Including over thirty recipes from the 17th century, this book also reveals the turbulent history of this troubled time when the country cast off its medieval traditons. It describes how new and more sophisticated tastes were reflected in the diet of the nation and the way people cooked and ate their meals. French cuisine became popular with the gentry; the medieval great hall was replaced by a smaller and more intimate dining room, and pottery dishes and bowls were used instead of wooden ones. The introduction of the fork improved table manners and the population enjoyed a variety of new foods - in particular, the exciting imported beverages of tea, coffee and drinking chocolate. The recipes include several that reflect the new baking skills developed during this period and the important introduction of the pudding cloth. Sack Posset (a favourite of Samuel Pepys), Knot Biscuits, Shropshire Cakes and the Quaking Pudding are just a few of the many intriguing recipes to try at home. Illustrated in full colour and back and white, including some mouth-watering examples of Stuart delicacies.