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Torta-Bianca-msg - 5/2/19

Recipe and comments on torta bianca from Libro de arte coquinaria by Maestro Martino de Como, 15th century. (Ginger Cheesecake)

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From the fb "SCA Cooks" group:

Ysabel Marguerite du Val shared a link.

April 30 at 9:53 AM

Has anyone ever made this recipe?? In looking at similar modern recipes, the only difference is today we add a little flour and whole eggs instead of whites. My cake is very very very wet. I've already left out the milk and my next step is to try draining the ricotta. Any other thoughts? I'd prefer not to add flour if I don't have to.

http://www.medievalcuisine.com/site/medievalcuisine/Euriol/recipe-index/torta-bianca

Torta Bianca

Ginger Cheesecake

Source: Libro de arte coquinaria by Maestro Martino de Como, 15th century

Original Recipe:

Torta Bianca: Piglia una libra et meza di bono cascio frescho, et taglialo menuto, et pistalo molto bene, et piglia dodici o quindici albume o bianchi d'ova, et macinali molto bene con questo cascio, agiogendovi meza libra di zuccharo, et meza oncia di zenzevero del più biancho che possi havere, similemente meza libra di strutto di porcho bello et biancho, o in loco di strutto altretanto botiro bono et frescho, item de lo lacte competentemente, quanto basti, che serà asai un terzo di bocchale. Poi farrai la pasta overo crosta in la padella, sottile come vole essere, et mectiraila a cocere dandoli il focho a bell'agio di sotto et di sopra; et farai che sia di sopra un pocho colorita per el caldo del focho; et quando ti pare cotta, cacciala fore de la padella, et di sopra vi metterai del zuccharo fino et di bona acqua rosata.

Translation: (from The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book)

Take a libra and a half of good fresh cheese and cut it up fine, and pound it very well; take twelve of fifteen egg whites and blend them very well with this cheese, adding half a libra of sugar and half an oncia of the whitest ginger you can find, as well as a half libra of good, white pork lard, or instead of lard, good, fresh butter, and some milk, as much as needed; this will be a good third of a boccale. Then make the pastry, or crust, into the pan, as thin as it ought to be, and cook it nicely with fire both below and above; and make sure that the top is a little colored from the heat of the fire; and when it seems cooked, remove it from the pan and put fine sugar and good rose water on top.

My Interpretation:

18 oz. ricotta cheese

3/4 cup sugar

6 large egg whites

3/4 cup butter

2 Tbsp. powdered ginger

2 Tbsp. Rosewater

1/3 cup milk

2 Tbsp. fine sugar

1 pie crust (see recipe for Paest Royall)

Beat in cheese and eggs together until smooth. Add ginger, milk and butter to the egg and cheese mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes. Just after the torta comes out of the oven sprinkle with rosewater and fine sugar. Yields 1 9 inch torta.

Notes:

With the large quantity of sugar used in this recipe, this would be considered a "sweet" pie as opposed to being a "savory" pie.

I've reduced the number of eggs from what was noted in the original recipe, since I'm uncertain the average size of eggs that would have been produced in this time period. Large eggs appear to be the most likely size of egg a modern cook would keep on hand..

I chose ricotta cheese for Barbara Santich indicates in her book "In spring there was soft, fresh cheese probably similar to today's ricotta (in fifteenth-century Italy it was known as recocta, recooked); this was particularly important for torta fillings..."

Ricotta cheese, when drained, forms a cheese that it sliceable. Since milk is another ingredient, I choose to not drain the Ricotta cheese and decreased the amount of milk.

I also choose to use butter instead of lard, other recipes from this same manuscript and similar in style also indicate that this substitution can be used (see Torta Commune).

The original recipe indicates to remove the torte from the pan after it is cooked. Consider leaving the torte in the pan for transportation purposes.

Glossary:

Libra:

According to Lady Rosemary Willowwood de Ste. Anne "An Italian measure analogous to the Roman pound, which was about twelve ounces.Interestingly, in translation, 'libra' means a balance scale, or instrument for measuring weight. It probably meant just a 'standard amount'".

Boccale:

According to The Medieval Kitchen "A boccale could equal anywhere from about half a quart to more than two, depending on the region."

Oncia:

Is a direct translation of ounce.

Works Referenced:

Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban & Silvano Serventi; The Medieval Kitchen, The University of Chicago Press, 1998

Barbara Santich, The Original Mediterranean Cuisine, Chicago Review Press, 1995

A Collection of Medieval and Renaissance Cookbooks compiled by Duke Cariadoc of the Bow and Duchessa Diana Alena:

Barony of Terra Pomaria website for the definition of "Libra"

http://www.open.org/~tpomaria/A&;S_cooking_torta_bolognese.htm, 2001

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Kathleen Madsen

It does turn out a bit wet. Draining the ricotta will really help.

Alec Story

Ricotta seems too wet for a cheese we are instructed to cut, to me.

Ysabel Marguerite du Val

Alec Story right that's what I thought but according to the notes it was recommended and if drained they say it is "sliceable"

Kathleen Madsen

Exactly. I usually use fresh made curds for mine.

Oh! My grocery store sells dry cottage cheese curds, that may be worth an experiment.

Ysabel Marguerite du Val

and again there are many modern day recipes and it looks like the only difference is we add flour so obviously someone else thought the same!!

Peter Olsen

I mean, not for nothing, why ricotta specifically? It says a "good fresh cheese," which could be a simple vinegar-set cheese, or if you want to use rennet, a fromage blanc or something analogous. Those will all have better slicing properties.

Ysabel Marguerite du Val

Peter the notes refer to someone else's work and why she made the call to choose ricotta. It isn't out of the question especially considering we make almost the exact same recipe today. I feel like my texture is off so I wondered if I was doing something wrong.

David Friedman

I would interpret a fresh cheese as queso fresca or something similar, such as Peter's simple vinegar-set cheese.

Lise Broer

Haven't made that recipe. If I were to try it, would use fresh homemade ricotta and drain it enough to be sliceable.

Galefridus Peregrinus

I agree with the comments on draining the cheese. Also, 2 tbs of rosewater (not even called for in the original recipe, I note) would be overwhelming. If you're going to use it, add no more than 1.5 tsp.

Alec Story

Galefridus Peregrinus I've had really weak rosewater before - I read every rosewater quantity as "to taste" because they're so inconsistent :/

Phil T Roy

I'd go and get some of that rather bland Mexican queso banco/fresco, which is kind of like panir, and try just following the recipe as closely as possible.

Galefridus Peregrinus Alec Story, true, but in my experience it's usually weak because it's old. I've found the typical Middles Eastern market rose water to be reliably potent enough to use it with a light hand, at least when just opened.

Alec Story

Hmm quite possible! Most of mine has come from Hispanic groceries because they're convenient.

Lise Broer

The distinction between queso blanco, ricotta, and paneer gets blurry.

The ricotta I learned is a rennet cheese; have seen recipes where it's an acid set cheese. Paneeer is an acid set cheese (the acid source can vary) and queso blanco is an acid set cheese using vinegar. Queso fresco is queso blanco with goat's milk.…See More

Kathleen Madsen

Actually, those three cheese types have very distinct differences. Ricotta is a whey cheese that can have a huge variety of cultures present, as well as rennet. Paneer is a lactic set and then pressed, and Queso Blanco is essentially lactic set green c…See More

Ginny Beatty

Yes. Researched it back in 1993 and published a Tournaments Illuminated article. Issue 106, spring 1993. "The mysterious cheesecake" Essentially a ricotta tart/pie.

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Ysabel Marguerite du Val

Also I've seen a modern version where they "puree" the ricotta to get it really smooth. Thoughts??

Ysabel Marguerite du Val

I trust the professor and culinary historian who recommended ricotta I do, but for ease of preparation I'm seriously considering subbing in some cream cheese

Friderich Grimme

I've made the recipe using cream cheese instead of ricotta.

Ysabel Marguerite du Val

Friderich Grimme all cream cheese?

Friderich Grimme

Ysabel Marguerite du Val Cream cheese and milk, with more egg whites. It's not my own redaction, but it works. The batter is very liquid, with the egg whites providing structure.

Johnna Holloway

Baroness Helewyse did a version with cream cheese and whole eggs. Her redacted version is here:

http://www.medievalcookery.com/helewyse/TOCfeast.html

MEDIEVALCOOKERY.COM

Italian Feast for TOC

Kathleen Madsen

TBH, the texture is going to be grainy. A fresh cheese that's sliceable could be whatever they made in the last day or two, be it lactic set or rennet set. It's not going to give you a smooth texture unless you use something like a cream cheese, which doesn't have that sliceable property.

Smooth textured cheesecake/tarts are more like the modern NY style cheesecake.

Alicia Fansmith

I've made this with cream cheese and whole eggs. I skipped the rosewater for fresh grated ginger for a real gingery punch. Made little tartlets for a dayboard.

Have also made similar (Digby) with puréed, drained cottage cheese, similar technique.

Elisabeth Rex

It does not direct you to do so, but I have found that egg based recipes (especially flourless ones) frequently hold up better if the whites are first beaten until stiff, then recombined with the other ingredients. Also, increasing the egg count can help if you choose to substitute nut "flour" for regular flour in many recipes.