OT? [ADS-L] antedating scampi

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Wed Dec 15 02:05:29 UTC 2010


At 8:54 PM -0500 12/14/10, victor steinbok wrote:
>Interspersed below...
>
>On Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 7:51 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>>
>>  If "scampi" refers to a method of preparation/cooking, what's
>>  peeve-making about "shrimp scampi"?  Presumably I could make "prawn
>>  scampi" -- or, to be more serious, "lobster scampi", etc.
>
>The assumption on the part of culinary prescriptivists is that
>"scampi" implies a shrimp preparation--unless, of course, something is
>added to make it otherwise. But, of course, some purists suggests that
>"blueberry bagels" are not bagels.
>
>>>In fact, four ingredients that are common
>>>to most (though not all) scampi recipes are shrimp, garlic, butter,
>>>olive oil and parsley.
>>
>>  I count five so far.
>
>You are right and I meant to leave off the shrimp. What used to pass
>for "scampi" in the US AFAIK was a preparation of shrimp with olive
>oil and garlic-parsley butter sauce made with wine and lemon juice.
>Very basic. The main point is /no bread crumbs/.
>
So "scampi", in the original use, is basically
Italian for "maître d'hôtel sauce"?  Except for
the white wine, and the cooking.

LH

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