Antonio Latini’s masterpiece of Baroque cooking and household management was the earliest book to publish recipes using tomatoes and chilli peppers. This first complete English translation presents the text with contextual introduction and notes. <I>The Modern Steward</I> was published in Naples in 1692-94, and includes a wealth of recipes, plus discussions of the kitchen and serving staff, setting the table, menus, protocol, entertainment, wines, etc. It is the last great book of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque cooking tradition. The book will interest historians of early modern Italy, food, material culture, and the social and cultural life of the European elites, as well as connoisseurs of fine dining, and cooks.

Tommaso Astarita is a native of Naples and Professor of History at Georgetown University.

Introduction; The Modern Steward or The Art of Preparing Banquests Well in English Translation; Expanded List of Treatises; Part I: REGULAR FOOD AND COOKING Part II: LEAN DISHES; Appendix: Measurements and Glossary; Works Cited; Index of Ingredients.