On the Sidelines

Elsewhere in Europe, fewer writers turned their attention to the kitchen, reflecting a century preoccupied with intermittent wars. In the Germanic states, cookbooks centered on cities and the regions surrounding them—Salzburg, Brandenburg, Leipzig, and Hamburg are examples. Several were substantial tomes, and more than one of them harked back to the fifteenth century and Küchenmeisterei for inspiration. Spain had its own problems, with its empire faltering, and only one notable cookbook emerged, written by a Franciscan monk, Juan Altamiras. Nuevo arte de cocina (New Art of Cooking, 1745) reflects such popular tastes as seasoning with the medieval favorites cinnamon and sugar. This is a small book, written with modest cooks in mind, and includes hearty fare for the simple household.³⁹ The distinguishing feature is a dozen groundbreaking recipes for tomatoes, showing an early acceptance in Spain of this New World novelty.