In this book, first published 13 years ago, are represented many of the great cooks of the last six centuries, including the best known, Mrs Beeton, Fannie Farmer and Escoffier, as well as the less known such as Taillevent, Scappi, Martino and Robert May. 100 recipes are described. Anne Willan, who is a scholar and founder of the La Varenne Cooking School in Paris, describes the story of their background, techniques and innovations. Each recipe appears translated or transcribed in its original form alongside a modern version that is easily achievable in today's kitchen. This new edition has been illustrated with specially commissioned colour photographs together with contemporary paintings and engravings, and is virtually the first history of cooking seen through the lives and times of the cooks themselves.