It is thought that Apicius was responsible for several different books about cooking, including one on sauces referenced by several ancient chroniclers, but none has survived. However, a cookbook that bears his name has survived and, ultimately, it is Apicius’s most important legacy. The oldest known collection of recipes, it is believed to have been compiled in the third or fourth century, long after Marcus Gavius Apicius lived, though it is likely that some of the recipes were first developed in his kitchen. While Apicius is full of ancient delicacies such as roasted peacock, boiled sow vulva, testicles, and other foods we would not commonly eat today, there are many others that are still popular, including tapenade, absinthe, flatbreads, and meatballs. There is even a recipe for Roman milk and egg bread that is identical to what we call French toast. And, contrary to popular belief, foie gras was not originally a French delicacy. The dish dates back twenty-five hundred years, and Pliny credits Apicius with developing a version using pigs instead of geese by feeding hogs dried figs and giving them an overdose of mulsum (honey wine) before slaughtering them.
The best adaptation of this cookbook is Apicius, A Critical Edition with an Introduction and English Translation, translated by Christopher Grocock and Sally Grainger (Devon, England: Prospect Books, 2006). In fact, the recipes on Feast of Sorrow’s part title pages (with minor changes by the author) are from this book. Sally Grainger’s companion cookbook, Cooking with Apicius (London, England: Marion Boyars, 2006), offers wonderful modern interpretations of the original recipes. My favorite is the Parthian chicken. I’ve included a modified version of this recipe, along with several other recipes for ancient Roman foods, on my site, crystalking.com, and I would love to hear from you if you try one!
Buon appetito!
Crystal King
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Feast of Sorrow would not have been possible without the support I received from Boston’s GrubStreet writing community. It is there that I workshopped early drafts, began teaching, found my writing group, and met my agent. There are so many wonderful individuals associated with this center of excellence that it would be difficult to name them all, but a few deserve a special shout-out: Christopher Castellani, Eve Bridburg, Lisa Borders, Sonya Larson, Whitney Scharer, Michelle Toth, and Michelle Seaton.
At GrubStreet, I met my fellow Salt + Radish Writers, women who have toiled with me for the past ten years on every aspect of this book. Each scene within Feast of Sorrow contains a spark of magic from Anjali Mitter Duva, Jennifer Dupee, and Kelly Robertson.
I am indebted to the team at Touchstone Books, who championed this novel from the very moment I came on board: my editor, Trish Todd, as well as Kaitlin Olson, Shida Carr, Leah Morse, Meredith Vilarello, Kelsey Manning, Beth Ireland, and everyone else behind the scenes. I was also lucky to have worked with acquiring editor Etinosa Agbonlahor, who gave me the chance to tell the story I wanted to tell. Her influence and keen insight are woven into the fabric of every page. Everyone at Touchstone has been a joy to work with and I couldn’t have imagined a better entrance into the world as a debut author.
I have the great fortune to be represented by Amaryah Orenstein at GO Literary. She believed in the story from my first pitch and has been an incredible collaborative partner in the entire process. Mere words cannot describe the superstar she is to me.
Thank you to my enthusiastic readers and dear friends Leanna Widgren, Melissa Ayres, Linette Gomez, Michelle Morgan, Laura Warrell, Shadra Bruce, and Ryan La Sala.
Steven Bauer of Hollow Tree Literary helped me with some crucial edits along the way. Classicist Emily Hauser helped me with many clarifications to the Latin text and Roman traditions.
I have been extraordinarily fortunate to share the journey to publication with my fellow TheDebutanteBall.com authors: Amy Poeppel, Lynn Hall, Jenni L. Walsh, and Tiffany D. Jackson.
My friend and Italian tutor, Graziella Macchetta, has fueled my love of the history and language of Italy. Chi trova una amica, trova un tesoro.
In Rome, Patrizia and Beniamino at Casa Dei Coronari welcomed me with open arms, making each stay more special than the last. They taught me that Si sei venuto qui cor core ’nmano, tu de diritto diventi già romano.
Thanks also to my parents, sister, and brother for indulging my childhood stories and encouraging me in my earliest creative years.
I also owe gratitude to historians Sally Grainger and Christopher Grocock for their translation of Apicius. Additionally, during my years of extensive research, I found that these particular texts were critical to my work: Around the Roman Table by Patrick Faas, translated by Shaun Whiteside; Empire of Pleasures: Luxury and Indulgence in the Roman World by Andrew Dalby; The Classical Cookbook by Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger; Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome by Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins; The Houses of Roman Italy, 100 B.C.–A.D. 250: Ritual, Space, and Decoration by John R. Clarke; An Introduction to Roman Religion by John Scheid; and A Taste of Ancient Rome by Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa, translated by Anna Herklotz.
And to my husband, Joe. Thank you for the countless hours spent (over thousands of delicious meals) helping me with all the stickiest parts of this book. Of all the time spent working on this novel, that has been my favorite part of all. I could not have asked for a more supportive, loving advocate for my writing process. Ti amo.