[Sca-cooks] Booklist for Culinary Novices-- Non Recipe texts

[Johnna Holloway]

Here's my short review-- it's just a summary.
I haven't done the long version yet.  I have included it
in the Recreating the Elizabethan Feast handout, but not in
the essentials basics handouts.
(I have a variety of classes that I give, so I have a number of
handouts tailored to each subject or topic,each designed for  the audience
and class. I redo these before each lecture, so they are up to date too. 
Yes,
I know that's insane, but it's the librarian in me.)

Johnnae

******<>
Roy Strong Feast

I've owned it since 2002 when it came out in the UK.

Strong writes very well, but it should be noted that Feast is not a 
cookbook or
a recipe book. It's a descriptive and tantalizing text that covers 
"eating in the
grand fashion." It's going to frustrate Society cooks because it lacks 
the details
that they are going to want. (Don't count on it providing you with a 
list of everything
a typical banquet might have had in circa 1300 or 1560.)  It's an idea book
that stimulates the mind and palate;  if you are into reading about past 
banquets, you will be entertained.
Do plan on reading it closely and then going to the footnotes.
You really need to like reading footnotes too.
It's worth getting, especially at the closeout price of $5.99
which is the price being offered  by some dealers now.

Here's the original Guardian review--
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/history/0,6121,804071,00.html
where it noted
"There are endnotes but no bibliography, and it is therefore difficult 
to follow exactly what
and where Sir Roy has been reading: all the ibids rather stick in the 
throat.
Another lack is of specific instructions on how to stage a feast at home."

I would note that upon reflection this is one of those books that really 
needs illustrations

and lots of them. Oversized book with color photos and illustrations 
would have made it expensive
but a work to really drool over.


Hope this helps.

Johnnae



Wanda Pease wrote:

>How do people feel about Roy Strong's Feast: A History of Grand Eating?
>  Not as a recipe book which it is not, but as a description of actual
>settings?
>
>Regina
>  
>