The spirit of cookery

That for dressing bear’s flesh is as follows : “ The bear must be young, and must be caught in winter, when the flesh smells less strong than in July, though it is then fatter. Having first skinned the animal, you must take the best part of the carcase, such as the haunches and the shoulders, and keep them until they are sufficiently tender. Before putting them on the spit, leave them for a short time on a gridiron, and sprinkle them with salt, fennel, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Then roast them as you would the same parts of a goat. You can make the same dishes of bear’s meat as you can of venison, but it is not much esteemed, nor is it commonly eaten.” Nevertheless, Scappi informs us that he had often dressed it. He gives elaborate directions for cooking the porcupine, an animal still occasionally served in Roman trattorie. It is in season from the beginning of October to the end of January , at other times it has a disagreeable odour, and requires at all times garlic, cloves, and rosemary to overpower any peculiar flavour. It should be served hot, with a sauce made of boiled mint, red vinegar, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and its own gravy.’ The period which was distinguished by the activity of the Italian group of authors closes with Vincenzio Cervio* and Dominico Romoli.f Cervio was trinciante, or carver, to Cardinal Farnese. He describes the qualifications necessary for his office. The highest ofifice in the household of a great Italian personage in the sixteenth century was that of scalco, who had the general direction and control of all the other servants, of the kitchen, and of the credenza, or sideboard, ordered the manner in which the dinner should be served, and selected the dishes, the principal of which it was his duty to place on the table. He had, we are told, the life and honour of his master in his hand — his life, as it was not an uncommon practice to put poison into the food of rivals in love or enemies in politics ; his honour, as the honour of a great man was estimated by the magnificence and extravagance of his entertainments. After the scalco and the trinciante came the credenziero, who had charge of the credenza, or side-board, and of the plate and linen. The wine was in the keeping of the bottigliere, or butler. The cook held a very responsible charge in times when great people lived in constant fear of poison. It was essential that he should be thoroughly honest and trustworthy, and * Cervio, Vincenzio, ‘II Trinciante.’ Venet., 1581 ; Rom., 1593, 4to, Fifty years later this work was republished in an amplified form by the ‘Cavaliere reale Fusorito da Nami ed il Maestro di Casa di C. Pandini.’ Ven., 1643, 4to. + llomoli, Dominico, ‘ La singolare dottrina soprc nominate Panonto, dell’ ufficio dello scalco.’ Venez., 1580, 8vo.