OP: The Food of Rome & Lazio
by Oretta Zanini De Vita
Alphabyte Books, Rome, 1994. Paperback. Very Good.
While there are a fair number of books covering the food of Rome and its surrounding region, Lazio, few pair it with rigorous research as well as Oretta Zanini De Vita in her 1994 book, The Food of Rome and Lazio.
Packed in amongst recipes for braised artichokes with garlic and herbs, sweet and sour wild boar, chicken stuffed with chestnuts and truffles, rice and turnip soup, and sour cherry tart are engrossing bursts of historical anecdotes. Some stand-outs include:
- A drinking game that so frequently ended in knife fights it had to be banned
- A rudimentary time clock for the illiterate consisting of a split stick, one half going to the worker, the other to the employer, and when joined at the end of a shift, it was scored to mark the day’s labor
- Celery being so rare prior to the 16th century that Cardinal Federico Baldissera Bartolomeo Cornaro, who grew it in his garden, would send heads as gifts to popes, cardinals, and princes
This first English printing, published only in paperback, is unused but showing light wear from long shelving. Color illustrations and black and white photos throughout.
For the Italian language edition, click here.
