Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well / Edition 1

by Pellegrino Artusi, Murtha Baca, Luigi Ballerini

Overview

First published in 1891, Pellegrino Artusi's La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangier bene has come to be recognized as the most significant Italian cookbook of modern times. It was reprinted thirteen times and had sold more than 52,000 copies in the years before Artusi's death in 1910, with the number of recipes growing from 475 to 790. And while this figure has not changed, the book has consistently remained in print.

Although Artusi was himself of the upper classes and it was doubtful he had ever touched a kitchen utensil or lit a fire under a pot, he wrote the book not for professional chefs, as was the nineteenth-century custom, but for middle-class family cooks: housewives and their domestic helpers. His tone is that of a friendly advisor – humorous and nonchalant. He indulges in witty anecdotes about many of the recipes, describing his experiences and the historical relevance of particular dishes.

Artusi's masterpiece is not merely a popular cookbook; it is a landmark work in Italian culture. This English edition (first published by Marsilio Publishers in 1997) features a delightful introduction by Luigi Ballerini that traces the fascinating history of the book and explains its importance in the context of Italian history and politics. The illustrations are by the noted Italian artist Giuliano Della Casa.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802086570
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	12/27/2003
Series:	Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	653
Sales rank:	94,025
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.75(d)

About the Author

Pellegrino Artusi (1820-1911) was an Italian businessman and writer and is credited world-wide as the Inventor of Italian Cuisine. Originally a silk merchant, Artusi brought his passion for science, health, and food to the entire nation of Italy.
Murtha Baca’s translations include several manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci, An Italian Renaissance Sextet: Six Tales in Historical Context (edited by Lauro Martines) and Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.
Luigi Ballerini is an Italian poet and Professor Emeritus at the University of California Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Michele Scicolone

Introduction: A as in Artusi, G as in Gentleman and Gastronome by Luigi Ballerini

The Story of a Book That Is a Bit Like the Story of Cinderella

Preface
From the Author to the Reader
A Few Health Guidelines
The Nutritional Value of Meats
Admonition

The Recipes:

Broths, Aspic, and Sauces
Soups and Pastas with Broth
Pasta Dishes and Soups in Vegetable Stock
Appetizers
Sauces
Eggs
Doughs and Batters
Stuffings
Fried Foods
Boiled Meats
Entrements
Stews
Cold Dishes
Vegetables and Legumes
Types and Seasons of Fishes
Roasted Meats
Pastries, Cakes, and Sweets
Cakes and Spoon Desserts
Syrups
Preserves
Liqueurs
Ice Creams
Miscellaneous Recipes

Appendix
Foods for Weak Stomachs
Suggested Dinner Menus
Luncheons
List of Recipes

Index I: Names of Dishes in Italian
Index II: Names of Dishes in English

Editorial Reviews

"Artusi's book stands with Manzon's great novel, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), and the music of Verdi as works that not only are great unto themselves but represented a sense of identity and self-worth to a nascent country with no nationalistic feeling... Artusi chose to give Italians their definition by telling them how they ate... Anyone who seeks to know Italian food avoids Artusi at his or her peril. He is the fountainhead of modern Italian cookery."—Fred Plotkin, Gastronomica
"One of the defining documents of what it means to be Italian."—John Allemang, The Globe and Mail
"A landmark work in Italian culture."—Darby Macnab, Tandem

From the Publisher

"Artusi's book stands with Manzon's great novel, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), and the music of Verdi as works that not only are great unto themselves but represented a sense of identity and self-worth to a nascent country with no nationalistic feeling ... Artusi chose to give Italians their definition by telling them how they ate ... Anyone who seeks to know Italian food avoids Artusi at his or her peril. He is the fountainhead of modern Italian cookery."

Gastronomica - Fred Plotkin

"One of the defining documents of what it means to be Italian."

The Globe and Mail - John Allemang

"A landmark work in Italian culture."

Tandem - Darby Macnab

'A landmark work in Italian culture.'

— Darby Macnab

Tandem

'One of the defining documents of what it means to be Italian.'

— John Allemang

The Globe and Mail

'Artusi's book stands with Manzoni's great novel, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), and the music of Verdi as works that not only are great unto themselves but represented a sense of identity and self-worth to a nascent country with no nationalistic feeling ... Artusi chose to give Italians their definition by telling them how they ate ... Anyone who seeks to know Italian food avoids Artusi at his or her peril. He is the fountainhead of modern Italian cookery.'

— Fred Plotkin

Gastronomica