I’ve shared this blog post before, but there are SO many tomatoes right now and this is the perfect recipe to make use of them. Consider it an end-of-summer gift to you.
Let’s back up a few years, and I can explain where I discovered this simple, but delicious recipe.
If you know a writer, chances are that during the worst of the pandemic, they turned to writing and emerged from the other side with a book in hand. I had set a goal of writing four books before turning 50, and I achieved it in 2021, a few months before reaching that milestone. Note: This last weekend, I finished the draft of my seventh book, so I’ve been on a tear since then!
However, I shelved the book for the time being because historical fiction is a tougher and tougher sell these days, especially when the stories are about obscure figures that people may never have heard of. And this guy is one that most have never come across unless they are a serious food history nerd like me.
That pandemic book is set in the Baroque era, about Antonio Latini, the fancy, bewigged man depicted here.
His story is a true rags-to-riches one. He was orphaned at the age of five when his parents died of either plague or famine (or both), and he lived on the streets till he was a teen and was finally taken in to work in a kitchen. He went on to lead a fascinating life full of adventures, culminating in a role as the steward for the viceroy of Spain in Naples.
Latini left behind a cookbook, published in 1692 and 1694, two volumes two years apart, called Lo Scalco alla Moderna (The Modern Steward). The book is finally in print in English thanks to a beautiful translation by Tommaso Astarita, Professor of History at Georgetown University. The cookbook is full of advice for stewards of the day, and has over a thousand culinary recipes for a Baroque King's table. It also features the first printed tomato sauce recipe. But wait, I hear you say, didn't the Italians always have tomatoes? Or were you thinking that foods from the New World were surely available in Italy by then?
Tomatoes arrived in Italy via Spanish explorers who traveled to Mexico and Central America, likely in the early 1500s. But once they came to Italy, the tasty tomato ran into a problem. The juice from these fruits would run all over the pewter dishes of the wealthy, thereby leaching the lead from the plates and killing people. The peasant population ate off wood or clay dishes and didn't have this problem, but it was too late. The correlation was made, and it was nearly two hundred years before Latini embraced the ways of the Spaniards he worked for and introduced tomatoes to the tables of nobility.
The first tomato sauce was not what we think of as tomato sauce today. Instead, it is what we would call a salsa, which is fitting, considering the Italian word for sauce is the same — salsa. You'll notice that it is much simpler and missing some typical salsa ingredients, such as oregano. But I swear you won't be disappointed.
Latini has two versions of this recipe, one in each volume of the cookbook. One recipe cooks the tomatoes over the coals, then chops them up, calling for onions, thyme or pepperwort, with a bit of salt, oil, and vinegar. The second recipe calls for uncooked tomatoes and omits the vinegar, indicating that there were likely variations on this sauce at that time. I chose to use uncooked tomatoes, but after some taste testing, I added vinegar to freshen the dish slightly.
This salsa would have been placed in small dishes as a condiment to meats. Latini suggests that they are served in tondini, small serving plates.
In the photo below, you'll see we used the salsa to top a dish of cheesy beef involtini, which is a recipe I'll share at some point in the future. You can, of course, use this delicious salsa on corn chips, too!
And for those of you who remember my aversion to raw tomatoes, I like the flavor—it’s often just the texture that’s an issue. I have been able to manage some salsas if the tomatoes are very firm, and this recipe has been one of the few I’ve liked.
Antonio Latini's Spanish Style Sauce
From Lo Scalco all Moderna Vol. II.380
interpreted by Crystal King
Two medium-sized tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup (40g.) onion, finely diced
1 minced jalapeno or other type of chili pepper, seeds removed
1 tbsp chopped thyme
pinch of salt
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp white vinegar
Mix together and serve.
Buon appetito!
What’s Bringing Me Joy
This is the happiest kitty ever. His dream came true 😻😹😹
We’re hurtling toward spooky season, so here’s one of my favorite mashups to put you into the mood. The video is fantastic.
I picked up this adorable cozy game Tiny Bookshop, and it’s just a nice, relaxing escape into a world where you recommend books to people
If you love food and love Italy, and haven’t read IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS, THE CHEF’S SECRET or FEAST OF SORROW, click the links to learn where to buy your copy! And now you can pre-order my latest, THE HAPPINESS COLLECTOR!
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Thanks again for the recipe. I love tomatoes, but Kathleen being diabetic has to limit them. great newsletter as always Crystal. Keep up the great work.