Publishers continue to respond to the seemingly inexhaustible demand for cookery and recipe books to the extent that many of their authors have become celebrities in their own right. Histories of the kitchen and its arts and crafts have been less common. Molly Harrison's Kitchen in History, originally from 1972, (Harrison, 1984) is still read as is Richard Wood's Kitchens through the Ages (Wood, 1997) and works covering specific periods such as Peter Chrisp's Living in History series are popular (Chrisp, 1997a, b). There are also histories of specific aspects of culinary technology ranging from Field (1984) to Duff (2003). However, until Mary Ellen Snodgrass offered us her Encyclopedia of Kitchen History, nothing has sought to bring the subject together in reference form. Unfortunately, she does not make a very good case for the book. The preface asks why we need to record the evolution of the kitchen and goes on to avow that “history allows current generations to appreciate the hardships of skinning rabbits in a tepee and packing chopped meats into animal intestines for trail food, the significance of organizing St Lucia Day breakfasts and kaffeeklatches, and the importance of bartering for hen eggs and breadfruit in the world's first markets”. Not only are these matters unlikely to be at the top of the enquirer's mind, but also they are not dealt with within the pages of the Encyclopedia!
Nevertheless, there is much valuable information in Ms Snodgrass' work. Within the main alphabetical sequence we find entries relating to significant persons in the history of kitchens, such as John Harvey Kellogg, whose legacy provides many breakfasts all over the world, and subject entries such as Garum, which is “a strong‐flavoured, odiferous processed sauce of fatty fish similar to the Swedish surströmming”. There are also much longer articles on major topics. That on Beer, “a low‐alcohol drink produced in different forms by peoples around the world” is a 3,000 word description of brewing methods and the social history of the drink, with see also references to Monastery Kitchens and Yeast, and a disappointing single item of further reading which only deals with African Ceremonial use of beer. The volume has a good index and a list of some 150 “Common Sources” or further reading of a general nature. Some of the books mentioned above are intended for children and project work of that level. Snodgrass' encyclopedia would be helpful to older children seeking information on the history of kitchens, providing them with clearly written text, useful photographs and indications of further reading. It would also serve as a model of concise and well‐presented information to younger students.
