Torta Bianca – White Tart (Maestro Martino → Redon, 1998)
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese — banquet context for Renaissance tortes.
Torta bianca (“white tart”) was a dish of status and symbolism. Appearing in Maestro Martino’s Libro de arte coquinaria (c. 1465), it used fresh white cheese, egg whites, sugar, butter, and milk — baked gently, then perfumed with rosewater and sprinkled with sugar. In Renaissance Italy, white foods carried associations of purity, refinement, and health. By Scappi’s time (1570), torte bianche included versions with provatura (fresh stretched-curd cheese) or ricotta blended with Parmigiano.
How this post is structured
Below: (a) Martino’s original Italian text, (b) a literal English translation, (c) Redon’s modern adaptation summary, then a modern tested recipe. Afterward you’ll find 🥕 dietary notes, 📖 menu placement, substitutions, historical notes, cross-links, sources, labels, schema, and ⚖ humoral theory.
Original & Translated Recipes
Maestro Martino (c. 1465) — Italian
Per fare torta biancha. Togli del bono cascio frescho, et biancho, et pistalo molto bene nel mortaro, et metigli del zuccaro, et qualche quarta parte di butiro; et se vi mettessi un poco di lardo tanto meglio serà; poi mettivi alquanti chiari d’ova, et un poco di latte; et mettile sopra lo fuoco piano, et mescola spesso col cocchiaro. Et quando sarà ben mescolato, impastalo con fior di farina, et fa’ la torta cum lo crusto di sopra et di sotto. Et ponila a cocere in lo testo, o al forno, cum fuoco lento di sopra et di sotto; et quando serà cotta, gettagli di sopra un poco di zuccaro et acqua rosata; et serà bona.
Modern English (literal)
To make a white tart. Take good fresh white cheese and pound it very well in a mortar; add sugar and about a quarter part of butter (a little lard is even better); then some egg whites and a little milk. Set it over a gentle fire, stirring often. When well mixed, work it with fine flour, and make the tart with a crust above and below. Bake with gentle heat above and below; when cooked, sprinkle with sugar and rosewater, and it will be good.
Modern Adaptation (Redon)
A baked pie shell filled with a mixture of cream cheese, egg whites, sugar, butter, and milk. Baked until pale, finished with sugar, rosewater, and candied cherries.
Diriola – Maestro Martino’s Custard Tart (Libro de arte Coquinaria)
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for Renaissance custard tarts like Martino’s diriola.
Maestro Martino da Como (c. 1465) was one of the most influential cooks of the Renaissance. His Libro de arte Coquinaria includes Diriola, a delicate custard tart scented with cinnamon and rosewater. The dish straddles the line between medieval spiced creams and the refined Renaissance custards we’d recognize today. Redon, Sabban, and Serventi’s The Medieval Kitchen (1998) provides a modern adaptation faithful to Martino’s cues.
Original Recipe (Martino, c.1465)
Italian (15th c.)
“…un poca d’acqua rosata, et volta bene collo cocchiaro. Et quando sarà fornita di prendere, sera cotta. Et nota che non vole cocere troppo et vole tremare como una ionchata.
Per la Quadragesima: Habbi del lacte de le amandole con del zuccharo, et dell’acqua rosata, et de la canella. Et per fare che si prenda gli mettirai un pocha di farina d’amitto, observando in le altre cose l’ordine del capitolo sopra ditto.”
Translation
“…add a little rosewater and stir it well with a spoon. When it begins to set, it is cooked. Note that it should not be over-baked; it should quiver like a junket.
For Lent: take almond milk with sugar, rosewater, and cinnamon. To make it set, add a little starch flour, following the same method as above.”
De la insaleggiata di cipolle – Renaissance Onion Salad (Redon, 1998)
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for Renaissance spiced vegetable dishes such as onion salad.
Context:De la insaleggiata di cipolle is a medieval-to-Renaissance Italian onion “salad.” Onions are roasted in embers or a hot oven until sweet and soft, then sliced and dressed with wine vinegar, oil, and spezie forti (strong spices). These sharp, spiced starters were common on Italian banquet tables as appetite-whetting openers or vegetable accompaniments in the early courses.
Original Recipe (Libro della cucina, 14th c.)
Italian (Zambrini ed., 1863):
“Togli cipolle; cuocile sotto la bragia, e poi le monda, e tagliale per traverso longhette e sottili: mettili alquanto d’aceto, sale, oglio e spezie, e dà a mangiare.”
English (faithful translation):
“Take onions; cook them under the embers; then peel them, and cut them across into long, thin slices; put on a little vinegar, salt, oil, and spices, and serve.”
Redon paraphrase (1998)
“Roast onions in the fire until blackened. Peel, slice finely, and season with salt, vinegar, oil, and spices.”
This dish reaches us in three layers: the terse 14th-century text, Redon’s Renaissance-informed paraphrase, and the modern tested adaptation below.
Comparison: Medieval → Redon → Modern
Source
Text / Notes
Libro della cucina (14th c.)
“Cook under embers; peel; slice long and thin; dress with a little vinegar, salt, oil, and spices; serve.”
Redon (1998)
“Roast in the fire until blackened; peel; slice finely; season with salt, vinegar, oil, and spices.”
Fava fresche con brodo di carne – Fresh Fava Beans with Meat Broth (Redon, 1998)
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese — used here as period context for a Renaissance table.
Context & Notes
Fava fresche con brodo di carne is a rustic Renaissance preparation: fresh spring fava beans briefly simmered in meat broth, enriched with a little cured pork, and finished with parsley and mint. The technique keeps the beans tender while letting a few split to lightly thicken the broth.
Seasonality & status: Fava beans were among the first fresh foods after Lent and signaled the turn from winter storage fare to spring produce. Courtly kitchens “elevated” this staple through refined broth, measured cooking, and aromatic herbs—much as spices elevate simple noodles in De lasanis.
Broth choice: Chicken broth reads lighter and more restorative for warmer weather; beef broth is heartier and “strengthening.” Either appears in period practice depending on the season and desired effect.
Humoral Notes (with pork nuance)
Fava beans: generally cold & moist. Pork:fresh pork was classed as cold & moist and heavy; salted/cured pork (pancetta, salt belly) was thought to gain warming/drying qualities from salt and smoke—still rich, but more balancing when used sparingly. Herbs: parsley and mint are warming/aromatic correctives. Broth: chicken leans lighter; beef leans more warming/fortifying.
Thus this dish pairs a cold/moist base (beans) with modest warming elements (cured pork, hot broth, herbs) to arrive at a comfortable middle course—similar to how spices balanced the cheese-and-pasta profile in De lasanis.
Side-by-Side: Original (Redon, 1998) & Modern Notes
Original (Redon, 1998)
Ingredients: 2 cups beef or chicken broth (or mix), 4½ lb fresh fava beans, 4 oz salt pork belly or pancetta, 1 Tbsp chopped parsley & mint; salt.
Method: Shell beans; blanch briefly (5 seconds), refresh, peel. Dice pork. Simmer broth, beans, and pork ~10 minutes until beans begin to break. Add herbs; return to a brief boil. Salt to taste and serve.
Texture cue: “Begin to break” = lightly thickened broth, not mashed.
Herb timing: Herbs added at the end to keep flavors vivid.
Pork form matters: Pancetta/salt pork (cured) used in small amount for savor and humoral balance.
Broth intent: Chicken for lighter tables; beef for heartier service.
Scappi’s Minestra di Piselli & Fave fresche (1570, Libro III, #249)
Per far minestra di Piselli & Fave fresche:
Piglinosi i piselli o baccelli, sgraninosi, & ponganosi in un uaso con oglio d’oliue, sale, & pepe, & faccianosi soffriggere pian piano, aggiungendovi tanta acqua tinta di zafferano, che stiano coperti di due dita, & come saranno poco men che cotti, pestisene una parte nel mortaro, e stemperisi con il medesimo brodo, & mettasi nel uaso con una branchata d’herbuccie battute, e faccianosi levare il bollo, e servanosi caldi.
Translation (modern English):
“Take peas or broad beans, shell them, and put them in a pot with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let them sauté gently, adding in enough water, colored with saffron, to cover them by about two fingers. When they are a little less than cooked, pound part of them in a mortar and dilute that with the same broth; return it to the pot with a handful of chopped herbs, bring it all to a boil, and serve it hot.”
4½ lb (about 2 kg) fresh fava beans in pod (≈ 1 lb / 450 g shelled)
4 oz (115 g) salt pork belly or pancetta, finely diced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Method
Prep beans: Shell. Blanch 5 seconds in boiling water, refresh in cold water, slip off the outer skins.
Simmer: In a saucepan, combine broth, diced pork, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a lively simmer, and cook about 10 minutes, until beans just begin to soften and a few split to lightly thicken the broth.
Finish: Stir in parsley and mint; return to a brief boil (30–60 seconds). Season with salt and serve hot.
🍽 Menu Placement (Feast Planning)
Dish Type: Pottage (a “wet” course served in or with broth)
Course: Second course (Pottage course). Because beans digest heavy in some frameworks, serve moderate portions or as a remove between roasts.
Service tips: Offer trenchers or bread to soak up the savory broth.
🥕 Dietary Suggestions
Gluten-free.
Pork-free: Swap in smoked turkey or omit meat and add 1–2 Tbsp olive oil for body.
Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth; finish with a knob of butter or extra-virgin olive oil.
📚 Sources
Redon, 1998 (adaptation as provided).
Period dietetic summaries consulted for general fresh vs. cured meat distinctions and bean qualities.
🏷 Labels
Browse by Dish Type: Pottage
Browse by Ingredient: Legumes, Pork, Herbs
Browse by Use: Feast Planning, Period Techniques, Humoral Theory
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for spice-laden pork roasts such as cormarye.
Source:The Forme of Cury, c. 1390 (ed. Hieatt & Butler). Adapted in Redon et al., The Medieval Kitchen (1998).
Original Recipe
Take Colyaundre, Caraway, garlec ygrounde, powdour fort, and salt, medle all this togyder and lay it on a fylett of pork al holes, and lay it to roste; when it is rosted enough, take vinegre and wyne and the juyce of the pork, medle hem togyder, and serve forth.
Translation
Take coriander, caraway, ground garlic, strong spice powder, and salt. Mix all this together and spread it over a fillet of pork, pricking it well. Roast it. When it is cooked enough, take vinegar, wine, and the juices of the pork, mix them together, and serve it forth.
De lasanis is one of the earliest references to pasta dishes resembling modern day cacio e pepe. The resemblance is striking — a simple but elegant combination of starch, cheese, and spice that became a cornerstone of Italian cookery. Redon's addition of yeast imparts a tang and complexity most modern cooks miss when substituting dried lasagna noodles. If you can, I recommend making your own—it’s surprisingly easy and richly rewarding.
A cretonnée is a type of medieval French pottage — basically a thick soup or stew — that usually combined a base of legumes or grains (peas, beans, rice, sometimes bread) with milk and egg yolks to create a rich, creamy texture.
Name origin: From Old French cretonnée, related to creton (a kind of porridge or mash). It signals a dish that’s been enriched or bound together.
Core structure: Unlike plain boiled peas or beans, a cretonnée always has that second stage of enrichment — eggs, milk (or almond milk on fast days), and sometimes saffron or spices.
Variations: Surviving recipes include cretonnée of peas, beans, rice, and even bread. Meat or poultry could be added as garnish, but it wasn’t always necessary.
Place in the feast: Because it was wet, spoonable, and thickened, it was served as part of the pottage course — after appetizers but before heavier roasts.
Luxury markers: Saffron, ginger, and almond milk were expensive, so even though peas and beans were humble, the finished dish could be quite elegant.
In short: a cretonnée is a thickened legume (or grain) pottage with milk and eggs, often spiced and colored, that straddles the line between hearty comfort food and refined banquet fare.
🍽 Menu Placement
This dish belongs in the pottage course of a medieval feast:
Form & texture: A wet, spooned dish thickened with peas and eggs.
Balance: The warmth of ginger and richness of yolks offered contrast to lighter appetizers and heavier roasts.
Flexibility: With or without meat, it fit either lean days or richer spreads.
⚖️ Humoral Qualities
Peas were considered cold and dry, best balanced with warming spices and saffron. Eggs and milk added moist warmth, making the dish more nourishing and suitable for colder seasons or balancing excess dryness in the body.
📜 Original Recipe
Middle French:
Cretonnée de pois: Prenez pois, et les lavez bien, et mettez à cuire; et quand ils seront cuits, mettez lait d’amandes, saffran et jaunes d’œufs, et faites cuire ensemble; et y mettez des pièces de char ou de poulaille, se vous voulez.
📜 Original Recipe (translation)
Cretonnée of peas: Take peas and wash them well, then boil them; and when they are almost cooked, add warm milk, egg yolks, and saffron, and let it all thicken together; and you may add pieces of meat if desired.
Del Brodo Saracenico – Saracen Chicken with Fruits & Almonds (Redon, 1998)
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for a Renaissance savory pie.
Del Brodo Saracenico – Saracen Chicken with Fruits & Almonds (Redon, 1998)
Del brodo saracenico appears in medieval Italian sources and in modern redaction by Odile Redon et al. (1998). It marries roasted capon or chicken with wine, tart “acid juices,” toasted bread, almonds, dates, raisins, and a gentle spice blend—classic agrodolce (sweet-tart) Renaissance vibes with an evident Mediterranean/Arabic influence.
📜 Original Historic Recipe
Latin (Liber de Coquina, late 13th c.)
De brodio sarracenio: pro brodio sarraceno, accipe capones assatos et ficatella eorum cum speciebus et pane assato tere bene, distemperando cum bono vino et succis agris. Tunc frange membratim dictos capones et cum predictis mite ad bulliendum in olla, suppositis dactilis, uvis grecis siccis, amigdalis integris mondatis et lardo sufficienti. Colora sicut placet.
English (modern translation)
“Saracenic broth: to make Saracenic broth, take roasted capons and their livers with spices and toasted bread, pound them well, diluting with good wine and acidic juices. Then cut the capons into pieces and cook in a pot with the ingredients mentioned before, placing on top dates, Greek raisins, whole peeled almonds, and sufficient lardo. Color as you like.”
Note: Source and translation discussion in the references below.
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for a Renaissance savory pie.
Sources: Bartolomeo Scappi, Opera dell’arte del cucinare, 1570 (Book II, cap. 193); Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, Silvano Serventi, The Medieval Kitchen, 1998.
Mushrooms were a popular ingredient in Renaissance Italy, eaten in fast-day dishes and served alongside roasted meats. This recipe for Fungi di Monte (“mushrooms of the mountain”) comes to us from Bartolomeo Scappi’s monumental 1570 Opera. Redon adapts it into a clean, modern version while preserving its essential spicing and method.
Historic Recipe (Scappi, 1570)
Per cuocere funghi di monte in più modi.
Dopo che saranno ben nettati, si cuociano in acqua calda, & si lascino scolare; poi si facciano soffriggere con cipolla trita, olio, sale, pepe, canella, garofali, & altre buone spetiarie. Si possono anco cuocere con burro fresco, & cacio parmigiano, & similmente si possono friggere in pastello.
Translation
To cook mountain mushrooms in several ways.
After they are well cleaned, cook them in hot water and let them drain; then fry them with chopped onion, oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and other good spices. They may also be cooked with fresh butter and Parmesan cheese, and likewise they may be fried in batter.
Une Vinaigrette (Beef & Onions with Wine-Ginger Sauce)
Torta d’Aglio (Garlic Torte) – Renaissance Savory Pie with Cheese, Garlic & Spices
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for a Renaissance savory pie.
Context
Une Vinaigrette appears in medieval French sources and was translated by Terence Scully (1998).
The dish layers beef (or lamb) with onions and serves it in a sauce of red wine, broth, breadcrumbs, and warming spices—ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, saffron, and vinegar.
The result is both hearty and sharp, showing the medieval palate for savory meats balanced with spice and sour notes.
Humoral Qualities
In humoral theory, beef is heavy, hot, and dry, suited to those with strong digestions or balanced by moistening and cooling elements.
The onions and wine add heat and sharpness, while the vinegar offers a cooling, cutting quality to aid digestion.
The dish would have been considered appropriate in a main roast course, but could also appear earlier to stimulate appetite.
Provenance
The recipe for Une Vinaigrette comes from Le Viandier, one of the most important medieval French cookbooks.
Traditionally attributed to Guillaume Tirel (called Taillevent), master cook to King Charles V of France, the text survives in several manuscripts from the late 14th and 15th centuries.
It reflects the refined cooking of the French court, where sauces of wine, vinegar, and warming spices balanced the heaviness of roasted meats.
Terence Scully’s 1998 edition (The Viandier of Taillevent, University of Ottawa Press) provides a critical edition of the extant manuscripts and the English translation used here.
Original French
Une vinaigrette. Prenez buef ou mouton et coupez en pièces,
puis mettez-les à rostir au gril.
Prenez oignons et taillez par rondelles,
et friez en sain de lart bien cuit.
Puis prenez bon vin vermeil et bouillon de buef,
et mettez du pain blanc tosté et broyé pour lier.
Mettez gingembre, graine de paradis, poivre et saffran,
et un petit de vinaigre.
Couliez vostre sausse, et mettez vostre viande et oignons dedans;
ou les servez à part, et la sausse en un autre plat.
This passage is the basis for Scully’s English rendering: beef or mutton, roasted with onions, served in a sauce of red wine, broth, breadcrumbs, ginger, grains of paradise, saffron, pepper, and vinegar.
Original Text & Modern Translation
Original (Scully, 1998)
Modern Interpretation
Take beef or mutton and cut it in pieces, then put them to roast on the grill.
Take onions and slice them into rounds, and fry them in grease until well cooked.
Then take good red wine and beef stock, put therein white bread toasted and ground to thicken it,
and season with ginger, grains of paradise, pepper and saffron, and a little vinegar.
Strain the sauce and put the meat and onions therein; or serve the meat and onions separately,
with the sauce in a dish.
Cut beef or lamb into chunks and roast or grill until done, but not overcooked.
Slice onions into rounds and sauté them in butter, oil, or lard until golden.
For the sauce, simmer red wine and beef broth with breadcrumbs until smooth.
Add ginger, pepper, grains of paradise (or allspice), saffron, and a splash of vinegar.
Strain the sauce and serve it either mixed with the meat and onions,
or on the side as a dip. Excellent served on its own, or with rice or pasta.
Torta d’Aglio (Garlic Torte) – Renaissance Savory Pie with Cheese, Garlic & Spices
“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for a Renaissance savory pie.
This savory pie highlights gentled garlic — blanched to soften its sharpness, then blended with fresh cheese,
butter, and warming spices. Adapted from Martino’s 15th-century Libro de arte coquinaria, the dish balances
flavors in line with Renaissance cooking theory and humoral practice.
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