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 ragouts of Louis XIV's court to elegant eighteenth-century chilled desserts, "The Cookbook Library" draws from renowned cookbook author Anne Willan's and her husband Mark Cherniavsky's antiquarian cookbook library to guide readers through four centuries of European and early American cuisine. 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 Library" traces the history of the recipe and includes some of their favorites.

About the Author
Anne Willan, founder of La Varenne Cooking School, is the author of many cookbooks including the James Beard Award winner, The Country Cooking of France. Mark Cherniavsky has collected antiquarian cookbooks for more than fifty years. Kyri Claflin is coeditor of Writing Food History: A Global Perspective.

Reviews
"A wonderfully researched and beautifully illustrated work, "The Cookbook Library" is at once an engaging read and an invaluable resource for anyone passionate about food and food history." Los Angeles Times Book Review "A wonderfully researched and beautifully illustrated work ... an invaluable resource for anyone passionate about food and food history." -- Noelle Carter Los Angeles Times "A treat for food lovers, with rich illustrations to add a visual dimension to the description of Willan's colossal library." Times Literary Supplement (TLS) "For years or decades to come, this beautiful volume is going to be an indispensable resource for readers and researchers in love with the history of cookbooks... Belongs in any real cookbook lover's library." -- Anne Mendelson Zester Daily "The Cookbook Library is a treat for food lovers, with rich illustrations to add a visual dimension to the description of Willan's colossal library." -- William Sitwell Times Literary Supplement "Whether it was the medieval spice trade (when a pound of nutmeg was worth seven fat oxen) or the 16th-century sugar rush (coinciding with colonial expansion), Western history lies in these ancient recipes." -- Craig Laban, Inquirer Restaurant Critic Philadelphia Inquirer "If you really love cookbooks (or books in general) and you love history, this is a book you have to read." Los Angeles Times "Absorbing ragout of serious history, beautiful coffee-table book and practical kitchen guide." Scotsman "A wonderfully researched and beautifully illustrated work, "The Cookbook Library" is at once an engaging read and an invaluable resource for anyone passionate about food and food history." St Paul Pioneer-Press "An inspiring and informative read." Sante


Awards
Winner of IACP Crystal Whisk Award (Jane Grigson) 2013 and IACP Crystal Whisk Award (Culinary History) 2013.



Book Information
ISBN 9780520244009
Author Anne Willan
Format Hardback
Page Count 344
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 1179g
Dimensions(mm) 273mm * 210mm * 32mm