The Banquet

the long version

"In this book, Ken Albala provides a history of cooking and fine dining in Western Europe from 1520 to 1660. Covering the transitional period between the heavily spiced and colored cuisine of the Middle Ages and classical French haute cuisine, this development involved increasing use of dairy products, a move toward lighter meats such as veal and chicken, increasing identification of national food customs, more sweetness and aromatics, and a refined aesthetic sense, surprisingly in line with the late-Renaissance styles found in other arts."--BOOK JACKET.