Red Clover: Aphrodisiac?

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) has a long history of medicinal use in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Like many plants often classified as “weeds”, red clover is packed with vitamins and minerals. Red clover flowers may be made into a calming and tonic tea and the leaves have all the benefits any leafy green vegetable has. It also may have benefits regarding cholesterol and arterial strength.

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The Joy of Cooking, Roman Style

No, I won’t be describing favorite trattorias in Rome, today. The earliest existing cookbook was written by Apicius, a master chef in ancient Rome. There is only one translation into English (that I know of, and certainly as of mid-20th century) of his collection, done by Joseph Vehling in the early 1930’s. Vehling was a professional chef, sometime historian, and knowledgeable of Latin. A better combination could hardly be imagined for the task of bringing Apicius into English. And you can get a copy!

 

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