Bonjour Frogleg,

Well I know that a lot of stuff was preserved: dried fruit, salted meat
etc. Honey and salt are both extremely good preservatives, as is
fermentation. Hence alcohol (also kills bugs in the water), yogurt and
cheese. Keeping things under oil also works. Our wonderful gourmet
sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil is a very effective way to keep them for
several months. Pickling is also worth a mention. So a huge raft of
fresh food can have their shelf-life extended.

Here in the UK pasturised milk is standard but in the rest of Europe UHT
seams to be the norm and a lot of yogurt is drunk too. (This annoys me
on holiday cause tea with UHT milk is not the same as pasturised.)

The other thing about diets long ago is that they were a lot more
seasonal. You only got fruit and veg when they were in season and grown
locally.

In victorian times the big houses had ice houses but that is the first
refrigeration I know about in the UK.

What I wonder about is what did the Italians cook before America and
particularly the tomato was discovered?

Yours,
Helen

Note: The email address has a bit of a fudge in it.

On 2/8/04 6:45 PM, in article
, "Helen McElroy"
> wrote:

> What I wonder about is what did the Italians cook before America and
> particularly the tomato was discovered?

I read about a recipe for pasta pre-tomato - had butter, olive oil and
parmisano-reggiano cheese on it. Sounds good - but I could see that if this
recipe were accurate why Tomoato sauce took over!

Does anyone know if pesto or Alfredo sauce was pre Marinera?

In article >, Bromo
> wrote:

> On 2/8/04 6:45 PM, in article
> , "Helen McElroy"
> > wrote:
>
> > What I wonder about is what did the Italians cook before America and
> > particularly the tomato was discovered?
>
> I read about a recipe for pasta pre-tomato - had butter, olive oil and
> parmisano-reggiano cheese on it. Sounds good - but I could see that if this
> recipe were accurate why Tomoato sauce took over!

It didn't. Tomato sauce in Naples is only one of many, many ways to eat
pasta. Pasta con ceci, pasta e fagioli (pasta with chickpeas, pasta
with borlotti beans) for example. Pasta e burro (which is what you
describe) is still common now. So is pasta con aglio, olio e
pepperencino - with garlic, oil and chile.

Lazarus

--
Remover the rock from the email address

"Bromo" > wrote in message
...
> On 2/8/04 6:45 PM, in article
> , "Helen McElroy"
> > wrote:
>
> > What I wonder about is what did the Italians cook before America and
> > particularly the tomato was discovered?
>
> I read about a recipe for pasta pre-tomato - had butter, olive oil and
> parmisano-reggiano cheese on it. Sounds good - but I could see that if
this
> recipe were accurate why Tomoato sauce took over!
>
> Does anyone know if pesto or Alfredo sauce was pre Marinera?

There is no such thing as Alfredo sauce. If you are referring to the dish
Fettuccine Al' Alfredo, it was invented by Alfredo at his restaurant in Rome
in the 1920s. It has nothing in it BTW which requires refrigeration. Just
the butter needs to be kept cool. For more information check he
http://www.ristorantealfredo1907.com/

Pesto does predate the arrival of the tomato - actually it almost certainly
predates the Romans and a bunch of other cultures.

Charlie

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 23:45:56 +0000, Helen McElroy
> wrote:

>Well I know that a lot of stuff was preserved: dried fruit, salted meat
>etc. Honey and salt are both extremely good preservatives, as is
>fermentation. Hence alcohol (also kills bugs in the water), yogurt and
>cheese. Keeping things under oil also works. Our wonderful gourmet
>sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil is a very effective way to keep them for
>several months. Pickling is also worth a mention. So a huge raft of
>fresh food can have their shelf-life extended.

>The other thing about diets long ago is that they were a lot more
>seasonal. You only got fruit and veg when they were in season and grown
>locally.
>
>In victorian times the big houses had ice houses but that is the first
>refrigeration I know about in the UK.

Yes, but what did, say, the Dickens family and their neighbors eat? It
appears that 'historic' and 'traditional' recipes must have been
*severely* limited. And/or cooking and shopping a truly full-time job.

Milk can't be kept for long. Soft cheeses, too, are highly perishable.
Any sort of fresh meat, fish, or poultry. Most fresh veg, outside of
the 'root' category. There must have been a lot of dependence on
grains and beans, which can be stored for quite some time. And
'preserved' everything. No wonder spices were so prized!