In A.D. 79 the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash and pumice, and carbonized many of their organic contents—including the bread in Pompeii’s bakeries. Farrell Monaco, a culinary archaeologist, researched one popular bread’s history and has re-created the recipe.
Eat like a first-century Roman, using recent archaeological discoveries as your guide.
Follow food archaeologist Farrell Monaco as she prepares a simple yet delicious dish of dates and shares a brief history of this ancient treat.
Saca tus ollas forradas de plomo ¡porque hoy vamos a vivir peligrosamente como los romanos!….. ¡Está bien, sólo bromeaba! Explora el versátil condimento romano ‘asesino’ conocido como Defrutum hecho de uvas prensadas y especias. La historia es mortal… y delicioso!
Get the git out with this 2,000-year-old recipe for a fragrant, naturally-leavened Roman bread that incorporates Roman coriander. History is delicious!
Good day, good coqui! Are you ready to drop everything that you’re doing right now to work on something that is far more important than taxes and way more delicious than that boring old salad you’re about to make? Because I know I am. Taxes be gone! The kitchen calls […]
Este artículo también se publica en español aquí: https://tavolamediterranea.com/2020/05/23/la-triada-mediterranea-uvas-granos-y-aceitunas-muerte-por-defrutum/ Good day, coqui! Get out your lead-lined pots because today we’re going to live dangerously just like the Romans!….. Okay, I’m just kidding! Put the lead-lined pot down. Right now. But seriously, folks…. Anyone who’s ever cooked commercially, experimented in their […]
Ongoing. Please email: [email protected] to inquire. Explore the history of ancient Rome’s river ports and the city’s once bustling food distribution quarter with experimental archaeologist and food-writer, Farrell Monaco. Then cook an authentic Roman dinner using the three key ingredients in the ancient Roman diet: Grapes, Grains and Olives. This […]
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 Economist, Esquire Magazine, SAPIENS Magazine, Verve Magazine, Saveur Magazine and Milk Street. In November of 2020, Farrell co-produced, wrote and presented a video on the history of the date palm fruit with The Getty Museum (Los Angeles, USA).
