Food has been a source of pleasure and delight for centuries. Artists throughout the ages have depicted it in myriad ways and in many different media to delight the senses and feast the eye, and even occasionally to draw attention to the sins of the flesh.

The Art of Food captures some of the best work of a host of important painters from a wide range of cultures, periods and painting schools, with over 60beautifully reproduced images. Each painting is examined by the author, Claire Clifton, a respected food historian and cook. She considers what is revealed about the food and the cooking of the period, the attitudes of different cultures to a variety of ingredients, and how they were first introduced into their culinary art.

The book is a goldmine of fascinating informarion about food. Do you know why the pine-apple is called the 'Fruit of Kings' for example? Or that chicken gizzards were used to 'velvet' junket in the 18th century. In addition to the answers to these questions, the author provides a delicious bonus in the form of an appropriate recipe for each painting, either of its period or related to the food in the picture, with its modern interpretation. The recipes cover all kinds of food from simple starters to elaborate desserts, and they are as appetizing as they are unusual.

The Art of Food is useful as an authentic source of recipes, as a bedside companion on the history of food, or simply as an exquisite and unusual art reference book.