The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well

by Maria Gentile

2012 Reprint of 1919 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. An important early cookbook of Italian recipes that was among the first to introduce Italian cooking to a still largely Anglo-Saxon population. It is one of the earliest Italian cookbooks published in English. Several hundred recipes are included and the instructions are very clear and well presented. There is also a useful index to the recipes at the end.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 1919

Reviews

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The free e-book cookbook is a back-to-basics, farmhouse-style recipe book that features all the classic recipes of the Italian cucina casalinga, Italian housewife cookery.

The Preface stresses that the Italian cuisine is "palatable, nourishing and economical". It also affirms that Italians are: ...among whom the art of living well and getting the most out of life at a moderate expense has been attained to a very high degree. There is also an odd mention of the "splendid manhood and womanhood of Italy".

Without a Table of Contents, it is the hyper-linked Index at the back of the book that offers the best oversight of the simply-explained 221 recipes.

The organization of the recipes is at times haphazard. The measurements are most often given in weight, rather than cups, like today's recipes. The instructions are minimal. But these things do not detract from the overall breadth of the recipes. All the basics of Italian cooking are here, for free!

Here is an unofficial Table of Contents to give you an idea of the every-day Italian recipes in this book:
1. Soups
2. Pasta and Sauces
3. Rice Dishes
4. Artichokes
5. Misc. Egg and Chicken Dishes
6. Fowl
7. Game
8. Sauces
9. Meat
10. Zucchini and other Vegetable Dishes
11. Fish and Eel
12. Roast Meats
13. Kidney and Other Parts
14. Onions, Celery & Stews
15. Trout
16. Eggs
17. Puddings
18. Cakes
19. Biscotti
20. Syrups & Preserves
21. Frozen Desserts

The Italian Cookbook was fist published by the Italian Book Co. New York in 1919.

The Italian Cookbook is in the public domain so it is offered for free, in various e-book formats, from Project Gutenberg, the grand-daddy of free e-book websites.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24407

The Italian Cookbook is also available from the Internet Archive in various e-book formats, including a PDF of the scanned book.
https://archive.org/details/italianco...

You can also download a free Kindle version from Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/Italian-Cook-Bo...

Please see my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...

[Brad Levin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a "cookbook." Or more appropriately described as a "Cook's Book." This book was published 100 years ago. It is written like the author believes the reader is well-versed in the kitchen and only requires an ingredients-list. it is not in any way instructional - it's a baseline for experienced kitchen workers that want to learn recipes like their grandmothers' used and administered by rote.

Also, the recipes are on a scale to feed many, not a few - think banquet style or "family-style" for the most part. That being said, The original Fanny Farmer's Cookbook, circa 1896, may be instructional where this book needs some technique translation. Fanny's book is from the Boston Cooking School, so it covers details that are only "glossed-over" by Ms. Gentile.

This book makes me want to cook or bake something.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Italian Cook Book The Art of Eating Well by Maria Gentile
Starts with table of contents and then preface.
Recipes are not written out in normal format. Name of item in English and then Italian, is included, summary of what is it in-no measurements and tells you what to do with the ingredients. How to cook them and use them.
Different words and phrases are explained in detail.
There are NO pictures and there is NO nutritional information.
One soup says to select 3 or 4 vegetables, shred or chop and put them over the fire with small amount of cooking oil. Then add broth and cook til vegetables are very tender. Very vague.
When you get to pastry and dessert area there are measured ingredients listed and how to make the dish.
Includes an index at the end.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a fan of the organization/layout. The food is also not too healthy

[Debby Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love your book

[The cool Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

[Steve]

Good book

I like to read about diet foods always. This is such a nice book can recommend to all people. Nice one

[Wendy]

Great Recipes

This book was easy to follow and the meals were amazing. I will be making many more.
Thank You so much

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most cookbooks published in 1919 have not aged well. The recipes are either indecipherable (today's recipes have much more precise measurements) or unpalatable according to today's taste (Suet pudding? Fried calf's brains? No thanks!) Maria Gentile's The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well wears much better. Sure, some of the recipes -- homemade tomato sauce -- won't appeal to busy cooks who value time over pennies; other recipes -- liver and other organ meats -- won't appeal because of changing tastes; lastly, some of the recipes rely on ingredients (e.g., hare, squab, quince) that aren't readily available in most cities. However, most of the recipes are as delicious as they would have been a century ago when The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well was quite popular.

The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well is not for a novice cook. Many of the ingredients are given differently than they would be in a modern bookstore (e.g., 7 ounces of flour rather than giving the measurement by cups or "add a piece of butter"), but a seasoned cook will be able to adapt the recipe.

As has been pointed out, The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well is pretty much plagiarized from legendary cookbook author Pellegrino Artusi's The Art of Eating Well: An Italian Cookbook -- right down to the title! However, Artusi's book retails for nearly $200, and Gentile's book is free in the Kindle format. For most Americans, their sole access to Artusi's genius will be through Gentile's cookbook. I hope that Artusi, who died in 1911, will be forgiving.

[Saleris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Since there wasn't a chapter/recipe listing in the front, I don't think I could actually use this like a traditional cookbook since I couldn't "search" recipes. Shame. Some of the recipes were interesting enough that I'd like to make them, but since I don't have an idetic memory I'd probably get fed up or distrated before I found the one I wanted.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delight to read. While the recipes are written in an old-Fashioned way, they are understandable and could be used with slight modifications. There are many good meal ideas here.