Cooking Up History

A biographical, historical account of history's most notorious and celebrated chefs, including Charles Francatelli, Eustache Ude, Eliza Acton, Agnes Marshall. Charles Francatelli and Alexis Soyer. It also covers important American cooks such as Hercules, George Washington's black enslaved American chef, George Speck, credited with the invention of the potato chip, Fannie Merritt Farmer of the Boston Cooking-School Cookbook fame, Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico's, New York, and Amelia Simmons whose American Cookery is the first cookbook on American culture in the kitchen, including the first 'koekje' or 'cookie' recipe.

Historian and heritage expert Emma Kay has worked as a museum professional for twenty years, for institutions including the National Maritime Museum, the British Museum, and the University of Bath. Educated to PhD level, she has been an avid collector of kitchenalia for many years, and runs the website www.museumofkitchenalia.com.
She is the author of three books, Dining with the Georgians, (endorsed by Anthony Worral Thompson and Simon Jenkins, executive pastry chef at the Marcus Wareing restaurants), Dining with the Victorians and the upcoming Vintage Kitchenalia, all with Amberley Publishing.