Synopses & Reviews
Pasta, cappuccino, olive oil--Italian food is a favorite in our cafes, restaurants and homes. But what is the history of Italian cuisine? And where do we get our notions about Italian food? Contrary to popular belief, the Italian diet was inadequate and unchanging for many decades. Successive political regimes--liberal, fascist, democratic--struggled to improve eating habits, shaping not only Italian cuisine but Italian identity. This book reveals the harsh reality behind the myths surrounding this highly-romanticized cuisine.
Review
"Oneof the finest cultural histories of recent times. Helstosky shows there is much we can learn about the history of a society from its culinary culture. Marvellous."--Paul Lay, BBC History
"Packed with fascinating insights."--The Guardian
"The topic is alluring, the style accessible...It is very timely to have a book on Italian food that is a work of serious scholarship...[This is] a book that many of us have been waiting for."--Robert Lumley, University College London
"Her exploration of the origins and survival of the 'Mediterranean diet' from Mussolini to the present makes Garlic and Oil an original and immensely readable contribution to the rapidly growing literature on food and its many histories."--John A. Davis, University of Connecticut
'In this fascinating study Carol Helstosky shows that politics play no less a role than culture, environment and the social order in shaping what we eat. Her exploration of the origins and survival of the 'Mediterranean diet' from Mussolini to the present makes Garlic Oil an original and immensely readable contribution to the rapidly growing literature on food and its many histories.' -John A. Davis, University of Connecticut
Review
"The topic is alluring, the style accessible...It is very timely to have a book on Italian food that is a work of serious scholarship...[This is] a book that many of us have been waiting for."--Robert Lumley, University College London
"Why have Italians been able to resist the blandishments of fast food for so long? In this fascinating study Carol Helstosky shows that politics play no less a role than culture, environment and the social order in shaping what we eat. Her exploration of the origins and survival of the 'Mediterranean diet' from Mussolini to the present makes Garlic and Oil an original and immensely readable contribution to the rapidly growing literature on food and its many histories."--John A. Davis, University of Connecticut
Synopsis
Pasta, cappuccino, olive oil Italian food culture is a prominent feature of Western society in our cafes, restaurants and homes. But what is the history of Italian cuisine? And where do we get our notions about Italian food? Garlic and Oil is the first comprehensive history of food habits in modern Italy. Chronicling the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, the author argues that politics dramatically affected the nature of Italian cuisine and food habits. Contrary to popular belief, the Italian diet was inadequate and unchanging for many decades. Drawing on the writings of scientific professionals, domestic economists, government officials, and consumers, the author shows how the miserable diet of so many Italians became the subject of political debate and eventually, the target of government intervention. As successive regimes liberal, fascist, democratic struggled with the question of how to improve peoples eating habits, their actions purposefully and inadvertently affected what and how much Italians ate, shaping not only the foundations of Italian cuisine, but also the nature of Italian identity. Garlic and Oil is a popular national food history that offers a new perspective on the history of consumerism and food studies by examining how political change affects food consumption habits.
Synopsis
A historical look at the harsh political, cultural, and social realities that created the traditions of Italian cooking we so love today
About the Author
Carol F. Helstosky is Assistant Professor of European History, University of Denver.
Table of Contents
Unification Through Monotony, Italy 1861-1914 * The Great War and the Rise of State Intervention, Italy 1914-22 * The Cooking of Consent, Italy 1922-35 * Austerity and Decline, Italy 1935-45 * The Challenge of Abundance, Italy 1945-60 * A Cuisine of Scarcity * Epilogue: Food in Italy Today