Thursday, April 15, 2010

In Which We Celebrate a Roman Feast


Our history curriculum this year is taking us through Ancient Civilizations, and we've worked our way up to Ancient Rome. We thought it would be fun to get together with some friends who are in a similar place in their history studies to have a Roman feast! We did some research and found a number of recipes that are based on dishes believed to have been eaten in Ancient Rome. And of course, we needed appropriate dress! Above is Emmi as "Iliona" in a flowy skirt and top, with her hair done Roman style. And here are the rest of the girls who came for the feast:



Our friends brought gifts for Saturnalia (a Roman holiday) that our children appreciated! Here Emmi is holding her clay rabbit:



The fellows also looked suitably Roman. Pip is dressed as a slave boy, and the other boys are wearing togas. From left to right you have "Alexander", "Pip, the slave", "Quintus Maximus" and "Tiberias". Tiberias is a tough senator while Quintus Maximus appears thoughtful, and Alexander just looks happy to be at the feast.



We had "sweet wine" (cranberry juice) to drink at our feast and had an appetizer of hard-boiled eggs with a dipping sauce. Then we had flatbreads with an herbed dipping sauce with "dormice" (chicken was the stand-in), and for dessert: almond-stuffed dates cooked in honey and Pear Patina (a custard-like dish). The Romans reclined to eat on couches, but we had to get by with blankets on the floor with a slightly raised platform for a table.



The other mother and I acted as slaves, bringing in the dishes and clearing up. But then the "slaves" got a chance to eat the leftovers (and have some tea) while the Romans charged about and played after their feast. It was a fun time, and also memorable - once you've become "Iliona" and had a Roman feast, you will remember all sorts of neat things about Ancient Rome!

1 comment:

Rachel Lee said...

What a fun experience!

we took a leave of absence from school during Olympic times and spent some time studying Ancient Greece - and did something very similar. It amazes me how much they've retained!

(as a side note - your blog has suddenly "reappeared" for me - for quite some time it's been showing me only new years 2009 and previous..)