen: Summer Camp! Because when the going gets tough… the tough get cooking! Just because COVID-19 has limited our travel and stolen our summer holidays out from under us doesn’t mean that we can’t embark on some culinary adventures together online and learn about Classical Mediterranean food archaeology in the process! Dry those tears, pistores, because Summer Camp is in session at The Old School Kitchen and YOU are invited!

As detailed in The Economist – 1843 Magazine…. Join award-winning Roman archaeologist, Farrell Monaco, for an exclusive and intimate summerlong series of online Zoom master classes inspired by the archaeology of food in the Classical Mediterranean.

Drawing from her research, work experience, and experimental archaeology projects, Farrell Monaco has designed an engaging, technical, and delicious series of classes for adults and children alike. The classes range from 2 to 3 hours in length and will explore specific readings, archaeological sources, food processing and cooking technologies, key ingredients, techniques, domestic and commercial cooking, as well themes such as food and identity, food in art, and interpreting sources of food culture in the Classical Mediterranean. Following an introductory lecture, Farrell and registrants will prepare a specially selected set of recipes together (online), and we will close the session by dining together in a virtual triclinium… so don’t forget your toga! Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

Please see the class schedule, descriptions, and participant reviews below. If you’d care to join us, click the BUY NOW link beside the class of your choice to register. Class sizes will be small to enable conversation, questions, conviviality and discussion throughout the sessions. Audio will not be muted so no cursing or death metal on in the background, please! These sessions are just as centred on conviviality and banter as they are Roman food and experimental archaeology!

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Classes for Adults

Note: There are a limited amount of registrations per session. Groups will be small in order to enable conversation and questions throughout the sessions. Each registration fee is per device. You can do the class alone at home or you can get some friends and family involved as well, using the same device… and the fee remains the same. All times are PST and currency is USD.

Date	Time	Title	Cost per device	Registration Link	Spaces Left
July 25	12:00 – 15:00 PST	The Old School Kitchen: Etruria. Description	$149		Event Over
July 29	12:00 – 15:00 PST	Baking Bread with the Romans: Panem et Polentam. Description	$149		Event Over
August 1	12:00 – 15:00 PST	The Old School Kitchen: Magna Graecia. Description	$149		Event Over
August 8	12:00 – 15:00 PST	The Old School Kitchen: Roman Republic. Description	$149		Full
August 12	12:00 – 15:00 PST	The Old School Kitchen: Vegetarian Dishes. Description	$149		Event Over
August 15	12:00 – 15:00 PST	The Old School Kitchen: The Roman Banquet. Description	$149		Event Over
August 22	12:00 – 15:00 PST	The Old School Kitchen: Medieval Rome Description	$149		Full
August 26	12:00 – 15:00 PST	Baking Bread with the Romans: Panem et Polentam. Description	$149		5
August 29	12:00 – 15:00 PST	The Old School Kitchen: Vegetarian Dishes. Description	$149		Full

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Classes for Kids

Note: There are a limited amount of registrations per session. Groups will be small in order to enable conversation and questions throughout the sessions. Each registration fee is per device. You can do the class alone at home or you can get some friends and family involved as well, using the same device… and the fee remains the same. All times are PST and currency is USD.

Date	Time	Title	Cost per device	Registration Link	Spaces left
July 22	12:00 – 14:00 PST	Baking with the Romans. Desc.	$99		Event Over
August 5	12:00 – 14:00 PST	Baking with the Romans. Desc.	$99		Event Over
August 19	12:00 – 14:00 PST	Baking with the Romans. Desc.	$99		8

Class Descriptions

Baking with the Romans (Kids)

This session will be tailored for young apprentice pistores trying out their hand at Roman baking for the very first time! The session will start with a 30 minute presentation on Roman bread and bakeries and participants will learn how to make two varieties of Roman breads. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

The Old School Kitchen: Etruria

This session will highlight food-related archaeology and technologies from the Etruscan civilization, a neighbouring culture that the Romans resented, borrowed from, waged battle with, and later subsumed into their own culture. The session will start with a 1 hour presentation on the archaeology of food in Etruria and what the various sources tell archaeologists and historians about Etruscan food culture. The we will prepare a selection of recipes that are attributed to the Etruscan peoples. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

Baking Bread with the Romans: Panem et Polentam

This session will highlight the fascinating archaeology and technologies related to Roman cereal grain agriculture, processing, and bread-making. The session will start with a 1 hour presentation on the archaeology of grain and bread in ancient Rome, and what the various sources tell archaeologists and historians about the Roman staple. Then we will prepare a selection of bread recipes that are attributed to three different parts of Roman daily life. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

The Old School Kitchen: Magna Graecia

This session will highlight the food-related archaeology and ancient literary sources documenting the Greek colonies established in the south of Italy during the 1st millenium BC. The session will start with a 1 hour presentation on the archaeology of Magna Graecia, and what the various sources tell archaeologists and historians about the food culture in the colonies. Then we will prepare a selection of recipes that are attributed to the presence of early Greek settlers on the Italian peninsula. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

The Old School Kitchen: Roman Republic

The Regal Period is over! A Republic is born! And the Romans are becoming stronger, more prosperous, and bolder in their food culture. This session will highlight the food-related archaeology and ancient literary sources documenting food in the Roman Republic. The session will start with a 1 hour presentation detailing what the various sources tell archaeologists and historians about food and food culture during the Republic. Then we will prepare a selection of recipes that highlight both the austere and emboldened aspects of the Roman Republic. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

The Old School Kitchen: Vegetarian Dishes

Despite the clearly conspicuous writings attributed to Petronius and Apicius, most Roman ate modest vegetarian meals. This session will highlight the food-related archaeology and ancient literary sources documenting vegetarian food in the ancient Rome. The session will start with a 1 hour presentation detailing what the various sources tell archaeologists and historians about vegetarian food and food culture in ancient Rome. Then we will prepare a selection of recipes that will highlight the rather sophisticated recipes that Romans devised for vegetarian meals. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

The Old School Kitchen: The Roman Banquet

“We knew not what to look for next, until a hideous uproar commenced, just outside the dining-room door, and some Spartan hounds commenced to run around the table all of a sudden. A tray followed them, upon which was served a wild boar of immense size, wearing a liberty cap upon its head, and from its tusks hung two little baskets of woven palm fibre, one of which contained Syrian dates, the other, Theban. Around it hung little suckling pigs made from pastry, signifying that this was a brood-sow with her pigs at suck.” The clearly conspicuous writings attributed to Petronius in The Satyricon highlights one of the most literally translated Roman texts related to food. While it is widely accepted to be an exaggerated affair, sometimes it’s necessary to engage your inner Trimalchio and throw a garish Roman banquet for all of your so-called friends. This session will highlight banquet-related archaeology and Roman literary sources documenting conspicuous consumption in ancient Rome in addition to the modern perception of what these foods represented in ancient Rome. The session will start with a 1 hour presentation detailing what the various sources tell archaeologists and historians about banquet culture in ancient Rome. Then we will prepare a selection of recipes that will highlight the garish, the decadent, and delicious aspects of Roman banquet fare. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

The Old School Kitchen: Medieval Rome

Rome has been Christianised, the western Empire is crumbling, and Byzantium is the new capital! Many are fleeing the city of Rome to squat in abandoned villas in the countryside… and a dark age has begun. What impact did this have on food? This session will highlight archaeology and literary sources documenting the medieval period in ancient Rome and the dramatic changes that occurred during this time… including the arrival of a new food item that would impact the food culture of the Italian Peninsula well into the modern era. The session will start with a 1 hour presentation detailing what the various sources that tell archaeologists and historians about the medieval period in ancient Rome. Then we will prepare a selection of recipes that will reflect the ups and the downs of this critical time in Roman history. Registrants will receive a PDF booklet with a key reading, pre-preparation instructions, a selection of recipes to be prepared in the session.

Register now!

Past Participant Reviews of The Old School Kitchen (Online):

“That was actually the best zoom event I have seen on any subject, and I have been watching a fair number of them lately. You are an excellent presenter.“

R. Foss, June 7, 2020

“Thank you for a very enjoyable lecture and inspiration to make bread! I have not baked bread for years. This was the easiest and best bread I’ve had in a long time!”

J. Pomeroy, June 7, 2020

“Thank you so much for the great workshop!  It was so much fun and so interesting.  I enjoyed being part of an international class and learning so much about the foodways of ancient Rome.  I will watch for the locations of future classes that might be near me, when it is safe to travel again.  I look forward to more of your classes and would love to join you in Tuscany once this pandemic is under control!“

T. Turner, June 7, 2020

“Thank you so much for doing this workshop. I thought it was really interesting and informative. And I got a loaf of bread at the end! I hope you’re able to do more.“

D. Alsmeyer, June 7, 2020

“It was such a great presentation- I know so little about Roman history and archaeology, I learned so much! And my bread didn’t turn out too poorly for a first attempt! I can’t wait to really dig into all the content you already have up. And I’m looking forward to more of your work. It’s so great to see someone using archaeology in such a fun and interactive way! And it was so nice to see not only how many people attended your presentation, but how much each person learned.”

S. Madden, June 7, 2020

“I loved your presentation and am very interested in your work. Someday, when Covid-19 is behind us, I’d love to attend a workshop of yours in Italy.“

L. McManus, June 7, 2020