Apicius has been translated numerous times.  It is THE roman cookbook.  The translations though have varied from very good to blech!  I have to say that the newest edition for Apicius is very good.

What I like about the book is that the original Latin is on the left page while the English translation is to the right. I also think that the research done for Roman cooking is in depth and very well written.  There are no redactions to the translated recipes, which I really like.  This gives the reader a chance to form their own opinion.  I do wonder though as S. Grainger is one of the authors if this is not the book from which she uses as her primary source to her cookbook on Roman cuisine “Cooking Apicius”.  If this is the case then both books would be a very good compliment to each other.

Cooking wise, this is NOT for beginners.  Apicius expected a person to know their way around a kitchen and not need hand holding.  Overall I think this is one of the top 3 Roman books to have.  I give this an A+ for original recipes, information and a great format for reading/researching.