The Cornucopia: Being a Kitchen Entertainment and Cookbook

by Judith Lewis Herman, Marguerite Herman

The Cornucopia, published to wide acclaim in 1973, is an exquisitely annotated collection of five centuries of European and American culture as seen through the eyes of both the chef and the gourmet. Drawing on more than 150 sources, beginning with The Forme of Cury (1390), through to the 1890s and some of the most beautiful examples of culinary Victoriana, this richly good-humored book tumbles out a virtual treasury of food lore, commentary and opinion, custom and attitude, and more than three hundred delectable recipes, given in their original format.

From a 1598 recipe for "four and twenty blackbirds baked into a pie," to an exquisite 1653 Izaak Walton recipe for stuffed pike, to an 1898 formula for a drink improbably named "the Bosom Caresser" (sherry, brandy, sugar, an egg yolk, and a pinch of cayenne pepper), this unique volume is all the food lover could ask for.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, History

318 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Judith Lewis Herman is an author, psychiatrist, researcher, and teacher whose work has dealt with understanding and treating the effects of traumatic stress and incest.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started checking this book out from the library in high school and continued to check it out for the next 15 years. Finally I just bought my own copy. I've made some of these recipes. These are very old recipes. Some go back to the middle ages. The stories in this book are fascinating.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book of poems, recipes, writings, advice from chefs & gourmets, food lore and tales from the years of 1390 to 1899. I was intrigued to learn the story behind the nursery rhyme: 'Little Jack Horner, Sat in the corner, Eating a Christmas pie....' and how it related to Henry VIII.

[Missi Wendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun way to read about recipes from 100's of years ago!