Emma Kay – författare

Food was as important a part of daily life in the Middle Ages, as it is today. In Wortes and All: Medieval Cooking food historian Emma Kay examines what people were eating and drinking in England from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the 1500s. We not only discover what people were cooking and how they cooked it, but also the influences on their cuisine and sources of food, home and abroad, as society changed in this period. Alongside the history of various types of food and drink throughout the medieval period, the author has sourced recipes from Anglo-Saxon medical tomes, Scandinavian sagas and Middle Eastern cookery manuscripts to explore a varied culinary cultural dialogue. From soups, stews, salads, meat, fish, eggs and fruit to sauces, drinks and confection, this cornucopia of medieval food and drink will fascinate all of those interested in the story of cooking and eating during this complex and many-faceted era.

Food historian Emma Kay tells the story of our centuries-old relationship with herbs. From herbalists of old to contemporary cooking, this book reveals the magical and medicinal properties of your favourite plants in colourful, compelling detail.At one time, every village in Britain had a herbalist. A History of Herbalism investigates the lives of women and men who used herbs to administer treatment and knew the benefit of each. Meet Dr Richard Shephard of Preston, who cultivated angelica on his estate in the eighteenth century for the sick and injured; or Nicholas Culpeper, a botanist who catalogued the pharmaceutical benefits of herbs for early literary society.But herbs were not only medicinal. Countless cultures and beliefs as far back as prehistoric times incorporated herbs into their practices: paganism, witchcraft, religion and even astrology. Take a walk through a medieval physick' garden, or Early Britain, and learn the ancient rituals to fend off evil powers, protect or bewitch or even attract a lover.The wake of modern medicine saw a shift away from herbal treatments, with rituals and spells shrouded with superstition as the years wore on. The author reveals how herbs became more culinary rather than medicinal including accounts of recent trends for herbal remedies as lockdown and the pandemic leads us to focus more on our health and wellbeing.

The name Mrs Beeton has endured for well over a century, synonymous with all things reassuringly culinary, while her contemporary Agnes Bertha Marshall remains somewhat of an enigma.Both Isabella Beeton and Agnes Bertha Marshall lived within a short distance of each other in Pinner, worked in London, wrote about, and shared a passion for food, all just a couple of decades apart.While Isabella Beeton compiled one successful book of collected recipes, Agnes built a cookery empire, including a training school, the development of innovative kitchen equipment, a range of cooking ingredients, an employment agency and a successful weekly journal, as well as writing three incredibly popular recipe books.Mrs Beeton and Mrs Marshall: A Tale Of Two Victorian Cooks intrudes on the private lives of both these women, whose careers eclipsed two very different halves of the Victorian era. While there are similarities between the two, their narratives explore class and background, highlight the social and economic contrasts of the nineteenth century, the ascension of the cookery industry in general and the burgeoning power of suffragism.

From traditional seaside holiday treats like candy floss, ice cream and fish ‘n’ chips, to the British fascination for cooking and baking, the Victorian era has shaped British culinary heritage. Victoria’s austere attitude after an age of Regency indulgence generated enormous cultural change. Excess and gluttony were replaced with rigid tradition and morally upright values, and Victoria’s large family became the centre of the cultural imagination, with the power to begin new traditions. If Queen Victoria’s family sat down to turkey on Christmas day, so did the rest of the nation.Food was a significant part of the Victorians’ lives, whether they had too much of it or not enough. The destitute would be fed gruel in the workhouses – the archetypal words of Dickens’s Oliver are imprinted on our minds: ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’ The burgeoning street traders spilling over from the previous century devolved into a whole new culture of ‘mudlarks’, trotter boilers, food slop traders and sewer ‘toshers’, to name but a few. Wealthy Victorians feasted to excess on the newly emerging trend for breakfast, lunch and tea. Public dining became de rigeur, and, like the outdoor ‘pique-nique’, introduced both controversy and a new way of eating.Victorians also struggled against many of these trends, with the belief that the control and denial of food were akin to healthy moral values. This was the era of cooking, educating and training in food management, combined with the old world of superstition and tradition, that changed British society forever.

A cup of coffee and a slice of cake, cooking for friends, Sunday lunch with the family at the local pub – most of us take these simple everyday pleasures for granted. But how did we learn to cook and what inspired us to get better at it?Today’s food-obsessed culture has its roots in the Georgian period. Kay explores how, as a consequence of wider trade and travel, people living in Georgian Britain witnessed the emergence of new and exotic ingredients.Discover the real histories of our domestic and commercial kitchens, how Britain fell in love with food and how progress and invention in the culinary arts is largely attributed to the Georgians.

In a society seemingly so obsessed with food – the preparing, eating, sharing and sheer enjoyment of what and how we all eat – the humble kitchen utensil and its evolution is an often overlooked aspect of Britain’s heritage. Yet antique and vintage kitchenalia can tell us so much about Britain’s culinary, scientific and innovative past.Cooking evolved from a fire in the middle of the homestead, with a crude container used to boil up every meal. Now there are shiny, gadget- and accessory-driven kitchens where complex, clever dishes are created by grilling, frying, poaching, roasting, baking, toasting, boiling, braising, slow-cooking, steaming and many other techniques.By investigating the objects themselves, Emma Kay uncovers the rich history of how Britain’s kitchens became so versatile and, as the gadgets increased in availability, how cooking became far more accessible, labour-saving and even addictive.

From traditional seaside holiday treats like candy floss, ice cream and fish ’n’ chips, to the British fascination for baking, the Victorian era has shaped British culinary heritage. Victoria’s austere attitude after an age of Regency indulgence generated enormous cultural change. Excess and gluttony were replaced with morally upright values, and Victoria’s large family became the centre of the cultural imagination, with the power to begin new traditions. If Queen Victoria’s family sat down to turkey on Christmas day, so did the rest of the nation. Food was a significant part of the Victorians’ lives, whether they had too much of it or not enough. The destitute were fed gruel in the workhouses – the words of Dickens’s Oliver are forever imprinted on our minds: ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’ The burgeoning street traders spilling over from the previous century devolved into a whole new culture of ‘mudlarks’, trotter boilers and food slop traders, to name but a few. Wealthy Victorians gorged with the newly emerging trend for breakfast, lunch and tea. Public dining became de rigeur, and the outdoor ‘pique-nique’, introduced a new way of eating.Victorians also struggled against many of these trends, with the belief that denial of food was a moral good. This was the era of educating and training in food management, combined with the old world of superstition and tradition, that changed British society forever.

Worcestershire is one of the smallest counties in England, but has many claims to fame, not least as the birthplace of Worcestershire sauce. Despite this famous piquant accolade, little has been written about the broader narrative of the county’s rich culinary heritage. This book will explore centuries of a variety of food production, revealing a cultural identity steeped in food and drink consumption.Worcestershire has a vast and varied tradition of growing, manufacturing and trading in food and drink, from Pershore plums and other fruit and vegetables (notably asparagus), to cider and Malvern spring water, cheese, meat and poultry, and in times of conflict and economic uncertainty, the agriculturally rich landscapes of Worcestershire have frequently played an integral role in food production for the whole country. The towns and villages of Worcestershire have produced a wealth of specialist fare over the centuries and the county is home to many fascinating customs and traditions relating to this, such as planting kidney beans as soon as the elm leaves grow to their biggest size and Kidderminster blessing cakes distributed on New Year’s Day.Worcestershire also has a long history of attracting food and food-related industries. Some have disappeared, like the great fruit and vegetable canning business Smedley’s of Evesham, but other household names live on in the county, not least local legendary sauce company Lea & Perrins. In this book author Emma Kay explores Worcestershire’s successful link with food and drink manufacture both from the past and from a contemporary perspective.The book will appeal to all those who are interested in the history of Worcestershire as well as those interested in Britain’s regional food and drink heritage.

Gloucestershire is a large county, rich in food and drink heritage. Famous for Double Gloucester cheese and the cheese rolling event, Old Spot pigs, cider and the birthplace of prominent tea merchant Thomas Twining, Gloucestershire’s culinary history is both colourful and diverse. Nutcrack Sunday and Puppy Dog Pie (don’t worry, it hasn’t always been made from cute canines), ancient markets and progressive agriculturists represent just a few of the many interesting stories that contribute to this county’s food and drink narrative.In this book Emma Kay looks at the regional fare and dishes that have characterised Gloucestershire over the years, as well as its food and drink markets and famous producers and cooks. Stinking Bishops and Spotty Pigs: Gloucestershire’s Food and Drink will appeal to all those who are interested in the history of Gloucestershire and its food and drink heritage.

The British have been baking for centuries. Here, for the first time, is a comprehensive account of how our relationship with this much-loved art has changed, evolved and progressed over time. Renowned food historian and author, Emma Kay, skilfully combines the related histories of Britain's economy, innovation, technology, health, cultural and social trends with the personal stories of many of the individuals involved with the whole process: the early pioneers, the recipe writers, the cooks, the entrepreneurs. The result is a deliciously fascinating read, one that will prove to be juicer than the juiciest of juicy baked goods.

_A Dark History of Chocolate_ looks at our long relationship with this ancient 'food of the Gods'. The book examines the impact of the cocoa bean trade on the economies of Britain and the rest of Europe, as well as its influence on health, cultural and social trends over the centuries. Renowned food historian Emma Kay takes a look behind the facade of chocolate - first as a hot drink and then as a sweet - delving into the murky and mysterious aspects of its phenomenal global growth, from a much-prized hot beverage in pre-Colombian Central America to becoming an integral part of the cultural fabric of modern life.From the seductive corridors of Versailles, serial killers, witchcraft, medicine and war to its manufacturers, the street sellers, criminal gangs, explorers and the arts, chocolate has played a significant role in some of the world's deadliest and gruesome histories.If you thought chocolate was all Easter bunnies, romance and gratuity, then you only know half the story. This most ancient of foods has a heritage rooted in exploitation, temptation and mystery.With the power to be both life-giving and ruinous.