"The Cauldron, the Spit and the Fire"
is a detailed and richly illustrated 300 page, A4 full colour hard back book embracing the development of cooking with fire through the ages until the end of the 19th century. Mouth-watering photographs of joints on spits and stews in cauldrons, descriptions and illustrations of antique utensils in use, ancient recipes - they are all here in this book. It is probably unique. The majority of the items shown are from the author, Robert Deeley's private collection, with contributions also from Andrew Crawforth and David Pearsall. Robert constructed his own open fireplace with period materials in an old barn at his home in Devon to demonstrate medieval cooking for this book.
Review
"This is a delightful book and historically important work. It brings together and illustrates items from three of the most comprehensive private collections of antique period cooking utensils ever assembled, confirming the author's almost obsessional pursuit of anything culinary through the ages. Not only do we find out what sometimes strange and foreign objects were, but also how they worked and still work, as the frequent mouth-watering examples illustrated testify; the dishes were all created and cooked in period conditions by Sandy Andrew and Robert Deeley.
"Robert was not merely satisfied with collecting antique kitchenware - he had to make it work! Thus he decided he would source, within reason, his vegetables, herbs and fruit from his own garden, and his game, meat, fish and flour from local organic producers. The results make for the most seductive and scrumptious photographs within this delicious book. A most important addition to our understanding of our yeoman ancestors' kitchens." - Michael Golding, LAPADA.
"This is a delightful book and historically important work. It brings together and illustrates items from three of the most comprehensive private collections of antique period cooking utensils ever assembled, confirming the author's almost obsessional pursuit of anything culinary through the ages. Not only do we find out what sometimes strange and foreign objects were, but also how they worked and still work, as the frequent mouth-watering examples illustrated testify; the dishes were all created and cooked in period conditions by Sandy Andrew and Robert Deeley.
"Robert was not merely satisfied with collecting antique kitchenware - he had to make it work! Thus he decided he would source, within reason, his vegetables, herbs and fruit from his own garden, and his game, meat, fish and flour from local organic producers. The results make for the most seductive and scrumptious photographs within this delicious book. A most important addition to our understanding of our yeoman ancestors' kitchens." - Michael Golding, LAPADA.
