de Casteau was born in Mons. As an adult, he lived in Liège. In 1557, he organized a banquet for the Joyous EntryofRobert of Berghes. He was admitted to the bakers' guild in 1562, to the mercers' (merchants') guild in 1567, and became a burgher in 1571. He married Marie Josselet alias de Herck c. 1572, and they had a daughter, Jeanne.
He was a rich burgher who owned considerable property but from 1601, the prince-bishop no longer paid for his services, and his financial situation deteriorated, forcing him to live with his daughter and his son-in-law, a goldsmith named Georges Libert, who supported him.
de Casteau's book Ouverture de cuisine was published in 1604 and dedicated to Jean Curtius. The book is mentioned by multiple writers starting in the 18th century, but the last copy was thought to have been destroyed during the Napoleonic wars.[3] In 1958, a private party offered a copy to the Royal Library of Belgium, which bought it. This is the only known copy.
