Classical Cookbook [Paperback]

Andrew Dalby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2000

An exploration of the food of the Mediterranean world in ancient times, from 750 BC to AD 450. The authors draw on sources beyond the familiar recipes attributed to the Roman gourmet Apicius, who mainly describes the food of the privileged classes at the end of the Roman Empire. All types of food are represented, allowing the modern cook to recreate the varied diet of the classical world, from the banquets of the rich to the simple meals of soldiers, farmers and slaves. The 50 recipes include Terrine of Asparagus, Sweet Wine Cakes, Olive Relish and Toronaean Shark. An introductory section to each chapter provides a historical outline and explains the sources. Translations of the original recipes are followed by a version for the modern cook. The book is illustrated throughout with scenes of food, carousers and hunters from wall paintings, mosaics and Greek vases.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Classical Cookbook combines carefully researched history with recipes that are interpretations of ancient Greece and Rome. Two Britons, historian Andrew Dalby and chef Sally Grainger, collaborated on this book, which discusses the banquets and feasts of Athens and Rome, but focuses mostly on how average people ate every day. Many of the seasonings favored from around 700 B.C. up to the fall of Rome in the 5th century, it turns out, are not that foreign to what we use today: leeks, nuts, vinegar, wine. The authors provide easy equivalents for the more exotic ingredients. Imagine how Socrates, in the 1st century, may have enjoyed honey-glazed shrimp or cheesecake. Such dishes make it tempting to try the culinary adaptations of classical cookery. Here's a rare example of history brought to life. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

The Classical Cookbook is the first to explore the daily culture of the Mediterranean through the center of its social life: food and drink. Combining narrative texts and recipes, authors Dalby and Grainger draw on a mass of fascinating resources to describe household life for different social groups and occasions. Each chapter provides a historical outline, with translations of the original recipes followed by versions for the modern cook. The Classical Cookbook is illustrated throughout with delightful scenes of food, hunters, and revelers from wall paintings, mosaics, and Greek vases. And the array of delicacies, from "Sweet Wine Scones" and "Chicken Stuffed with Olives" to "Honey Nut Cake" and "Olive Relish" to "Liver Oxyrhynchus" and "Bream in Cheese and Oil" and "Sweet Cheesecake" and and "Parthian Chicken" are sure to tempt any gourmet. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: British Museum Press (February 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071412222X
• ISBN-13: 978-0714122229
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,880,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely combination of recipes and historical information, April 25, 2001

By 

M. Gacsaly (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Classical Cookbook (Hardcover)

Excellent book for both its recipes (easy to follow with directions given for both the English and American cook) and its description of Roman life, for both the Roman commoners and the citizens of stature. If you want to have a Roman banquet, or a simple, traditional Roman meal, this is an ideal book. I especially enjoyed the well-written sections on Roman history, which perfectly integrate the recipes with what we know about the people's lives and the ingredients which were available to them. I looked at every Roman cookbook I could find, in both the USA and England, and my three favorites are: Classical Cookbook, by Dalby and Grainger, and, A Taste of Ancient Rome, by Ilaria Giacosa, and Roman Cookery, by Mark Grant. The latter two have more recipes than the first, but Classical Cookbook is a quality book with exquisite pictures, illustrations and explanations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 29, 2011

By 

Cosmas Bisticas "Chez Cosmo" (Denver) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Classical Cookbook (Hardcover)

Fifteen years after it's original release this book remains one of the best on the subject. I would like to clarify that, as the authors point out through references to Odysseus, Philoxennus, Macedonia etc. it explains very cleary that the Greeks were those who elevated cookery into an art,through trial and error and endless experimentation. It focuses primarily on techniques and recipes that originated in ancient Greecemuch later to be passed on to ancent Rome. I make this point as a reviwer has incorrectly given the impression that the book focuses primarily on Roman cookery. One might argue that they at that time in history they were one in the same as Romans brought Greek slaves and free Greek cooks to prepare their meals for them ultimately consuming the same dishes. Over time, the simple dishes introduced by the Greeks became more complicated and lavish, an evolution that has continued till today. There are several other books available that cover this period in detail.

Having made the above points, the author has done an excellent job in the first 30 pages of the book to explain the intricacies of the recipes that follow, explaining the ingredients used, where to find them and substitutions that can be made in order to get an approximate idea of what the Ancient Greeks and later the Romans enjoyed at their tables. It is a good read regardless if you plan to execute the recipes or not.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Try the Roman Mushrooms, June 1, 2010

By 

Rebecca Menes "Gentle Reader" (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Classical Cookbook (Paperback)

An excellent historic cook book. Solid history. Author is careful with the reconstructions, explaining what is known, and what is inferred, for each recipe. And the recipes are good. I especially like the mushrooms with fish sauce and honey. Try it.