SAVORING THE PAST: The French Kitchen And Table from 1300 to 1789

Describes the development of five hundred years of French cooking and how it changed and was changed by French society

Wheaton's heavily researched, erudite study examines nearly 500 years of French culinary history. Fortunately, the book's animated writing yields a text both entertaining and instructive. Medieval associations between medicinal lore and cookery ingredients are presented in intriguing detail. Wheaton also traces the beginning of France's haute cuisine tradition with the increased publication--in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries--of recipes by outstanding cooks, which were, duly noted by the author, a compelling "inducement to literacy." First issued 15 years ago, Wheaton's inquiry is meticulously descriptive of a culture as presented through the evolving beliefs and tastes associated with the preparation and consumption of food. A final recipe portfolio, though imbued with the doctrines of an era long past, remains relevant with its savory offerings. Alice Joyce