This unique and fascinating book of recipes compiled by the fifteenth-century master cook Chiquart, who served Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy over a period of thirty years, offers a precious and vivid insight into late medieval cooking and eating practices. Terence Scully has meticulously transcribed the single manuscript, provided a very readable English translation of the original Middle French, and added a general introduction, myriad detailed footnotes, and a number of useful indices. The result is an engaging slice of gastronomic history that will be of interest to medievalists, food historians, and amateurs alike.

Master Chiquart structures his cooking treatise around an elaborate two-day banquet in two versions, one for “meat” and one for “lean” days. Chiquart’s text is vivid and detailed; it sparks the imagination and brings home the staggering amount of work and resources needed to feed medieval nobles. Many dishes are monumental in both their size and...

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