DRESS THE HARE AS FOR KID À LA TARPEIUS [℞ No. 363]. BEFORE COOKING DECORATE IT NICELY [2]. SEASON WITH PEPPER, RUE, SATURY, ONION, LITTLE THYME, MOISTEN WITH BROTH, ROAST IN THE OVEN; AND ALL OVER SPRINKLE HALF AN OUNCE OF PEPPER, RUE, ONIONS, SATURY, 4 DATES, AND RAISINS. THE GRAVY IS GIVEN PLENTY OF COLOR OVER THE OPEN FIRE, AND IS SEASONED WITH WINE, OIL, BROTH, REDUCED WINE, FREQUENTLY STIRRING IT [basting the hare] SO THAT IT MAY ABSORB ALL THE FLAVOR. AFTER THAT SERVE IT IN A ROUND DISH WITH DRY PEPPER. [1] Tac., Tor. _succo sparsum_. [2] We have no proof that the ancients used the larding needle as we do (or did) in our days. "Decorate" may, therefore, also mean "garnish," i.e. marinate the meat in a generous variety of spices, herbs, roots and wine. It is noteworthy that this term, "garnish," used here and in the preceding formulæ has survived in the terminology of the kitchen to this day, in that very sense. [395] SPICED HARE _ALITER LEPOREM CONDITUM_ [The well-prepared hare] COOK IN WINE, BROTH, WATER, WITH A LITTLE MUSTARD [seed], DILL AND LEEKS WITH THE ROOTS. WHEN ALL IS DONE, SEASON WITH PEPPER, SATURY, ROUND ONIONS, DAMASCUS PLUMS, WINE, BROTH, REDUCED WINE AND A LITTLE OIL; TIE WITH ROUX, LET BOIL A LITTLE LONGER [baste] SO THAT THE HARE IS PENETRATED BY THE FLAVOR, AND SERVE IT ON A PLATTER MASKED WITH SAUCE. IX DORMICE _GLIRES_ [396] STUFFED DORMOUSE [1] _GLIRES_ IS STUFFED WITH A FORCEMEAT OF PORK AND SMALL PIECES OF DORMOUSE MEAT TRIMMINGS, ALL POUNDED WITH PEPPER, NUTS, LASER, BROTH. PUT THE DORMOUSE THUS STUFFED IN AN EARTHEN CASSEROLE, ROAST IT IN THE OVEN, OR BOIL IT IN THE STOCK POT. [1] _Glis_, dormouse, a special favorite of the ancients, has nothing to do with mice. The fat dormouse of the South of Europe is the size of a rat, arboreal rodent, living in trees. Galen, III, de Alim.; Plinius, VIII, 57/82; Varro, III, describing the _glirarium_, place where the dormouse was raised for the table. Petronius, Cap. 31, describes another way of preparing dormouse. Nonnus, Diæteticon, p. 194/5, says that Fluvius Hirpinus was the first man to raise dormouse in the _glirarium_. Dormouse, as an article of diet, should not astonish Americans who relish squirrel, opossum, muskrat, "coon," etc. END OF BOOK VIII _EXPLICIT APICII TETRAPUS LIBER OCTAUUS_ [Tac.] {Illustration: TITLE PAGE Schola Apitiana, Antwerp, 1535} {Transcription: SCHOLA APITIANA, EX OPTIMIS QVIBVSDAM authoribus diligenter ac nouiter constructa, authore Polyonimo Syngrapheo. ACGESSERE DIALOGI aliquot D. Erasmi Roterodami, & alia quædam lectu iucundissima. Væneunt Antuerpiæ in ædibus Ioannis Steelsij. I. G. 1535.} APICIUS Book IX {Illustration: WINE PITCHER, ELABORATELY DECORATED