Alexis Benoit Sawyer, the famous English chef of French origin, was the greatest innovator in cooking and a true "god of the stove." The author of several culinary works that sold fabulous copies, Sawyer dedicated this book to the history of the art of cooking, filling it with fascinating stories about the morals and customs of famous gourmets, descriptions of luxurious feasts of the Ancient World and magnificent banquets of London in the 19th century; in addition, he presented unique recipes for the most delicious dishes. The great culinary specialist also told about when, where and what products people preferred, providing his narrative with a detailed list of foods of plant and animal origin, decorating it with funny parables, legends and beautiful engravings.