Tales of the Table is a book for Foodies, a book for those of us with an 'ardent or refined interest in food and alcoholic beverages', a book that will take you on a delightful and entertaining tour of gastronomic and literary miscellany over the years. Not so much an anthology of how food, drink and dining have featured in stories, diaries, poems and plays throughout history, Tales of the Table is better described as a not-quite-random collection of bits and pieces that please and delight; or, a shameless wallow in descriptions of sensual gratification! For food, and the enjoyment of it, is embedded in the English language like gold in a mother-lode.With original illustrations, a comprehensive index, and a unique collection of over twenty-two recipes recalling many of the flavours and styles of English cooking that have been all but lost, this is a book that can satisfy both literary, and literal, appetites.