"Though Renaissance paintings and palaces abide, the work of Renaissance chefs lives on only in the accounts of writerly houseguests and boastful hosts. Prof. Ken Albala has followed the paper trail with the diligence of a professional historian, but he writes with zest. Porcupine paté and stuffed dormouse found their way to the groaning board, and a Lenten favorite for pious meat-lovers was beaver tail because, since it was always in the water, 'this part of the animal could be considered fish.'"--Wall Street Journal Online "This engrossing work covers a great deal of culinary ground, and will interest many readers. This is a truly fascinating look at how people ate four hundred years ago.--Sixteenth Century Journal "A pleasure to read and a solid contribution to gastronomic history.--Historian "The Banquet is the first book to describe developments in the realm of courtly feasting on an international scale.

Few specialists in this field have so broad a knowledge of the literature in so many languages, and few have read so widely and thoughtfully. Intelligently written and original, this book is a pleasure to read.--Barbara K. Wheaton, author of Savoring the Past.