Savouring the Past

"Yes. It’s a superb outline of the development of French food from the medieval period through to the 18th century. She lets the story unfold in a really interesting way – it’s superbly researched and it’s got some really strong arguments in it. It’s written by an American, but the French actually gave her a very important literary award for this book, so it’s very much appreciated in France as well as in the Anglo-Saxon world. It’s much more than just a history of French food – it helps you to understand the whole development of European food. It’s full of cross-references, and it’s based on a lifetime’s research and incredible erudition. She’s the honorary curator of the culinary collection at the Schlesinger Library, Harvard, so she has a great resource."