In 1533, 14-year-old Catherine de Medici arrived in France to marry the future king Henri II; over the next 16 years, she endured the dominance of Henri's mistress, Diane de Poitiers, and the disdain of courtiers for herfamily's merchant background. Leonie Frieda's portrait of Catherine in her book “Catherine de Medici : Renaissance Queen of France” is multifaceted, and her presentation extremely readable. Not strictly a food book, but helps us understand Caterina, whose contribution to many aspect of France’s society (including cooking) is undeniable. Read also here our article “A TUSCAN QUEEN IN FRANCE - Caterina de’ Medici”.