Encyclopedia of Pasta (California Studies in Food and Culture) |  | Author: Oretta Zanini De Vita
Creator: Maureen Fant
Publisher: University of California Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
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Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 258803
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 400
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0520255224
Dewey Decimal Number: 664.755
EAN: 9780520255227
ASIN: 0520255224
Publication Date: October 15, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Spaghetti, gnocchi, tagliatellea, ravioli, vincisgrassi, strascinati--pasta in its myriad forms has been a staple of the Mediterranean diet longer than bread. This beautiful volume is the first book to provide a complete history of pasta in Italy, telling its long story via the extravagant variety of shapes it takes and the even greater abundance of names by which it is known. Food scholar Oretta Zanini De Vita traveled to every corner of her native Italy, recording oral histories, delving into long-forgotten family cookbooks, and searching obscure archives to produce this rich and uniquely personal compendium of historical and geographical information. For each entry she includes the primary ingredients, preparation techniques, variant names, and the locality where it is made and eaten. Along the way, Zanini De Vita debunks such culinary myths as Marco Polo's supposed role in pasta's story even as she serves up a feast of new information. Encyclopedia of Pasta, illustrated throughout with original drawings by Luciana Marini, will be the standard reference on one of the world's favorite foods for many years to come, engaging and delighting both general readers and food professionals.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
 Marta was right! October 16, 2009
J. Vasilius (Tucson, Arizona, USA)
28 out of 30 found this review helpful
During the year that Marta from Lombardy lived with me, I was mystified at her insistence that certain coffees could only be consumed at certain hours, and that Americans not only cooked pasta badly, but served the "wrong" sauce with every noodle. Who cares? I wish I had read this book before her visit. Marta was right! Pasta is both a science and an art! So much more than a cookbook, the Encyclopedia of Pasta, is a social history of Italy, Europe, class struggle, regional parochialism, agriculture, food, religion, trade routes, women, families, religion, the universe and everything. OK, I exaggerate, but only slightly. From well-known pastas such as macaroni, in many varieties, to the exotic pi fasacc, this is truly an encyclopedic work. Well written, with lively descriptions and a plethora of anecdotes, de Vita mixes scholarship with an intense love of her subject, be it people or pasta.
If you ever wanted to know the complex and rigid Italian rules for the mating or sauce and pasta,this is your book. If you wondered about the Arab contribution to noodle cuisine (ravioli, among others), this is your book. If you ever wanted to know the ingredients of different pastas, this is your book. If you are interested in unique and highly specific pasta making tools, this is your book. If you want to amaze your friends with your esoteric knowledge, this is your book. Or if you simply want to curl up with a fascinating compendium about your favorite food, this is your book. Reading it also made me feel very hungry.
And, in case you were wondering, the author reveals that there were records of pasta in Italy 500 years before Marco Polo returned from China.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Pasta and more... October 26, 2009
Deborah Verlen (Chicago, IL USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
My son and daughter-in-law lived in Asia and they constantly amazed me with their dialogues on the various types of rice. A grain of rice isn't just a grain of rice! There are all sorts of variations in rice and in cooking rice.
Well, this book proves the same holds true for pasta. For the pasta lover, this book is an absolute delight. The role of pasta in social settings and in history is explored as well as explanations of hundreds of pastas and their origins.
Ms. Oretta Zanini De Vita not only explores over 300 pastas, but talks about how to make them, what sauce goes with what pasta and how to present the pastas. Entries are illustrated with ingredients and how the pasta is served along with a short history.
This is a fascinating book that must have taken years of research to produce. This is not a recipe book, but rather an exploration of pasta and a commentary on its history and how it fits into our current society.
If you like pasta, this is truly a fascinating look at how variations in the making of the dough produces sumptious dishes that have been the staple of cultures all over the world.
Pasta on Steroids! November 17, 2009
Rich from Long Island (LI, NY)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you're into pasta and history, this book is incredible. You can feel the time and energy that went into this very informative book. As they said, don't purchase this book looking for recipes. Purchase it to understand what this food meant over centuries to it's people and their culture.
Fantastic book November 24, 2009
Scott K. Kenworthy (United States)
Highly recommend this book if you love pasta and the history of it.
As others said, it is not a cookbook which suits me perfectly - I didn't expect one and I received what I wanted.
great rescource July 14, 2010
J. Gill (New York)
This book is one of the best resources for pasta that you will find. very well written with a lot of information about every type listed along with the history and other aliases. ingredients, uses, methods, dimensions. everything you would need to know about the particular pasta shape. Only one criticism would be that they are listed alphabetically so you must know the name in order to find what you are looking for with ease. the plus side to this is that you will spend a bit of time reading a brief synopsis of all the pastas until you find what you may be interested in. if you get the digital version you can tag the shapes as you see fit for easy reference.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
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