Fresh from the Past

Did Defoe imagine what his scrappy heroine Moll Flanders ate for dinner? When he got hungry at his writing desk he probably did-and now we can too. Britain's kitchens were full of exotic ingredients in the 18th century. Cooks experimented with new imports such as pepper, pineapples, and pistachio nuts, combining flavors and textures in creative ways to produce delicious, sophisticated dishes. Hundreds of cookbooks appeared to bring these recipes to the average home cook and, in Fresh from the Past, Sherman and the Chotkowskis bring them to our kitchens. The hottest trend in food today is "fresh, local, seasonal"-the 18th-century cook would be shocked that it could be any other way. In Fresh from the Past, Sherman takes readers along on a wild ride back in time, describing how historic families learned to cook with the seasons. She tells us what they ate for regular meals and at fancy parties, what they ordered in restaurants, and what they got for takeout. From cookbooks of the day Sherman gives us 100+ original recipes, together with contemporary translations that give step-by-step instructions for cooks of any level. Illustrations and gems of fascinating detail sprinkled liberally throughout make cooking-whether for a quick weeknight meal or a special dinner party-a real adventure.

Sherman takes readers along on a wild ride back in time, describing how historic families learned to cook with the seasons. From cookbook of the day she gives us 120 original recipes, together with contemporary translations that give step-by-step instructions for cooks of any level.

Library Journal

Sherman, a food and cultural historian and professor of British literature (Univ. of Arkansas), became interested in British recipes of the 18th century when she wrote an earlier book on the food crisis that arose then. For this ambitious new title, she researched the food of the era's rich and the poor and, with the Chotokowskis' assistance, "translated" 120 recipes from cookbooks of the time. Unlike the recipes in Francine Segan's recent The Philosopher's Kitchen (LJ 8/04), which featured the food of ancient Greece and Rome, most of these probably have more appeal as curiosities than as dishes for a contemporary cook; many seem overly rich or complicated, with lengthy ingredients lists and subcomponents like General Cullis and Essence of Ham. The breadth of Sherman's research is impressive, but her book will be more valuable as a culinary history. Recommended for special collections. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Sandra Sherman is a food historian and British literature scholar, specializing in the Restoration and the eighteenth century, with a professorship at the University of Arkansas. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and a writer for Food History News, and she has lectured and been interviewed on British culinary history. Originally from New York City, Sherman lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas. For the 2003-2004 academic year she is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Karen and Henry Chotkowski, who translated the recipes, are professional and locally renowned caterers in Fayetteville, Arkansas.