A Hastiness of Cooks: A Practical Handbook for Use in Deciphering the Mysteries of Historic Recipes and Cookbooks, For Living-History Reenactors, Historians, Writers, Chefs, Archaeologists, and, o

Winner of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020 in Culinary History category, Best in the World

Wormwood Cakes, Quodling Pie, Sosenga, Hennys en bruet …

Do you like to read old cookbooks and perhaps even yearn to cook some of the recipes, with their enticing names?

“A Hastiness of Cooks” takes you step-by-step through the process of recreating recipes like these for the modern table. By the time you reach the end of the book, you’ll be able to:

• Analyze the subtext of historical cookbooks, regardless of their culinary patrimony and time period
  
• Decipher archaic language
  
• Choose the correct equipment and ingredients
  
• Cook with a wood fire on a hearth or three stones on the ground
  
• Research historical accuracy with various print and online resources
  

And much more.

"A Hastiness of Cooks" is not just for chefs and cooks. Living-history interpreters, battle reenactors, writers of fiction and nonfiction, historical archaeologists, historians, artists, and just about anyone interested in how people cooked and ate in the past will find much meat (and vegetable) in this concise handbook.

"A remarkable volume littered with insight and a wealth of resources. Writing with warmth and wisdom, Bertelsen proves herself to be an excellent instructor." ~ Publishers Weekly

"Planned as a manual to guide those who are interested in 'Deciphering the Mysteries of Historic Recipes,' the book certainly reaches that objective. An extensive bibliography - as well as lively illustrations by Courtney Nzeribe - contributes to Bertelsen's newest publication. After a brief survey of English and Spanish cookbooks that were published over a 400-year span, Bertelsen selects a few recipes from both European regions to instruct the reader in analyzing, then develops up-to-date recipes based on period sources. Her use of early Spanish sources, rather than the usual French references, is an uncommon approach. Anyone interested in working with old recipes will be well-prepared to do so after reading 'A Hastiness of Cooks'." ~ Nancy Carter Crump, culinary historian and author of Hearthside Cooking

An avid cook and cookbook collector, Cynthia D. Bertelsen is a food historian, photographer, and compulsive writer now settled in Gainesville, Florida. She lived and worked long-term in Mexico, Paraguay, Honduras, Haiti, Morocco and Burkina Faso. Her book, Mushroom: A Global History, appeared in 2013, published by Reaktion Books UK. Cynthia's articles and book reviews have appeared in several well-known food-studies encyclopedias, journals, and newspapers, including Gastronomica and The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink (2nd edition). In 2011, she won a Julia Child Independent Scholar grant from the International Association of Culinary Professionals to study the impact of France's colonial heritage on the future of French cuisine. For more of Cynthia's writing, read her blog "Gherkins and Tomatoes," brimming with in-depth analyses of cooking, cookbooks, and food history.

The books that fascinated Courtney Nzeribe the most as a child were those with rich illustrations of some culinary concoction or pastry. Courtney studied Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design Paris, France. Ultimately, she ended up in the cosmetic retail profession as an Account Executive, painting faces and managing territories throughout the Midwest, Canada, and the Caribbean. Never abandoning her dual culinary aspirations, she worked as a self-taught personal chef for local clientele and Chicago's diplomatic Consular community. Art and all things culinary are mediums Courtney intertwines via illustrations and paintings. She has written for publications such as Ebony, EbonyJet.com, and her food blog. "Coco Cooks." gaining inspiration from her extensive travels and culinary adventures. A Hastiness of Cooks is her first role as illustrator for a book, combining her myriad interests. Courtney currently resides in Chicago with her long-term partner Marc.