Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King (historical fiction 2017)

It's a great idea to write about the Roman patrician Apicius, supposedly the writer of the first cookbook.  This book has a lot of wonderful detail about the dinner parties and food from the early empire, and interesting portrayals of some characters we know, such as Tiberius, Sejanus and Livia. The life and love story of the main character, a slave that Apicius buys to help him fulfill his dream of becoming the gastronomic advisor to the emperor, is extensively researched.  He goes through exciting and terrifying ups and downs.