The Cookbook Library

This gorgeously illustrated volume began as notes on the collection of cookbooks and culinary images gathered by renowned cookbook author Anne Willan and her husband Mark Cherniavsky. From the spiced sauces of medieval times to the massive roasts and ragoûts of Louis XIV's court to elegant eighteenth century chilled desserts, The Cookbook Librarydraws from the authors' antiquarian cookbook library to guide readers through four centuries of European and early American cuisine. Willan, founder of the famed Ecole de la Cuisine Varenne in Paris, describes her passionate pursuit of the stories behind the recipes: where they originated, who wrote them down, who prepared the dishes, and who dined on the result. As the authors taste their way through the centuries, describing how each cookbook reflects its time, Willan illuminates culinary crosscurrents among the cuisines of England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. A deeply personal labor of love, The Cookbook Librarytraces the history of the recipe and includes some of Willan's and Cherniavsky's favorites, inviting readers to join them on an enthralling journey back in time.