Cooking up History is a biographical account of international cooks, spanning the pioneers of the late medieval period to the turn of the twentieth century. It focuses on the famous to the forgotten, from Carême to Clouet, whilst acknowledging the contribution of many great women in the field of cooking and invention. Their stories trace some of the fundamental shifts in culinary progression and technology over the last four hundred years, unravelling fascinating facts like the origins of the humble potato crisp to the dawn of commercial nouvelle cuisine. Cooking up History presents the reader with a gastronomic narrative of courtly cooks to early restaurateurs and critics. The lives and work of many of history's major personalities, innovators and eccentrics from the world of food are captured in this entertaining and enlightening compendium. Book jacket.