Food in Medieval Times (Food through History) (Paperback)

   If Scully, Henisch, Bober and Flandrin are household words in your kitchen, you can skip this book and miss little. If you're just beginning to enjoy medieval cookery, and would like to get the "big picture" this is the perfect introduction.It's not a cookbook -- it's a survey of what foods were used, how they were prepared, and how they were understood to work in the body. The author has sifted through the works of medieval cooks and those who have translated and studied them, and brings us the essence of medieval cookery in a very readable form. She is careful to distinguish between the foods of the elite and the poor. She discusses regional variations as well as the many international foods. Influences of both religion and medieval science (humoral theory) on eating habits are well discussed.Extensive bibliographic notes will aid the reader in finding the sources of her information.

   I love books on historical cooking, and really looked forward to reading Food in Medieval times. I thought this book is an excellent resource of cooking, and it is a definate resource on common ingredients. I have one issue with the book, it is the first chapter, ingredients are described in detail, extreme detail, but the first chapter reads more like a glossary, I wished this chapter would have been the last chapter, and not the first. Going through the first chapter is a bit of a challenge, as you want to get into the cooking, and then learn about the ingredients. The book is clearly written and easy to read. Looking for a resource on medieval cooking? I would suggest picking up this book if you are looking for resource information, no recipes are included, but I really like how dishes are writen about, in reading this book, I know exactly what would sit on an individual's table depending upon their status in life. Well worth picking up if medieval cooking suits your fancy.