La Scienza in Cucina E L’Arte di Mangiar Bene

6b Pellegrino Artusi. Italian Cookbook. Frienze: Adriano Salani, 1910. Third Edition. 

Notes

La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiar Bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well), first published in 1891, is a landmark Italian cookbook by Pellegrino Artusi (1820–1911), widely regarded as the father of modern Italian cuisine. Featuring hundreds of recipes drawn from regional culinary traditions, the book helped establish a shared Italian culinary identity during the decades following the country's unification in 1861. Combining practical cooking instructions with charming anecdotes, humor, and observations on food and culture, Artusi transformed the traditional cookbook into an engaging work of literature. Initially self-published after struggling to find a publisher, the book gradually became an extraordinary success, appearing in numerous expanded editions as Artusi continued refining and adding recipes.

The growing popularity of cookbooks and household management guides during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries opened a distinctive avenue for women to enter the literary and publishing worlds at a time when opportunities for female authors were often limited. Drawing upon generations of practical experience, women transformed their extensive knowledge of cooking, domestic economy, entertaining, and household organization into authoritative published works. Pioneering authors such as Hannah Glasse, Eliza Acton, and Isabella Beeton elevated homemaking from a collection of everyday responsibilities into a subject worthy of serious study, instruction, and literary recognition. These publications became indispensable references in households across Britain and America, offering everything from elaborate recipes and nutritional advice to guidance on managing servants, family finances, and social etiquette. For many women, domestic literature provided not only a means of sharing their expertise but also an opportunity to establish professional reputations, earn independent income, and participate in a publishing industry historically dominated by men. Today, these works are treasured as important records of culinary history, changing social customs, and the often-overlooked contributions of women to literary culture.

Description 

Red canvas boards with pictorial illustration of a woman cooking with this book on the upper board. Gilt lettering to upper board and spine. Some foxing throughout with a dampstain to pages 306/307. Patterned endpapers. Very good condition.