Other Equipment you will Need

Small teaspoons: this is what I mean by the ‘tsp’ measure. Choose a small coffee spoon rather than the standard size used for stirring tea and note that, unless stated, the measure is always level. It is helpful to use a knife to trim the laden bowl of the spoon. A ‘heaped tsp’ is a rounded measure not bursting over the sides.

Large teaspoons and dessert spoons are occasionally used and are referred to as ‘large tsp’ and ‘dessert spoon’.

Tablespoon, ‘tbsp’, is a large serving spoon rather than an oversized dessert spoon. This is generally used for liquids: the oil, wine, vinegar, fish sauce and honey that make up the basic sauces of Roman food. This tablespoon corresponds in weight on a diabetic scale to about 1 oz/25 gm. I use a spoon because measuring a small volume of liquid in a jug can be inaccurate, and I also wished to follow the habit of the Roman slave-cooks who frequently gave their quantities by ratio rather than with precise measures.