A History of Cookbooks: From Kitchen to Page over Seven Centuries

A History of Cookbooks explores the evolution of cookbooks as a part of food culture, tracing the transformation of recipes from brief notes to detailed instructions with a specific structure, grammar, and vocabulary. It reveals that cookbooks offer insights into nutrition, morals, manners, history, and menus, making them an important branch of nonfiction literature.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 06 September 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

A History of Cookbooks offers a comprehensive literary and historical exploration of the cookbook genre, tracing its evolution as an integral part of food culture since the Late Middle Ages. Henry Notaker delves into the study of cookbooks from diverse Western cultures and languages, unveiling the remarkable transformation of recipes from mere lists of ingredients to intricate, structured recipes with their own grammar, vocabulary, and culinary conventions. Beyond their culinary offerings, cookbooks serve as valuable sources of information on nutrition, morals, manners, history, and menus, often interspersed with entertaining reflections and commentaries. This groundbreaking book establishes cookbooks as a fascinating and significant branch of nonfiction literature.

A History of Cookbooks provides a sweeping literary and historical overview of the cookbook genre, exploring its development as a part of food culture beginning in the Late Middle Ages.

Henry Notaker delves into the study of cookbooks from diverse Western cultures and languages, unveiling the remarkable transformation of recipes from mere lists of ingredients to intricate, structured recipes with their own grammar, vocabulary, and culinary conventions.

Beyond their culinary offerings, cookbooks serve as valuable sources of information on nutrition, morals, manners, history, and menus, often interspersed with entertaining reflections and commentaries.

This groundbreaking book establishes cookbooks as a fascinating and significant branch of nonfiction literature.

Weight: 508g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520391499