Libro di cucina/ Libro per cuoco(Anonimo Veneziano) Translated by Helewyse de Birkestad, 2002 CE webbed Here

I. Amidono of starch If you want to make amidono for twelve people. Take two pounds of almonds, one pound of amido (see note), half a pound of sugar, half a pound of peeled pine nuts and two ounces of cloves. Peel and crush the almonds and soak in clean, boiled water, strain off the almond milk. Set most of the almond milk to boil, reserving some to mix with and soften the starch. When the almond milk boils pour into the starch mixture, mix well and return to the pan. Bring back to the boil, while stirring, and cook until thick, add the sugar. Pour into a serving dish, dust with sugar, cloves and pine nuts. If you want to make for more or less persons use these ingredients in the same ratio.

IV. Ambrosino good and perfect and such. If you want to make ambrosino for twelve people take 6 lean capons, 2 pounds of almonds, a pound of currants, 1 pound of dates and a pound of prunes (*1). Also take 1½ of ginger (no measure is given in the original but ounces seem more likely than pounds), half a whole nutmeg, cloves, saffron and half a pound of sweet spices. Take the capons and cut into seven portions each and fry in the clean lard in a pan. When the capons are well fried add the saffron rubbed, the nutmeg that has been chopped finely, the cinnamon broken into pieces, whole cloves, whole peeled almonds, dates, currants and prunes (*2). Add a large amount of sweet spices and let it cook a little longer. When it is cooked reduce the heat or remove from the flame. Take unskinned almonds, grind (see note) and distemper with a little vinegar, strain the almonds and add the almond milk to the dish, and add to the sauce spices and enough saffron. This dish should be sharp and sweet and red in color. Serve in a bowl with powdered spices over it.

V. Blancmange. If you want to make blancmange for twelve people, take four pounds of almonds, one pound of rice, four hens (chickens), two pounds of grease (lard), a pound and a half of sugar and half a quarter (of an ounce) of cloves. Peel the almonds, reserve some whole, grind the remainder and prepare almond milk by soaking with clean water and straining. Take rice that has been hulled, picked over, washed with hot water and dried and grind to a fine powder and strain. Take the chickens that have been cut into pieces and boil them a little. Shred the cooked chicken meat finely and fry gently in the grease. Meanwhile put most of the almond milk in a pan and bring to a boil. Mix the reserved, cold, almond milk with the rice flour and allow it soak. When the almond milk boils mix it with the soaked rice flour and return to the pan. Boil the rice flour and almond milk together until it thickens, immediately add the shredded fried chicken and the fat from the pan. Mix this mixture frequently to prevent burning and sticking and add the sugar. When the dish is cooked pour into a bowl to serve. Dress the dish with rosewater, sugar, the reserved almonds that have been fried and cloves. This dish should be very white like snow and potent with spices.

XXII Sprouts of life/health If you want to make sprouts of life, take the rounded cabbage sprouts and boil them for a little while. When they are a par-boiled take them off the heat and strain away all the water. And then fry them well in plenty of fat. Take verjuice, parsley, water, spices and salt and mix them well together before putting them on top (of the sprouts), and let them boil well together. Then take a little marjoram, temper it with water and put it above (the dish) and it will be good.

XXV Mushrooms If you want to make mushrooms, take dried mushrooms and put them to soak in hot water and wash them well. Then boil them a little and make them cook how you want and prefer. Then take onions and herbs and season with strong and sweet spices, and then add the mushrooms and fry everything together. Take unpeeled almonds and grind them and then put on top of the mushroom dish, alternatively you can add verjuice and it needs to be served hot.

XXVI Magnificent Imperial Fritters If you want to make Imperial fritters, take the whites of eggs and slices of fresh cheese. Beat them (the cheese) with the white of the egg, and add a little bit of wheat flour and whole peeled pine nuts. Take a frying pan with plenty of grease (oil) and put it to boil (heat) then make the fritters (fry in the fat). When they are cooked sprinkle them with plenty of sugar and keep them hot, etc.

XXVIII White Fritters To make white fritters. Take almond milk and leaven (yeast) add flour and blend them together and leave them to raise, then make the fritters. When they are cooked powder with sugar and they are good.

XXIV Apple fritters for lent. Take apples and peel them, then cut in the way of the host (thin circular slices). Make a batter of flour with saffron (and presumably water), and add currants, and put the apples in this batter; then fry them in sufficient oil for each. Powder with sugar when they are cooked, etc.

XXXIV Perfectly good chopped/battered herbs, etc. If you want to make perfect and good chopped herbs *. Take peeled almonds, grind them and strain them (the milk), and take two ounces of rice which has been ground to flour. And also take the breast of a capon (cooked) and pull it into filaments. Mix the rice flour with the almond milk and put it to boil and add the filaments of capon flesh, and let it boil well. And when you are ready to serve it up, put sugar above it in the bowl and powder with enough spices. And if you don't have rice then add enough almonds that it is good and thick, etc.

XLIII Meat (dish) of turnips Take turnips with small leaves and put them to boil. When they are just about cooked pour away the water and put in enough (plenty) of grated cheese and let them boil (cook) together. When they are cooked and you are ready to serve them put as much of that same cheese over the plate.

The following specifically says not to garnish:

LIII Good and perfect hens with sumac (instructions not to garnish) If you want to make hens with sumac for twelve people. Take twelve hens, two pounds of almonds, one ounce between cinnamon and ginger, sloes (sosine *), half a quarter (of an ounce) of cloves, half a pound of sloes and a pound of sumac. Take the hens and put them to fry whole in melted pork fat. And when they are well fried add sweet spices and whole cinnamon, cloves and ginger and let them fry together. Then add a little bit of water. Take the well cleaned sumac and put to soak in fine vinegar. Wash the almonds, grind and mix with water. Take the sumac and blend (grind) it well with the vinegar in which it was soaking. When the hens are cooked with the other things, add into it (the pan) well washed sloes. Take the sumac and strain it, and do the same for the almonds and throw away the remaining solids. And add these (two liquids one from the sumac the other from the almonds) into (the pan) with the chicken. And let them boil together with the addition of sweet spices, water and salt. This dish should be very strong with sumac, and with spices and with cinnamon, and sour because of the vinegar and sumac. When it is well boiled together take it back (of the heat) for serving. And put the hens under the sauce, and don't add anything else to the dish. If you want to make it with chopped chickens take the ingredients in the same respect.

LXIII Fantastic common ravioli with herbs If you want to make ravioli with herbs or with other things, take herbs and peel (strip from stalks) and wash well. Put them to boil for a little time (parboil) and pull them out (of the pan) and squeeze out all the water. Beat them with a knife (chop) and then in a mortar (grind). Take fresh strained cheese, eggs and strong and sweet spices and mix these all well together and make a paste. Then take a thin layer of pasta, in the way of lasagna sheets, and take a large measure (spoon) and make the ravioli. When they are made put them to cook and when they are well cooked powder them above with enough spices and enough good cheese and they are very good.

LXIV Ravioli in another way and called "licaproprii" Take sweet fresh cheese and squeeze out all the water, then mash it well and temper (mix) with egg whites and add a little wheat flour. Have melted strained lard and make the "licaproprii" (dumplings/fritters) with well floured hands. Make them large and round like apples, and put them to cook slowly and carefully (fry them in the lard), when they are cooked take them out of the grease and powder them well with sugar and send them hot to the table.