Luigi Carnacina's Great Italian Cooking - 1968 Abradale Press Edition

Of all the Continental European countries, Italy is perhaps the least chauvenistic in its gastronomic outlook. Luigi Carnacina, 1968

{HISTORY}

A giant of a cookbook in both size and scope, this 851-page love letter to Italian cuisine celebrates the best of Italy's fare from coast to coast and top to bottom.

Published in 1968,  Luigi Carnacina (1888-1981), a protege of Auguste Escoffier, came to Italian cooking in the most practical and most elevated of ways - the hotel industry. A celebrated chef, born in Rome, Luigi worked in the kitchens of many luxury hotels both in Europe and America, where he prepared classic dishes steeped in local flavor. 

Considered one of Italy's greatest chefs, this cookbook, Luigi Carnacina's Great Italian Cooking highlights recipes from the hotels he worked in around the world, including The Savoy in London, Ostende in Belgium, and foods served in the Italian restaurants of The World's Fair in Paris, Brussels, and New York. At the heart of each lies his ultimate muse, the recipes of Italy and all her variations. 

Compiling traditional recipes of Italy has always been a bit tricky. So much of the country's heritage food was passed down orally between generations, in so that few were ever recorded on paper in an easy-to-follow manner.  Unlike many Italian cookbooks of the early to mid-20th century, which tended to be bereft of technical accuracy, they contained vague measurements, cooking temps, and ingredient preparation information. That resulted in dishes that never came out the same way twice.  Much of the cooking techniques, and even the recipes themselves, varied widely from region to region, so that a risotto made in northern Italy might taste totally different than if it was prepared in southern Italy. Luigi, in his cookbook, wanted to celebrate these differences, but he also wanted to make sure the cooking directions were straightforward and uniform, so that any cook, anywhere, in any kitchen could successfully prepare them with the same results over and over again.

Luigi also wanted to showcase the international foods that influenced Italian cooking. In particular, French and Austrian cuisine, which was an important influence in his own career and helped him analyze the foundations of Italian cuisine with more international context. As a result of his hotel life, he set out to share recipes that appealed to the tourist crowd. The ones who came to Italy to experience the country's gastronomic delights that were professionally prepared and presented. All in all, this cookbook is a combination of classically taught restaurant cuisine, regional specialities, and family favorites that have been part of Italy's long culinary history.

An award-winning cookbook upon debut, Great Italian Cooking contains over 2300 recipes and includes both color and black and white photographs, whimsical illustrations, and a bevy of helpful guides regarding cooking equipment, wine selection, and menu planning. Fun to peruse, thanks to the p[hotos and illustrations, and full of interesting notes, fun facts and history, this hefty book could easily keep a cook busy for years in the kitchen. Still a favorite among foodies around the globe, it's a go-to resource for anyone interested in learning more about Italian food and its impact not only on the global food landscape but the hotel industry as well. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1968 unstated first English language edition published by Abradale Press 
• 851 pages
• Contains over 2300 recipes, each titled in Italian and English
• Illustrated throughout
• Contains original dust jacket
• Interesting recipes include Vanilla Gelato with Whipped Chream, Pine Nut Cookies Perugina, Spinach Romana, Eggplant Provencale, Artichoke Veloute with Puff Paste Rosettes, Rice Suppli with Ham & Cheese, Spezzatino of Chicken Italiana, Chopped Bef Nicoise, Mediterranean Fish Stew, Mussels Ammiraglia, Fillets of Sole Castling, Green Beans and Eggs Vinaigrette, Frittata Savoyard, Poached Eggs Gentiluomo, Risotto Siciliana, Carrot Flan, Tortellini Timbales with Meat Sauce, Stuffed Calzones, Cheese & Ham Panzarotti, Neopoliutan Pizza Hotel Excelsior, Tortelloni Romagnola, Lasagna Verde, Cappelletti with Pustachios, Minestrone Toscana, Caprice Tart, Peasant's Vegetable Soup, Zuppa Buona Donna, Roman Tartlets, Cheese Custard Croquettes, Easter Pie Genovese, family Cookies, Wild Strawberies Maria Jose, Biscotti al Limone, and Mussels Capricciose

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this cookbook is clean and bright throughout. The dust jacket contains some tanning and foxing. There is a 4” inch rip on the front jacket that has been previously repaired with tape. The interior pages contain light tanning at the edges. The coverboards are very clean and bright. The spine has separated from the book slightly at the title page, but all pages remain intact and securely bound. 

{SIZE}

Measures 11" inches (length) x 8.75" inches (width) x 2.25" inches (thickness) and weighs 5.8 lbs.