Author & Chef
Jay Reifel
I have a background in fine dining and classical pastry, as well as a deep love of history, especially as it relates to food and culture. I have baked bread with schizophrenics, and written everything from one-liners to questionable science fiction.
In my culinary career, I trained at 1 and 2 Michelin-starred restaurants, including the legendary WD-50, presented dinners for the James Beard House, and have competed on such shows as CHOPPED and Beat Bobby Flay.
As a Chef, Pastry Chef, Food Historian, and Author I have worked with food scientists, historians, and translators, and have eaten everything from pig’s brains to live insects. I have learned from all of them (and think you should too).
2000 Years • 100 Recipes
A History of the World in 10 Dinners
Jay Reifel & Victoria Flexner
Forward by Jessica B. Harris
This scrupulously researched and accessible cookbook presents one-of-a-kind dinner parties inspired by seminal moments in culinary history.
In ten chapters—each an important moment in food history—the authors pair menus with immersive retellings of historic culinary breakthroughs, and present the ingredients and modern techniques adapted for today’s kitchens to allow cooks of all abilities to entertain with dishes that were created and enjoyed hundreds of years ago but remain relevant to today’s food tastes and values.
Chapters
Chapter One
Ancient Rome, First Century
Chapter Two
Baghdad, Eighth to Tenth Centuries
Chapter Three
The Silk Road, Thirteenth to Sixteenth Centuries
Chapter Four
Renaissance Italy, Fourteenth to Sixteenth Centuries
Chapter Five
Tudor England, Fifteenth to Seventeenth Centuries
Chapter Six
Al-Andalus, Eighth to Fifteenth Centuries
Chapter Seven
The Great Circulation, Fifteenth to Seventeenth Centuries
Chapter Eight
Ethiopia, Thirteenth to Nineteenth Centuries
Chapter Nine
Versailles, Seventeenth to Eighteenth Centuries
Chapter Ten
New York City, Nineteenth Century
Baghdad
This stuffed fish—roasted, braised, and fried—is emblematic of 10th-century Baghdad’s extraordinary sophistication in science, philosophy, and culture.
Tudor England
A favorite dish of Henry VIII, this Cockenthrice represents a mythical creature and demonstrated wealth and power of those able to dine upon it.
Versailles
This elaborate squab and veal pie could be garnished with everything from asparagus and whole truffles to “tidbits” like sweetbreads and cockscombs.
All food images © 2023 Lucy Schaeffer Photography, Inc.
From the simple to the head-spinningly complex, all of the recipes beckon the reader to examine and explore, try and taste. The work is sure to incite many a dinner table discussion and to fill and satisfy hearts, minds, and stomachs.
– Jessica B. Harris –
Latest Events
Signings with Jay & Victoria!
Coming in December!
I'll be back on Beat Bobby Flay ...as a Guest Judge!
Watch me taste amazing food on a special Holiday episode? What will be the dishes? Who will be the Celebrity Chef contestants? Come check it out!
Now Booking for 2025 & 2026
Request a private historical dinner party, workshop event, or speaking engagement with Chef Jay Reifel.
Our custom menus are drawn from our cookbook and beyond. We accommodate events as intimate as in-home dinners or as grand as 400-person galas. Queries can be sent by email to jay@jayreifel.com.
Paid event packages can include a free signed copy of A History of the World in Ten Dinners for all ticket holders.
Latest Press
![[Podcast] Culinary Confidential](https://jayreifel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AM970-The-Answer.png)
[Podcast] Culinary Confidential
Podcast Interview: Culinary Confidential Jay Reifel August 4, 2025On this week's edition of Culinary Confidential, Christina Cates welcomes Jay Reifel, co-author of A History Of The World In 10 Dinners: 2,000 Years, 100 Recipes. Published by Rizzoli Books, this...
![[Podcast] Delicious Legacy](https://jayreifel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Delicious-legacy-400x250.webp)
[Podcast] Delicious Legacy
Podcast Interview: Delicious Legacy The Art and Science of Historical Cookbooks June 22, 2025Today I have author, chef and food historian Jay Reifel in this episode as my guest, and we muse about all things "Baghdadical"! 10th century Baghdad the capital of the...
![[Podcast] Let’s Talk Food](https://jayreifel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lets-Talk-Food-Logo-400x250.webp){kind=logo}
[Podcast] Let’s Talk Food
Podcast Interview: Let's Talk Food The Art and Science of Historical Cooking April 22, 2025Join Chef April as she starts season 2 off with a bang and invites renowned Chef J Reifel on the show to take us on an incredible journey back into the 15th century, share the...