"If you cook from recipes today, you’ll probably find all your ingredients clearly listed with precise measurements. The directions specify which ingredient to add in which order, just how hot to make the oven or pan, and how to determine when the cooking is complete. Does our modern precision make our cooking better, or do we lose something with so much structure? What was cooking like before the internet, before meat thermometers, grocery stores, standardized measurements, and before cookbooks and written recipes? And more importantly, who were these cooks of the past and who did they cook for? In Cooking across the Ages, award-winning Professor Ken Albala of the University of the Pacific takes us on a fascinating international journey through modern civilization—showing us who we were, how we lived, and why—all through the lens of cooking. In 24 fascinating lectures, you will learn about the values and flavor preferences of ancient peoples, and have the opportunity to taste that history and smell it, too, exploring unfamiliar cuisines as a type of gastronomic time travel. Throughout the 24 lectures as he cooks, Dr. Albala welcomes you into his own home kitchen, a cozy place where he encourages you to relax, experiment, and shed any gastronomic insecurities at the door. With Professor Albala’s welcoming attitude, easy-to-follow directions, and warm sense of humor, you’ll find yourself cooking unfamiliar recipes with unfamiliar ingredients—and enjoying wonderful foods from across the globe and across the ages. From a tasty bread salad of ancient Rome to the poured chocolate of the Aztecs, from a delicious German cabbage of the 19th century to Indian jackfruit soup, with Cooking across the Ages, you’ll get a taste of history like you’ve never experienced before!"