Eleanor Barnett

Eleanor Barnett

Food historian
https://eleanorbarnett.com/
Biography

Eleanor Barnett is a historian of food and religion, with a PhD from the University of Cambridge. As @historyeats on Instagram, she posts daily food history facts, paintings, and recipes to a lively community of food and history fans - come and join us! Her research to date has focused on food and eating in the context of the Reformations, as a way of better understanding the divisions between Protestants and Catholics in early modern England and Italy. Her latest academic article, forthcoming in Renaissance Quarterly, looks at the centrality of food in the construction of heterodox religious identities as found in Venetian Inquisition records. At Cambridge, she co-founded the interdisciplinary research network, Cambridge Body and Food History group, and has run several food history conferences and workshops. Among other broad writings in the field of food history, she has contributed to Feast & Fast: The Art of Food in Europe, 1500-1800, which accompanied the exhibition of the same name at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

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Eleanor's recommendations
The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi

The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi

Bartolomeo Scappi

A classic tome of Italian cooking by the famous Renaissance chef Bartolomeo Scappi, who was personal chef to two popes! Accompanied by a set of engravings that demonstrate the practicalities of kitchens and kitchen equipment in his day.

Book of Ices

Book of Ices

Agnes B. Marshall

The ‘Queen of Ices’ treats us to an array of frozen desserts and some spectacular ice cream moulds!

Sundrie New and Artificiall Remedies Against Famine

Sundrie New and Artificiall Remedies Against Famine

Sir Hugh Plat

Written at a time of dearth in England, this recipe book offers a fascinating look into 16th century thrift! Recreating his parsnip cake made without ‘spice, or sugar’ I was reminded that throughout history people have developed creative (and delicious!) ways of preserving food and reducing food waste.

The Italian Confectioner

The Italian Confectioner

William Jarrin

All things sweet created with the incredible skill of the confectioner - there isn’t one recipe that I wouldn’t want to try!

Apicius

Apicius

Apicius

A collection of Roman recipes compiled in the 1st century AD, a gold mine for thinking about food in Antiquity. Flamingo and dormice feature in some of the more captivating recipes!

Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets

Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets

John Evelyn

Influenced by Italian fashions, Evelyn’s Acetaria is unusual in the English tradition for its celebration of vegetables and salads!

Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well

Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well

Pellegrino Artusi

First published in 1891, a classic work to explore the history of Italian food. Written after the unification of Italy, Artusi brought together hundreds of recipes from across the peninsula.

Consider the Oyster

Consider the Oyster

MFK Fisher

Well known as one of America’s great food writers, M.F.K’s charming little book is filled with some beautifully sourced oyster recipes that fit into a captivating food story.

English Food

English Food

Jane Grigson

A classic work that celebrates English food, with beautiful and mouth-watering prose.

An Early Meal: A Viking Age Cookbook & Culinary Odyssey

An Early Meal: A Viking Age Cookbook & Culinary Odyssey

Daniel Serra and Hanna Tunberg

Discovered on a recent trip to Norway, my latest culinary fascination is Scandinavian food. This book offers a easy- to- follow history with some beautiful simple Viking dishes.

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