[Sca-cooks] Exhibit of historic cookery books/lecture/book signing May 2005

[Sharon Gordon]

THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE 1216 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10029


On May 5, 2005, the New York Academy of Medicine's Rare Book Room will
open a new exhibition of books from the Library's extraordinary cookery
collection.

A Feast for the Eyes: A Meal in Books Exhibition Dates: Thursday, May
5th through Friday, August 5th, 2005

Opening Lecture, May 5, 6:00 PM Francine Segan, "DaVinci's Table:
Renaissance Feasts"
(Book-signing and small reception, 5:30 PM)

Noted food historian Francine Segan, author of Shakespeare's Kitchen,
Movie Menus, and The Philosopher's Kitchen will be here with us that
evening. Her lecture, DaVinci's Table: Renaissance Feasts, will take us
on a tour of the fascinating information and advice contained in the
cookbooks of the Renaissance -- everything from table manners, to cures
for an earache, to suggested jokes, riddles and puns to tell between
courses. There will be a small snack available before the lecture at
5:30, at which time Ms. Segan will be happy to sign copies of her books.
After the lecture the Friends of the Rare Book Room will host a
reception in the Main Reading Room, where there will be plenty of time
to take in a selection of the Rare Book Room's culinary treasures:
A Feast for the Eyes: A Meal in Books
This exhibition, curated by Miriam Mandelbaum, presents an essentially
French meal in illustrated editions of books on cookery and food dating
from the 16th century to the 20th century. The exhibition begins with an
exhibit case of Preliminaries which features a second edition of
Bartolomeo Scappi's Opera (Venice, 1596), an extremely rare and
important cookery book authored by the chef to Pope Pius V.  The first
edition of Scappi's Opera was printed in 1570 and contained the first
illustration of a fork to appear in a printed book. The remaining cases
contain most of the elements of an haute cuisine meal: Huitres, Potages,
and Hors D'oeuvres (oysters, soups, and hors d'oeuvres); Poissons
(fish); Entrees and Entremets de Legumes (vegetable side dishes); Rotis
(roasted meats); Salade; Glace, Fromage and Chocolat (ice cream, cheese,
and chocolate); Desserts; Vins and Liqueurs; and Cafe and The. Two cases
are devoted to desserts because desserts were more often illustrated
than almost any other part of a meal in cookery books and because
desserts are fun.

This event is free and open to the public.  For more information about
NYAM programs in the history of medicine, visit our website at
http://www.nyam.org/initiatives/im-histe.shtml, write history at nyam.org
or call Christian Warren at 212.822.7314.
The Academy's Rare Book Room was recently featured in the New York
Times. To read a press release, with a link to the article, visit
http://www.nyam.org/news/2258.html.

Historical programs at NYAM are supported by the Friends of the Rare
Book Room. Please join the Friends! Download a membership form at
http://www.nyam.org/initiatives/docs/FRBR_Renewal.pdf.

THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE 1216 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10029