Art, Culture, and Cuisine: Ancient and Medieval Gastronomy [Hardcover]

Phyllis Pray Bober (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

In Art, Culture, and Cuisine, Phyllis Pray Bober examines cooking through an assortment of recipes as well as the dual lens of archaeology and art history. Believing that the unity of a culture extends across all forms of expression, Bober seeks to understand the minds and hearts of those who practiced cookery or consumed it as reflected in the visual art of the time.

Bober draws on archaeology and art history to examine prehistoric eating customs in ancient Turkey; traditions of the great civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome; and rituals of the Middle Ages. Both elegant and entertaining, Art, Culture, and Cuisine reveals cuisine and dining's place at the heart of cultural, religious, and social activities that have shaped Western sensibilities.

"Using gastronomy as its focus, lacy language as its style, and illustrations to enchant, Art, Culture, and Cuisine researches exactly those subjects from the time of the 'first hominids' to the 15th century. . . . The writing is extremely witty, and the dinner menus with recipes are esoteric, delightful, and mostly doable."—Library Journal

"An ambitious attempt to find culinary echoes of visual and sociological movements throughout history. In sturdy, robust prose . . . the author marches us through every major civilization from prehistory through the late Gothic."—New York Times Book Review

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Using gastronomy (not "cookery"!) as its focus, lacy language as its style, and illustrations to enchant, Art, Culture, and Cuisine researches exactly those subjects from the time of the "first hominids" to the 15th century. The chapters in this academic work by a humanities professor follow a time line: prehistory, ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the "Hellenic Experience," ancient Rome, the early Middle Ages, and "Late Gothic International Style," which covers the Crusades to 1400. There is so much historical fact that only Bober's steady fidelity to her theme keeps this book from being too diffuse. Although we are dealing with solid scholarship (there are many pages of notes and bibliography), the writing is extremely witty, and the dinner menus with recipes are esoteric, delightful, and mostly doableAeven if one must accept substitutes like sheep's stomach in the absence of an available "sow's womb." Highly recommended for large public, special, and academic libraries.AWendy Miller, Lexington P.L., KY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

Viewing cuisine through the dual lens of archaeology and art history, Phyllis Pray Bober uses Art, Culture, and Cuisine to take us on an elegant and entertaining tour through the early history of food and eating-from prehistoric dining habits through four great civilizations to the "Late Gothic International" period. Complete with menus and recipes for prehistoric, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Gothic repasts, Art, Culture, and Cuisine reveals cuisine and dining's place at the heart of the cultural, religious, and social activities that have shaped Western sensibilities.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 462 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226062538
• ISBN-13: 978-0226062532
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,420,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb book on culinary history, August 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Art, Culture, and Cuisine: Ancient and Medieval Gastronomy (Hardcover)

Phyllis Bober has long been a pioneer in the history of cooking/foodways. Her thesis is that we can learn as much about a culture by examining it through the lens of its cuisine as by studying its art, literature, etc. This book is at once highly learned and well written--erudite and witty, like Fisher. An important work for anyone interested in the history of food and eating, the book covers "the prehistory of cuisine," the food culture of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and Europe in the Middle Ages. Good illustrations. Can't wait to read the second volume covering the Renaissance through modernism that Bober is now writing.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Book, July 18, 2001

By 

Stephanie Manley (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art, Culture, and Cuisine: Ancient and Medieval Gastronomy (Hardcover)

I feel in love with this book. This book is well written, keep it in mind it is much more of an informational book that contains a few recipes. Let me note that the recipes are platable towards modern day tastes. It gives enough recipes for each time ara so you can sample cuisines from the times she has written about. The book is filled with details and gives background to where others have only touched the surface. The book covers ancient history, prehistory, Eygptian, Rome, Greece, the Early Middle ages through the late Gothic, and stops around the 1450s. This is a definate must have for anyone looking to expand their ancient cooking library.