On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 492

Refinementsof17th-CenturyVegetable
Cooking
Choose the largest asparagus, scrape them
at the bottom, and wash. Cook them in
somewater,saltthemwell,anddonotlet
themovercook.Whendone,letthemdrain,
and make a sauce with some good fresh
butter, a little vinegar, salt, and nutmeg,
andaneggyolktobindthesauce;takecare
that it doesn’t curdle. Serve the asparagus
wellgarnishedwithwhateveryoulike.
LaVarenne,LeCuisinierfranỗois,1655
byreasonofitssoporifousquality,
lettuceeverwas,andstillcontinuesthe
principalfoundationoftheuniversaltribe
ofSallets,whichistocoolandrefresh,
besidesitsotherproperties[which
includedbeneficialinfluencesonmorals,
temperance,andchastity].Wehavesaid
hownecessaryitisthatinthecomposure
ofasallet,everyplantshouldcomeinto
bearitspart,withoutbeingoverpowerdby


someherbofastrongertaste,soasto
endangerthenativesaporandvirtueofthe
rest;butfallintotheirplaces,likethe
notesinmusic,inwhichthereshouldbe
nothingharshorgrating:Andthough
admittingsomediscords(todistinguish
andillustratetherest)strikinginallthe

moresprightly,andsometimesgentler
notes,reconcilealldissonancies,andmelt
themintoanagreeablecomposition.
—JohnEvelyn,Acetaria:ADiscourseof
Sallets,1699
Attheendofthe20thcentury,several
developmentsintheindustrializedworld
broughtrenewedattentiontoplantfoods,to
theirdiversityandquality.Onewasanew
appreciationoftheirimportanceforhuman
health,thankstothediscoveryoftrace
“phytochemicals”thatappeartohelpfight
cancerandheartdisease(p.255).Anotherwas
thegrowinginterestinexoticandunfamiliar
cuisinesandingredients,andtheirincreasing