Food and dining were transformed in Europe during the Age of Enlightenment, and these profound changes continue to resonate today. What many of us now eat, the way our food is prepared and how we dine are the result of radical changes that occurred in France from 1650 until the French Revolution in 1789. Over thirty French and English recipes of the period are presented in this cookbook, offering readers a taste of the past. Amusing stories, culinary insights, and snippets of history outline the cultural milieu of the time. The King's Peas is richly illustrated with pictures of paintings, books, silver, glass and ceramics to stimulate the imagination - and the appetite. You are cordially invited to take part in this delectable historical feast.