The history of England is its cooking. Successive invaders to English sores, Roman, Viking and Norman, naturally introduced their own culinary traditions to the native cuisine. The returning Crusaders introduced Arab influences too, adding dried fruits and aromatic spices to both sweet and savoury dishes. Other costly, new and luxurious foodstuffs, such as sugar, almonds, and citrus fruits were also imported from exotic lands in vast quantities in the Middle Ages. Such foods became the newly fashionable status symbols of a rich and self-indulgent elite and were used lavishly in the great feasts of the time. Many of these recipes have survived through the centuries, frequently undergoing intervention and adaptation to meet the tastes of a particular era. English cuisine is not static but continues to evolve and develop, incorporating new ingredients, ideas and cooking methods along the way. Porters English Cooking Bible is a unique celebration of the fascinating heritage of English food and cooking. Classic recipes with a contemporary twist are combined with origins, fascinating facts and interesting anecdotes.