A History of Food in 100 Recipes [Hardcover]

I made rather a mistake ordering this book from the library instead of buying it as it would perhaps be a better book to dip in and out of rather than read through from beginning to end, as I am having to do.

Having said that, it does make for a fascinating chronological read and William Sitwell is the most delightful guide to this altogether charming history of food. I have learned so much - and had lots of chuckles along the way!

The reason for my 4* rating rather than 5* is because there are several typos in the book (surprisingly) and also because I am none too keen on the style of illustration (historical illustrations excepted, of course).

If you like your food served with a generous dollop of history and a good sprinkling of humour, do buy this book rather than borrowing it and read it at your leisure.

And if you enjoy reading about food, I can warmly recommend this extremely good memoir from New York chef Gabrielle Hamilton Blood, Bones and Butter: The inadvertent education of a reluctant chef.

As the title suggests, A history of food in 100 recipes is a collection of stories elaborating on the history of food from a Western perspective. The book begins with a recipe for bread in Ancient Egypt from about 2000 BC and journeys through the ages right up to the present day where it ends with a recipe for meat fruit by Heston Blumenthal. Each chapter commences with a recipe - of sorts. These are taken from sources of the period so are not necessarily easily understood or recognisable as a modern recipe. This then leads into the chapter proper which is connected in some way with the recipe. The book is an engaging way of reconnecting with our food and where it comes from. It's a treasure trove of fascinating facts, a history book written in a light, humorous and accessible style. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

The Author William Sitwell is a food critic, journalist and presenter. He currently edits the food magazine Waitrose Kitchen amongst a plethora of other activities including gardening and being the resident expert on BBC TVs A Question of Taste. He has by no means covered the whole history of food, but has picked out the stories which particularly appeal to him.

Of course the first chapters I jumped to were the chocolate ones and I had two of these to revel in. Both interesting, both very different. The first was Hot Chocolate and recounts the well known "discovery" of chocolate by the conquistador Hernan Cortes. During his stay with Montezuma he learnt the secrets of the cocoa bean, so highly prized it was used as currency. And he enjoyed many a brew of spiced frothing hot (sometimes cold) chocolate. Cocoa beans went back with him to Spain where the drink soon became revered for its health giving properties. The second was Chocolate Cake, a chapter that was more about the first modern supermarkets than it was chocolate, but which featured an interesting chocolate cake recipe using bread flour. I shall certainly be trying that out at some future date. This chapter tells the remarkable story of Clarence Saunders in the USA and the founding of his chain of self service stores, Piggly Wiggly, in 1916.

Being a vegetarian, I was fascinated to learn in the chapter Cauliflower & Cheese, that the Vegetarian Society was formed as far back as 1847 with a surprising 150 members signing up at its inception. The first vegetarian cookbook was published as far back as 1812, Vegetarian cooking by a Lady (anonymous in other words). Amazingly, by 1897 there were seven vegetarian restaurants in London. I had always assumed that early Western vegetarians had chosen this diet for health reasons rather than ethics, but I was wrong. As far back as Pythagoras, vegetarians were also also motivated by animal welfare. This chapter is not for the faint hearted and perhaps should come with a warning; there are some very gruesome descriptions of animal brutality.

The book is a wonderful mix of facts, stories, interesting characters and recipes. It currently resides on my bedside table as it is a great book for dipping in and out of and the chapters are very short. By the time I get to bed, I can hardly keep my eyes open, so having a chapter which is just three to five pages long is ideal. Never has the term bite sized chunks seemed more appropriate.

No self respecting foodies bookshelf should be without this book sitting in a prominent position on their bookshelf Why? Because it is fabulous, witty, informative, unique and incredibly readable as well as being a really beautiful object in it's own right.

Descended from a long line of writers William is acknowledged as one of the UK's best food writers as the editor of Waitrose Kitchen, there is not much he doesn't know about the British food scene. From the moment I got my copy of The History of Food in 100 Recipes I couldn't put it down. I sat up in bed reading until my eyeballs could take no more. There are moments in history that jump out as being key .. From bread making in ancient Egypt, cheesecakes in ancient Greece, the discovery of chocolate all the way to to the invention of the Kenwood chef and Nigella's cupcakes each chapter is a story in it's own right and William has brought these game changing moments together in this lovely looking book. It is meticulously researched .. it is full of the most interesting stories about passionate foodies . Whilst I'll admit that I have always found history dry and dusty as a subject William brings it all to life - It is fresh, colorful, delicious, funny in places, easy to read yet there is serious depth to it .. I love it.

It really is absolutely the best book I've read in years. It would be the most perfect gift for any food lover and if you only buy one recipe book this year make it this one and keep it at the front of your bookcase!