Gastronomica

from Epilogo en medicina y cirurgia, Juan de Burgos, 1495.
Shows which parts of the body are affected by which signs of the zodiac.

Domestic Scene from
De Kindheyd onses Heeren Jesu Christi,
Amsterdam, 1617

The Good Huswifes
Handmaide
for the Kitchin.
Containing
Manie principall pointes of Cookerie,
as well how to dresse meates, after sundrie
the best fashions vsed in England and other
Countries, with their apt and proper
sawces, both for flesh and fish, as also the
orderly seruing of the same to the Table.
Hereunto are annexed, sundrie
necessarie Conceits for the
preservation of health.
Uerie meete to be adioined to the good
Huswifes Closet of prouision
for her Houshold.

Imprinted at London by Richard
Jones, 1594

Utensil Basket from Il Cuoco Segreto Di Papa Pio V
(The Private Chef of Pope Pius V), by Bartolomeo Scappi, Venice, 1570.

Cook With Turnspits
from Il Trinciante (The Carver),
by Vincenzo Cervio, 1604.

I guess I'm a bit naive. I didn't realise just how many old cookbooks were around. This is a sort of a 'cut my losses and run' type of post because I spent absolutely ages wandering around looking for succulent images. These woodcuts above will suffice. I'm hungry now. A renaissance dinner party sounds like a neat idea.

• The images come from the Medieval/Renaissance Food Clip-Art Collection.
• That page in turn directed me to their homepage of link gluttony.