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BY ROBERT H. CARMACK\times and to all ages, to every country and every day; they go hand in hand with all other pleasures, outlast them, and remainto con sole ns fnr th eir lnss \Anthelme Brillat-SavarinNot all parties are orgies, nor all dinners parties. But why not relive what the Barbarian hordes ended in 476 A.D. and host a Roman orgy as an offering to the dieties? Update your festivities with a flavor of the contemporary, but preservation of the past. And imagine your guests%u2019 reaction when you say, %u2018%u2018Nero favored this rump roast.%u201dMost Americans probably have a vision of the Roman orgy from the movie %u201c Fellini Satyricon.%u201d There, the work satirized the poet Trimalchio for his pretensions, ludicrously parading his wealth and surrounding himself with lecherous guests who ridiculed him. Your guests, by contrast, will not be ungrateful. Indulgence in classical entertainment will, however, probably bring out their most lacivious natures.The key to success in hosting the RomanAmerican orgy of 1978 is the pretension of profusion%u2014in foods, drink and merriment. The ancient Romans are the founding fathers of the full-blown orgy, and a cuisine that, if allowed to evolve, could have become the basis of world cookery. Pay tribute to such a heritage.Banquets, such as those held in Nero%u2019s %u201c Domus Aurea,\ings along with cascades of flowers and perfume falling on the guests. The Emperor Elagabalus, by contrast, literally smothered the diners under avalanches of flowers and entertained the survivors with gladitorial combat. Needless to say, those meals were messy affairs, with shouts of discontent coming from the servants who cleaned%u2014as Britons would curse%u2014the whole bloody mess.The setting, as required by tradition, stipulated nine participants, whose number symbolized the nine muses. They were seated upon three reclining couches, representing the number of graces, arranged in a U-shape around a central tabic, fhe right-hand couch was reserved for the guest of honor.T%u2019.m reclining position allowed for the do..biiiig of stomach capacity, and the couch itself was a mark of social distinction to wh eh the lower orders of freedmen and educaied slaves were normally not allowed.Until the time of Augustus, women were barred from attending dining festivities. That is, with the exception of courtesans and servants. We%u2019ve come a long way since then, so including the female species, the Normal number of guests is 24, or 12 couples.Guests arrived punctually, as the feasting began without late-comers. Upon arriving, they bathed with scented water, dressed in robes, and were announced by nomenclature. They were then given a wine and honey aperitif, %u2018%u2018mulsum,%u201d accompanied by the \tray of raw and cooked vegetables, various salt and shell fish, olives, land snails (fattened until they overgrew their shells), oysters, urchins, sliced eggs and mixed green salad.The best meats, poultry and fish available comprised the second course. Such might be fish, various small game, peacocks, capon and other fowl, roast boar stuffed with thrushes and a whole pig seasoned with pepper and cumin then slit open with great ceremony to reveal an abundance of assorted sausages.Other favorites included goose liver pate soaked in milk and honey; bread-fed pigeons; force-fed fowl glazed with honey and rolled in poppy seed; Tuscan cheese served with the udders of virgin sows; pork testicles; Spanish pickles; and occasionally, ostrich and camel.The ubiquitous seasoning of Roman cookery was %u201c garum,%u201d the extract of putrid, salted fish guts. Today%u2019s gourmets, however, can rely on a salty court bouillon, or even a blend of anchovy paste and cream sherry. And while the ancients considered peacock brains tres chic, an ordinary pate suits the purpose.The following menu serves the classical nine.After guests bathe and dress in robes . (caftans, or particularly togas will suit the need), give them a sweet aperitif, or before-dinner wine. Sweet Kir, an aperitif of one-third creme de cassis (black current) and two-thirds medium dry (demi-sec) white Burgandy stimulates the palate without dominating it. Its lighttaste, not too fruity, provides an exciting variation of the ancient drink. Or, one may imbibe sweet vermouth, Dubonnet or even a muscatel.For the \seafood salad. Pile lettuce high ot^ the platter and mount with fresh oysters, shrimp, crab, lingustino, boiled eggs and raw vegetables, such as turnips, radishes and carrots. If available, add Greek olives (brine cured%u2014the oil variety is bitter), Spanish pickles and pimiento. Top with a vinaigrette.SAUCE VINAIGRETTE2 cups peanut oil2/3 cup tarragon-flavored red winevinegar1 teaspoon salt/i teaspoon fresh ground black pepperVi teaspoon sugar1 tablespoon Dijon mustard*3 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions1 /4 cup finely chopped parsley2 garlic cloves, mincedCombine the ingredients and allow to stand at room temperature for several hours, for a unique taste change, you might sprinkle crushed fennel or anise.A special note on raw vegetables: they may be prepared up to three days in advance and kept in covered jars of water in the refrigerator. Change the water daily. Also, store the strong vegetables such as turnips and radishes apart from the mild plants like celery and carrots. If serving raw' turnips, throroughly peel the tough and bitter outer membrane.* (Grey Poupon brand Dijon mustard, the most readily available variety, is made in New Jersey,and does not have the piquency of the original recipe from France. If this is all you can get, use it. Otherwise try to locate some Maille, a brand actually sold at the Grey-Poupon store in Dijon. France. Other good brands are Amora and Pikarone.)The second course options are fish, fowl, beef or pork. For a taste treat, prepare fowl and surround and stuff it with sausage and fruit. Allow for one chicken per three diners.FRUITY CHICKEN WITH SAUSAGE3 whole chickensSalt and pepper1 can pineapple chunks2 cans peaches1 can pears2 oranges, peeled and cubed1 lime, zest and juice3 tablespoons Tang, (orange or grape)Vi cup white corn syrupBrown sugar, to taste9 spicy Italian sausages1. Salt and pepper chickens, including inside cavity. Leave standing all day, uncovered, at room temperature.2. Drain and reserve fruit syrups. Cut the peaches and pears. Combine fruits plus Tang ar.d corn syrup. Moisten with reserved fruit syrups, and add sugar, to taste.3. Stuff birds with fruit mixture. Place sausages in a low, oven-proof pan, and pour half the reserved syrup over them. Set the chicken on top of the sausages, and cook at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes per pound.4. About 20 minutes before roasting is completed, pour the remaining syrup and fruit, if any, over the chickens. Return to oven, and finish roasting.Note: if you are using pork sausages, make sure the pork is thoroughly cooked before serving. One option is to lightly grill them before adding to chicken.Accompany the chicken and sausages with lots of heavy bread and pate. Liverwurst fans will love this easy variation for the spread.BRANDIED PATE2 pounds liverwurst, softened I'A cups butter, softened 'A cup brandy 1 cup chopped black olives 1 cup parsley1. In a large bowl, blend softened liverwurst and butter, using a fork or fingers. Continue blending until completely smooth. (If using hands, work with the fingers, and not the palms, as the warmth tends to melt the butter.)2. Add brandy, parsley and black olives. Mix very well. Pack in a lightly oiled mold and cover. Chill 3 to 4 hours.While the Romans ate their dessert before the final course, the practice seems too unnatural to the contemporary palate. At this point, therefore, serve fresh fruit along with a tray of assorted cheeses and bread. This end service is excellent in aiding ihe digestion. Pour more wine, and on with the orgy!%u2022%u2022%u2022and th e n go h u n t fo r th e e lu s iv e g ra n e ...BY L.J. DAVISMy normal reaction on being asked anything, anything at all, about Carroll Gardens is to mutter darkly about the Black Hand and swiftly change the subject. If the subject of food comes up, I talk about Peter Luger%u2019s estimable establishment in Williamsburg. When somebody speaks of going out to a bar, I enthusiastically recommend the Lion%u2019s Head, which is in Manhattan. For shopping, try the Essex Street markets. Mind you, I have nothing against Caroll gardens, far from it. Carroll Gardens is wiiere liie Iiaiu-Americans are keeping up their long-running act of making the city supremely liveable, and I want it kept that way. God forbid it should ever get discovered. Look what happened to MacDougal Street.Still, if you want Italian w'ine, 1 supposeyou think you have to go to an Italian neighborhood, and if you%u2019ll agree to put on a pair of horse-blinders and chew on a massive mouthful of Sen-sen to mask the unearthly aromas wafting from the little bakeries and cafes and butcher shops, I%u2019ll describe the wares at the boites of the cousins Scotto. Just remember, horse blinders and Sen-sen. A bargain is a bargain.With turkey season upon us in full gobble, the nice folk at Scotto%u2019s (318 Court Street) are recommending the lighter wlnics uf die iioriii, particularly ine Viiia Banfi frascati ($3.79 a magnum), verdicchio dei castelli di Jesi ($4.98) and the Reunite lambrusco ($4.99). These are all great personal favorites of mine and this information has been drawn from me by means of threats and blows. For an estatebottled heavier white from the Mezzogiorno, you might want to try the Segesta at $9.99 for a 3-liter bottle ($6.39 for 2), but my inclination is always to favor a fullbodied Tuscan red, such as Victori%u2019s barolo ($3.09 a fifth). If the editor will kindly stop kneeling on my chest, I will also reveal that there is an excellent reason why Scotto has stocked Bosca barolo ($3.79) for the past 44 years, but I forget what it is. King%u2019s X already!Heading south and ignoring Aiello%u2019s Delicatessan and the outdoor exDresso place and especially the bar on the northwest corner of 3rd Place (you wouldn%u2019t like it anyway), we come upon T. Scotto s at 427 Court. I am pleased to report that all the Christmas specials have already been snapped up by discerning local connoisseurs, but if you really mustshop there, they have a very nice Corvo saliparuta (red and white, $3.95). Giacobazzi, the old standby, is also in stock as a rosato, bianco, and lambrusco, and a relative newcomer not sampled by this department but recommended by the management is the Fior di Monte verdiccio dei castelli at $2.89. Ditto the same label%u2019s pinot grigio ($2.79). 1 once spent an extremely pleasant evening on the Place Sorbonne with a bottle of Opici valpolicella, a brand usually not available in thisrnnntrv nnrl I .11 ------- u ~ . . a v a n v i v i i --------------------, j----\\j------------- u . t ------me to reveal that it is to be had at T. Scotto, handsomely boxed in wood with a soave and a trebiano, all for $8.97. Just buy the stuff and go home, okay? If you take the F train to the Carroll Street stop, you won t even have to walk around the neighborhood, and that%u2019s just fine by me.Page 18, THE PHOENIX, November 16,1978