In the fourteenth century, French kings prized such fare as peacock, storks and herons. Guillaume Tirel not only cooked these dishes, he left a book on how to do it. Because (it is said) he had a long sharp nose, he was nicknamed "Taillevent" ("Slice-wind"), and his classic cookbook is often referred to as "Taillevent's Viandier". Le Viandier has survived in at least four different versions. Now Jim Chevallier has translated one of the earliest and most diffi...