Synopses & Reviews
Spaghetti with meatballs, fettuccine alfredo, margherita pizzas, ricotta and parmesan cheesesand#151;we have Italy to thank for some of our favorite comfort foods. Home to a dazzling array of wines, cheese, breads, vegetables, and salamis, Italy has become a mecca for foodies who flock to its pizzerias, gelateries, and family-style and Michelin-starred restaurants. Taking readers across the countryand#8217;s regions and beyond in the first book in Reaktionand#8217;s new Foods and Nations series,and#160;
Al Denteand#160;explores our obsession with Italian food and how the countryand#8217;s cuisine became what it is today.
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Fabio Parasecoli discovers that for centuries, southern Mediterranean countries such as Italy fought against food scarcity, wars, invasions, and an unfavorable agricultural environment. Lacking in meat and dairy, Italy developed foodways that depended on grains, legumes, and vegetables until a stronger economy in the late 1950s allowed the majority of Italians to afford a more diverse diet. Parasecoli elucidates how the last half century has seen new packaging, conservation techniques, industrial mass production, and more sophisticated systems of transportation and distribution, bringing about profound changes in how the countryand#8217;s population thought about food. He also reveals that much of Italyand#8217;s culinary reputation hinged on the worldand#8217;s discovery of it as a healthy eating model, which has led to the prevalence of high-end Italian restaurants in major cities around the globe.
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Including historical recipes for delicious Italian dishes to enjoy alongside a glass of crisp Chianti,and#160;Al Denteand#160;is a fascinating survey of this countryand#8217;s cuisine that sheds new light on why we should always leave the gun and take the cannoli.
Review
“An entertaining and fact-filled chronicle.”-- Wall Street Journal
“Informative and entertaining examination of the rise of Italian cookery” -- Washington Post
“Eating Italian will never be the same after reading John Mariani's entertaining and savory gastronomical history of the cuisine of Italy and how it won over appetites worldwide.” -- USA Today
"Informed and enlightening, loving and luscious."-- Kirkus Reviews
“Fact-filled, entertaining history.” -- Publisher's Weekly
“A comprehensive and entertaining chronicle of Italian food, as much about colorful characters as ingredients.” -- Everett Potter's Travel Report
“Making sense of Italian foods history is no small undertaking, but like any true professional, long-time Esquire Magazine food correspondent and legendary restaurant columnist Mariani handles the subject with ease.” -- Booklist
“Mariani captures the history and elemental beauty of a cuisine that really does seem to appeal to more palates than any other... you owe it to yourself to read this book.” -- Las Vegas Weekly
"John Mariani offers a full-course menu on the history of Italian cooking. The book has both a solid main course on changing food through the ages as well as tasty side dishes on Italian wine and the Mediterranean diet. To enjoy it properly, read the book with a glass of Vin Santo and a biscotti at your elbow."--George M. Taber, author of Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine
“John Mariani's thoroughly researched book is a fantastic and fascinating read, covering everything from the influence of Venice's spice trade to the impact of Italian immigrants in America and the evolution of alta cucina. This book will serve as a terrific resource to anyone interested in the real story of Italian food. Told in a conversational voice, Mariani knows his subject well and weaves a historical story rich in facts and traditions.”—Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS “Ciao Italia,” televisions longest-running cooking show
“A mouthwatering, delectable and delightful romp through peasant kitchens and luxurious restaurants from Italy to the UK and America. Mariani is a cultural anthropologist, social historian and amiable dinner companion as he traces the evolution of Italian cuisine from the denigration to apotheosis.”--Stanislao G. Pugliese, Queensboro Unico Distinguished Professor of Italian and Italian American Studies, Hofstra University and author of Bitter Spring: A Life of Ignazio Silone
“This is the book that John Mariani was born to write, and, quite frankly, I know of nobody else who has the rich family background, keen grasp of Italian culinary history, vast professional connections, and overall first-hand experience necessary to relate such a fascinating and important story. I found myself reading this chronicle as if it were a novel packed full of intriguing events, unexpected developments, and a cast of colorful characters, and if you love great Italian food (and who doesn't?), you won't be able to put the book down."--James Villas, author of The Bacon Cookbook and Pig: King of the Southern Table
"Equal parts history, sociology, gastronomy, and just plain fun, How Italian Food Conquered the World tells the captivating and delicious story of (let's face it) everybody's favorite cuisine with clarity and verve and more than one surprise."—Colman Andrews, author, Ferran: The Inside Story of El Bulli and the Man Who Reinvented Food, and editorial director, The Daily Meal.com
"In this fascinating culinary and cultural tale, John F. Mariani details the imaginative genius of Italian-American chefs and restaurateurs who transformed restaurant meals from overcooked macaroni and jug wine into perfect bites of pasta al dente and heavenly sips of Barolo and Barbaresco, ensuring that Italian cuisine would be the envy of the world. With a sweeping narrative that begins in ancient Rome and concludes with a behind-the-scenes look at todays trendiest restaurants, How Italian Food Conquered the World is a food lovers delight. Raise la forchetta and dig in!"--Maria Laurino
"John Mariani has written the definitive history of the how the Italians won their way into our hearts, minds, and stomachs. It's a story of pleasure over pomp and taste over technique. About the only territory they've left alone is Thanksgiving. And come to think of it, in my family we'll be serving spaghetti with turkey meatballs this year."--Danny Meyer
“Beautifully told, food critic John Mariani weaves together a captivating chronicle of the rise of Italian cuisine, from the courage and ingenuity of poor immigrants to the sophistication and business-savvy of today's five-star chefs. A book to be savored.”—Marchese Piero Antinori“John Marianis superb writing has captured perfectly the rise of Italian food throughout history, unraveling the evolution of a cuisine that confused the world before conquering it! How Italian Food Conquered the World will fascinate future generations who wish to know more about Italian food and wine culture.”--Tony May, restaurateur and owner of San Domenico and SD26
Review
and#8220;In this fascinating guide, Parasecoli takes us through the history of Italyand#8217;s relationship with food, right back to the Romans, discussing the origins of olive oil and the importance of sun-ripened tomatoes. . . . The stories that are interwoven into the pages are essential reads for any budding connoisseur or general foodie.and#8221;and#160;
Review
and#8220;This cool analysis of the geopolitical background to the delights of Italian gastronomy is a welcome addition.and#8221; and#160;
Review
andldquo;This ambitious volume places discussions of food and food-related customs in the context of Italian history from the Neolithic to the present. Parasecoli leads readers on an engaging journey through time and geography. The author peppers the account with anecdotes and historical tidbits ranging from whether or not there was food scarcity during the Middle Ages to how changes in female empowerment have caused adjustments in portion sizes in the twenty-first century.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Not so long ago, Italian food was regarded as a poor mans gruel—little more than pizza, macaroni with sauce, and red wines in a box. Here, John Mariani shows how the Italian immigrants to America created, through perseverance and sheer necessity, an Italian-American food culture, and how it became a global obsession. Featuring evil villains such as the Atkins diet and French chefs, this is a rollicking tale of how Italian cuisine rose to its place as the most beloved fare in the world, through the lives of the people who led the charge. Full of savory anecdotes from top chefs and resturateurs including Mario Batali, Danny Meyer, Tony Mantuan, Nigella Lawson, and many others, the book also goes inside famous restaurants such as Da Spiaggia, Piaggia, Union Square Cafe, Rao's and others.
Synopsis
Over the last three decades Italian cuisine has gained in status as well as fame. It is not only served at family-style eateries, ice cream parlors, and pizza shops: high-end Italian restaurants are now listed among the most prestigious establishments in major cities worldwide. TV shows and magazines are full of Italian recipes, and culinary professionals become celebrities, banking on their Italian origins. As Italian cuisine acquires new relevance, scores of tourists flock to the epicenter of it all: Italy.
The author shows that for centuries, countries such as Italy in the Southern Mediterranean fought against food scarcity, wars, invasions, and an environment that was often not very favorable to agriculture. With limited access to meat, dairy, and fats, they developed foodways that hinged on grains, pulses, and vegetables. It was only after the and#147;economic miracleand#8221; of the late 1950s that the majority of the Italian population was able to afford a more diverse and abundant diet, albeit sacrificing traditional ways of life and culinary habits. New packaging and conservation techniques, industrial mass production, and more sophisticated systems of transportation and distribution brought profound changes in the way Italians ate and thought about food. Gradually, the rest of the world has become aware that the practices adopted by Italians constitute a healthy eating model, and its reputation has been growing exponentially ever since.
About the Author
John Mariani is a food and travel columnist for Esquire, wine columnist for Bloomberg News, has a newsletter that goes out to 40,000 subscribers. He has been called by The Philadelphia Inquirer “the most influential food-wine critic in the popular press.” He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, The Dictionary of Italian Food & Drink, and with his wife Galina, The Italian-American Cookbook. He lives in Tuckahoe, New York.Lidia Bastianich is an American chef and restaurateur. Specializing in Italian and Croatian cuisine, she has been a regular contributor to the PBS cooking show lineup since 1998. In 2007, she launched her third TV series, Lidia's Italy. She also owns four Italian restaurants in the U.S.: Felidia and Becco in Manhattan; Lidia's Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Lidia's Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Lidia Bastianich
Introduction
A Plate of Soup Surrounded by Too Many Spoons
The Great Escape
Feeding the Americani
The New Way of the Old World
The Good, the Bad, and the Delicious
Il Boom and La Dolce Vita
This Italian...Thing
Stirrings
Simmerings
From Dago Red to Super Tuscan
Breaking Away
Coming to a Boil
A New Respect
No More Excuses
Flash in the Pan
Trattoria Mania
Salute!
Alta Cucina
Mondo Italiano
Coda
Notes
Index