What did the ancient Romans eat and what were their banquets like? Archaeologist Farrell Monaco will talk about what archaeological evidence tells us about Roman foodways, from the most luxurious villas in Pompeii to roadside food stands. Discover how modern food historians re-create ancient recipes, and then sample some for yourself in […]
Vote for Tavola Mediterranea in the Saveur Magazine Blog Awards 2018 and show your support for Experimental Archaeology, Food History and Food Archaeology through public education today! Scroll down to the category ” The Food Obsessive Award: Best Special Interest Blog” and then click the radio button next to Tavola Mediterranea and […]
I don’t know about you but I spend a great deal of time thinking about food. Who doesn’t, really? Food is a central part of my life. I enjoy cooking it, reading about it, writing about it, and photographing it. I eat large meals several times a day, it is […]
Join Roman bread archaeologist, Farrell Monaco, as she delves deeper into the specifics, the ingredients, the techniques and the tools that made Panis Quadratus the most iconic bread made in the Ancient Roman Mediterranean. Archaeology is delicious!
* Since publication of this post, my research into the form, flour, and tools of the trade in relation to the Panis Quadratus bread remains of Pompeii has been updated significantly and is available to read in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Experimental Approaches to Roman Archaeology. * Friends, Romans, […]
Give us this day our daily bread — and a good bread starter is what we need to make it. But what’s a bread starter, you say? A bread starter, pasta madre, or levain, is what we have used to make bread for millenia long before active dry (instant granulated) baker’s […]
Friends, Romans, Countrymen: Lend me your ears… and your culinary curiosity… because this week’s ancient recipe is a very unique one. It’s Cato the Elder’s recipe for ‘Libum‘ from “De Agri Cultura” and it is, quite literally, like nothing I have ever tasted before and it is delightful! It’s almost […]
This summer I had the privilege of working on the Pompeii Food & Drink Project (PFaDP) for its final field season. For those who are not familiar with the project, Dr. Betty-Jo Mayeske and a team of archaeologists and historians have been painstakingly working at Pompeii (Pompei, Italy) for 17 […]
About the author:
Farrell Monaco is an award-winning Classical archaeologist and food-writer whose research centers on food, food preparation, and bread in the Roman Mediterranean. She writes regularly on the role of food and food preparation in Roman daily life on her site, Tavola Mediterranea, and publishes in both English and Italian. Farrell has also written exclusively for Atlas Obscura and BBC Travel. Her work has been featured prominently by National Geographic, Popular Science, The Atlantic, the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Economist, Esquire Magazine, SAPIENS Magazine, Saveur Magazine and Milk Street.
