The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book (California Studies in Food and Culture Series, Vol. 14)
- Book Review,
by Luigi Ballerini (Editor)
From Publishers Weekly
In his informative, if ponderous, introduction, Ballerini offers a window into the life of 15th-century culinary whiz Maestro Martino, who's credited by most scholars to be the father of modern Italian cookery. As a chef to one of Milan's most important families, Martino had the most far-reaching influence of any chef of his day. Much of what we know about Martino comes from the writings of his friend Platina, who recorded many of Martino's greatest recipes and culinary advice in a book called The Art of Cooking. Those recipes-and others culled from obscure Martino-Platina texts-are faithfully reproduced in this highly entertaining, if sometimes uneven, volume. Only the most die-hard culinary enthusiasts may attempt Martino's Eel Torte or his Lenten Caviar Pottage, and recipes like Flying Pie, which incorporates live birds that fly away when the cover is removed, are, as Martino notes, just "for amusement." But much of the advice in chapter six, "How to Cook Eggs in Every Way," remains salient today. In addition, there are dozens of recipes that even novice chefs could attempt, such as the Roman-Style Macaroni with fresh-grated pecorino romano and the fennel-rich Fried Squash. Whether attempted at home or not, these recipes offer readers something far more compelling than practicality: a fascinating glimpse into a long-departed world where Papal Torte (a cheesy dish containing capon and "fatty, well-cooked veal teat") was served for breakfast and chefs for the upper classes needed to know not only how to cook tasty meals, but also the fine art of flamboyant presentation (i.e., "How to Dress a Peacock with All Its Feathers, so That When Cooked, It Appears to Be Alive and Spews Fire from Its Beak"). Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
Maestro Martino of Como has been called the first celebrity chef, and his extraordinary treatise on Renaissance cookery, The Art of Cooking, is the first known culinary guide to specify ingredients, cooking times and techniques, utensils, and amounts. This vibrant document is also essential to understanding the forms of conviviality developed in Central Italy during the Renaissance, as well as their sociopolitical implications. In addition to the original text, this first complete English translation of the work includes a historical essay by Luigi Ballerini and fifty modernized recipes by acclaimed Italian chef Stefania Barzini. The Art of Cooking, unlike the culinary manuals of the time, is a true gastronomic lexicon, surprisingly like a modern cookbook in identifying the quantity and kinds of ingredients in each dish, the proper procedure for cooking them, and the time required, as well as including many of the secrets of a culinary expert. In his lively introduction, Luigi Ballerini places Maestro Martino in the complicated context of his time and place and guides the reader through the complexities of Italian and papal politics. Stefania Barzini's modernized recipes that follow the text bring the tastes of the original dishes into line with modern tastes. Her knowledgeable explanations of how she has adapted the recipes to the contemporary palate are models of their kind and will inspire readers to recreate these classic dishes in their own kitchens. Jeremy Parzen's translation is the first to gather the entire corpus of Martino's legacy. Illustrations: 1 b/w photograph
About the Author
A noted poet, translator, and literary scholar, Luigi Ballerini teaches medieval and modern Italian literature at the University of California, Los Angeles. His edition of Artusi's Science in the Kitchen was published in 2003. Jeremy Parzen is a food historian, freelance writer, and musician. His translations include Marinetti's The Untameables (1994), Goldoni's The Coffee House (1998), and Bolzoni's The Gallery of Memory (2001). Stefania Barzini lives and works in Rome. A food historian and TV journalist for Gambero Rosso, the Italian National Food Channel, she is the author of a forthcoming book, Food and the Movies. She also teaches cooking and gastronomy at her own school, Al Castello.
Excerpted from The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book by Maestro Martino, Luigi Ballerini, Jeremy Parzen, Stefania Barzini, Maestro. Copyright © 2005. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Recipes from the Book: Flying pie Make a mold for a large pie, and in the bottom make a hole large enough that your fist can pass through, or even bigger if you please, and the sides around it should be slightly higher than the common usage; fill it with flour and cook in an oven. Once it is cooked, open the hole on the bottom and remove the flour; beforehand, prepare another small pie filled with good stuff that has been well cooked and seasoned and that has been made as big as that hole in the large mold; place this pie through the hole into the mold; and in the empty space that remains around the small pie, put some live birds, as many as it will hold; and the birds should be placed in it just before it is to be served; and when it is served before those seated at the banquet, you remove the cover above, and the little birds will fly away. This is done to entertain and amuse your company. And in order that they do not remain disappointed by this, cut the small pie up and serve. Peach blossom sauce Get some peeled, blanched almonds that have been well crushed with the bread white of some bread, a little ginger and cinnamon, verjuice, and red wine, and some pomegranate juice, adding to all of these things some sandalwood extract. Then thin and pass this mixture through a stamine, and make it sweet with red wine or tart for those who like it like that.
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