At the table, guests share the cutting board, a chopping board, with their neighbor, even if the neighbor is a stranger. The cutting board can take the form of a wooden plate, round or rectangular, made of pewter, copper, or bronze, depending on the wealth of the house. A slice of bread (called a 'tranchoir') is placed on it, on which solid foods are placed.

Meals with lords during the Middle Ages were punctuated by several courses (between 1 and 8).

We start with salads or fresh fruit to whet the appetite ; then follow soups or broths , potages were thick soups made with vegetables and meat, closer to today's stews. Broths, on the other hand, are preparations made with meat simmered with vegetables and herbs. Soups and broths were generally served with pieces of bread.

The feast continues with roast meats accompanied by various sauces, often thickened with breadcrumbs or egg yolk, but without fat.

The " entremets ", " interludes between courses", are real interludes during meals in the medieval period. They take the form of spectacular culinary preparations and are real playful interludes resembling small plays where stories are told. These are particularly anticipated moments during which troubadours, storytellers and jugglers enter the scene. Poems are read, wild animals and/or exotic products from faraway lands are presented. During this spectacle, the guests enjoy small savory bites or doughnuts.

The meal then continues with the " dessert ," equivalent to our dessert. This is the moment when we serve fouaces, creams, sugar tarts, doughnuts, darioles, fruit compotes or even waffles.

Finally, to finish the meal, the guests go to another room to freshen their breath with sugared almonds, spices and candied fruits generously offered by the host. This tradition is known as " boute -hors " . This is the time for Hypocras , a drink, very widespread in the Middle Ages, made with wine, sugar or honey and spices (cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, nutmeg and galangal). hypocras is reserved for aristocrats, while the honey version is intended for the common people, because in the Middle Ages, sugar was perceived as a luxury product, classified as a spice.

The Renaissance marked a significant turning point in menu design. It was as if this era created a bridge between the new and old worlds, laying the foundations for a major shift in food cultures. The fascination with Italy was not unrelated; indeed, it was at the heart of this upheaval, as were the emergence of new humanist ideas, the rise of the arts, the discovery of America, the Protestant Reformation, and the invention of printing. These were major events that undoubtedly had an influence on the way people experienced food and cooking. This is where we talk about culinary inventiveness .

During the Italian Renaissance, an iconic text called 'De honesta voluptate et valitudine ' appeared. Written by the humanist Bartolomeo Sacchi , better known as Platine, this work focused on diets and the convivial and nutritional value of food. This work, which is recognized as the first printed cookbook, was translated into French under the title 'Platine en francoys'. This book, which became a major success in France as early as 1505, drew its inspiration from the works of Maestro Martino , a renowned cook of the time, and incorporated recipes from his 'Libro de Arte Coquinaria'.

The art of charcuterie developed , pancetta, and sausages. To extend their shelf life, some charcutiers added peppercorns to the sausages, a method still used today.

With the Protestant Reformation, butter, until then considered the fat of the poor , became an ingredient in everyday cooking, thanks to a special dispensation allowing its use even during Lent, when the consumption of meat and other animal products was forbidden. Moreover, from the 16th ^century , cheese began to appear in court dishes.

By the end of the Renaissance, white bread began to dominate the tables of the nobility, thanks to more advanced grain milling techniques that eliminated bran. The lower classes, on the other hand, continued to consume black bread, also prized in many monasteries as a symbol of rejection of luxury.

The discovery of the New World led to what is known as the ' Columbian Exchange ' (named after Christopher Columbus), the gradual exchange and mixing of crops, animals, and food products between the American and European continents. Europe saw the arrival of products such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, peppers, chili peppers, sunflowers, beans, blueberries, raspberries, pineapples, papayas, and peanuts. The Americas, meanwhile, welcomed olive trees, vines, wheat, barley, rice, oats, apples, apricots, watermelons, citrus fruits, artichokes, cabbage, garlic, eggplants, onions, and almonds.

Under Italian influence, fruits such as sweet oranges, lemons, and melons appeared on aristocratic tables. Unlike in the Middle Ages, where fruit was eaten at the beginning of a meal, during the Renaissance, fruit was enjoyed at the end of a meal, except for melons and figs, which still accompany charcuterie starters today. Fruit was enjoyed in various forms, including cooked, stewed, transformed into fruit pastes, jams, and candied fruit.

For a long time, sugar , which was recognized at that time for its digestive benefits, was used as a remedy. Nostradamus attributed medicinal properties to jams in his 1555 work, Traité des fardements et confitures , where he proposed recipes for therapeutic purposes, such as liver relief or the fight against melancholy with bugloss bark jam. However, during the Renaissance, sugar's perception evolved, as evidenced by the writings of the time, including those of the Flemish geographer Abraham Ortelius in 1572: " Whereas previously sugar was only recoverable from apothecary shops, which kept it for the sick only, today it is devoured by gluttony. What served us as a remedy now serves us as food ." This period also saw the emergence of sweets such as sabayon, macaroons, sorbets and ice creams. The first sweets were created by the Italian confectioner Giovanni Pastilla in the form of colored sugar pastilles.

Arboriculture developed with the selection and hybridization of different varieties of fruit, as evidenced by the Reine-Claude plum, named after the wife of François ^I.

From the 15th ^century , it became crucial for aristocratic families to be able to impress their guests with exquisite dishes at unforgettable banquets. As a result, culinary skills took centre stage, propelling ' chefs de cuisine ' to the rank of recognised professionals. The most gifted among them gained notoriety, becoming coveted and fought over figures by the elite who could afford them. Some of them developed detailed recipe books, offering a precise overview of ingredients, quantities and preparation techniques. These works contributed to the transmission of a rich gastronomic heritage, drawn from the personal and collective experience of the key figures in the cuisine of the time. The figures to whom we owe this transmission of knowledge were Bartolomeo Scappi , the cook of Popes Pius IV and Pius V, and Cristoforo di Messisbugo , ducal superintendent at the Estense court of Ferrara.

In England, rules of etiquette were already being taught in the Middle Ages, often in the form of 'verse precepts' that advised, for example, not to speak with your mouth full, to chew calmly and quietly, not to clean your knife on the tablecloth, to blow your nose discreetly, among other things. But it was during the Renaissance that texts on table manners and appropriate behavior in society began to be written. In 1530, the Dutch theologian, humanist, and philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote in his manual of etiquette, Childish Civility : " Before sitting down to eat, one should wash one's hands, clean one's nails , let one's urine go to one side, and if necessary, relieve one's stomach. The glass should be placed on the right, as well as the knife, and the bread on the left. (…) Starting a meal with a drink is the practice of drunkards. One should only drink with the second course, after the soup." You should first wipe your lips with a napkin or handkerchief. It is rude to dip your fingers into sauces or rummage around in dishes. (…) Salt should be taken with a knife, not with your fingers .

Regarding service, the order of dishes served at meals becomes more complex. Meals in the wealthiest Italian homes include the " credenza service " and the " kitchen service ." The credenza service consists of dishes prepared in advance and arranged on a specific piece of furniture, the credenza. It includes cold dishes such as starters, cheeses, desserts, and fruit, served by the footmen or made available to guests who can help themselves. Toward the end of the 16th century, the piece of furniture used for these dishes was called a buffet, a name derived from Pierre Buffet, "Master Chef" to King Francis I of France. At banquets, the buffet was also used to present drinks, silverware, and fine tableware. With the ^kitchen service , the ^footmen brought hot dishes cooked at the time, such as soups, pasta, boiled, roasted, or stewed meats and fish, side dishes, and sauces, on communal trays. Between courses, guests wash their hands, sometimes with rose water or flavored water.

There are three ways of serving guests: Italian service, French service, and German service. In Italian service , valets serve the various dishes to each guest, starting with the host and the most important guests, for whom the most delicate pieces are reserved. In French service , serving trays, sufficient for a few people, are placed in the center of the table on raised stands or chafing dishes, and each guest serves themselves. In German service , large serving trays are prepared, sufficient for at least ten guests.

Regarding the mise en place, the use of individual plates is becoming widespread. They can vary in size depending on the dishes served: small for vegetables, cheeses, and desserts, larger for pasta and meat. Aristocratic homes have more complex and refined tableware: a wide variety of ceramics, often finely decorated and personalized with the family crest. Their use is favored by the waterproofing process, carried out in the late Middle Ages with a vitreous glaze or, in the case of majolica, with a tin-based enamel. The glasses, generally produced in the glassworks of Venice, are true works of art.

In addition, spoons of different sizes for different types of food were produced, and the fork began to appear on Italian aristocratic tables; the fork arrived in France in the 16th ^century , thanks to Catherine de Medici. She introduced the fork to the court when she became Queen of France by marrying Henry II in 1533.

While eating directly at the table was common in the Middle Ages, the use of tablecloths and napkins became a symbol of prestige during the Renaissance. Although white was preferred, finely worked or embroidered linen fabrics were preferred. Sometimes, colored, even scented, tablecloths were used and changed between courses to match the food being served.

Among nobles, any occasion was a good one for holding banquets: the desire to display one's power was often manifested by an impressive number of courses, occasionally served over several days. In his book Dello scalco , published in 1584, Giovan Battista Rossetti describes banquets lasting five or seven days, with around thirty different dishes for each meal, whether at lunchtime or in the evening. Thematic banquets were also common, such as one notable event where eggs were prepared in no fewer than eighty-seven different ways!

Meticulous care is taken in the decoration of the table , incorporating decorative elements such as flowers, small statues and " trionfi ", the latter being true sculptural works of art that emerged in the 15th ^century and became particularly popular in the 18th ^century . These artistic pieces, created with a variety of materials such as wood, ceramic, crystal or even wax, sugar and butter, are placed either in the center of the table or on dedicated furniture. Trionfi occasionally serve as a support to present certain foods, such as fruits and sweets.

Treat yourself to a sensory tasting and immerse yourself in the heart of medieval and Renaissance gastronomy with La table du temps jadis. I am happy to share with you ancient recipes that you will be able to prepare with spices and ingredients accessible today.

Let's take a journey back to the time of medieval lords and Renaissance nobles... Treat yourself and your guests.