Much like corn would not exist without human intervention, this book would not exist without the intervention of my agent, Dan Conaway, and editors, Daniel Halpern and Gabriella Doob.
Thank you also to Sean O’Donnell for talking me through the specifics of fly olfactory mechanics and meal preferences; to Gary K. Beauchamp for sharing his insight on the mechanics of human taste and food selection; to Scott Kleinman and Craig Callender for their help deciphering the literature and language of medieval cooking; to the library staff and faculty of the University of Richmond, the University of Michigan, the New York Public Library, and the Library of Congress for their help accessing materials before and during a pandemic; and to the long list of people who offered their invaluable support as sounding boards, critics, censors, therapists, or voices of reason, including but not limited to Morgann “Breakfast” Taylor, Heather Weintraub, Rachel Weiskittle, Jason King, Scott Little, Michael Chappell, Margaret Murray, Allen Gee, Karl Alcan, Everett Alcan, Waffles Weasley (my dog), and everyone I’ve ever had lunch or coffee with—especially those who paid.