This volume is the first to present all four extant manuscripts of the "Viandier de Taillevent." The texts of the 220 recipes are in their original French and a complete English translation is provided. Variants between the four manuscripts represent more than a century of modifications in gastronomic tastes and culinary practices in French seigneurial life. The commentary and notes trace the significance of these modifications and indicate the influence the "Viandier" exercised on more recent cookery books throughout Europe. This critical edition also includes a glossary and a bibliography. In addition, selected recipes have been adapted for modern use and arranged in a menu for six people.