[.ca] Medieval Cookbook (ISBN 0500015481)

The Medieval Cookbook:
Tales of the colorful and sumptuous way of life enjoyed by the monarchs and nobles of the Middle Ages - and the considerably less splendid lives of their subjects - continue to enchant and stimulate modern readers. Here for their delectation is a delicious and beautifully illustrated survey of the Middle Ages and its food." "Each section has an introduction which sets the historical and literary context and is then followed by recipes updated for the modern cook. The book ends with a chapter on herbs and "simples" - medicinal herbs that produced cures for many everyday troubles, based on long experience and often helped by a dose of folk magic

Wonderful library addition or gift for medievalists:
This is the perfect gift book for those interested in the Middle Ages. It is beautifully presented, and organisation of recipes with references to historical incidents or literary works is clever and winning. The recipes are easy enough to prepare, and I assumed the variations from the originals were intended to make obtaining ingredients simple. There were several reasons I withheld a 'five star' rating. First, though the author makes reference to how a particular dish would have been prepared in several different ways, only one variation is offered, in some cases markedly unlike the original. Secondly, and to a greater degree, there are not many recipes included. Those provided are illustrations of a category, not collections of, for example, varied main dishes, desserts, or savouries.

Terrific book, well-organized, amazing illustrations -:
If you're a beginner in historical cooking (like me!), then this is a wonderful introduction into medieval recipes. An awe-inspiring selection of illustrations, a common-sense approach to modernization (availability of ingredients is often an issue), and a thoroughly readable writing style make this one of my favorite cookbooks.

Good Reasource:
If you are looking for good tasting period recipes, this book is for you. Sometimes cookbooks that have recipes that are from times past offer recipes that taste quite differently than what our modern expectations are. This book will deliver you good recipes. Two of the favorite ones I have tried from this book were the Almond Chicken and the Golden Leeks and Onions. The instructions are very clear, and easy to read. The book does offer lovely art work as well. My only complaint about this book while the recipe that it has are very good, I just with their were more of them. This is a good book to start or even add to a Medieval recipe collection.

Beautiful:
This is a beautifully presented book and can give you clear and informative advice. The layout of the recipes can be a little clumsy but this is forgiven once you start using it. She references the recipes which is very good from a research point of view and the pictures inside inspire and delight. Only one thing could be improved and that's a recipe index at the front-but I'm probably just being picky.