This is not your busy women's or men's cookbook; nor is it your diet or strictly vegetarian epistle. It is one of the ultimate"I LOVE to cook books!" There is a wide variety of classical and international recipes that glorify the art of cooking. Each recipe includes brief notes about the country of origin and the context the food was eaten in; for instance the "Dundee Wedding Cake" (with 12 eggs, currants, almonds, etc) gives a brief history of this tradition starting from the Middle Ages in England.

Take your time with each recipe and refer frequently to the companion book with more in depth history and illustrations!! Hopefully, it will come back into print so that I can give it as a gift to many of my friends that love to entertain or just savor a scrumtious meal at home!

Highly recommended for school and public libraries. This book traces the evolution of wining and dining and displays a collection of more than 675 recipes and menus from the world's cuisines, past and present.Illustrations are terrific. So sad it is out of print!!

why is this book out of print now? it's a good book! you don't make a good book go out of print! it's full of interesting information. Ancient Rome is one of the best subjects to learn about and this book does a good job of teaching. i would say get it... but it doesn't look like you have the opportunity any more... =(