Exciting Food for Southern Types

by Pellegrino Artusi

Pellegrino Artusi is the original icon of Italian cookery. His 1891 book is still a best seller. These writings brim with gossip, good cheer and an inexhaustible zest for life.

Genres: Food, Italy, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Cooking, History

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2011

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I found these Penguin Great Foods books, I knew that I had to read all of them. The first one I had the pleasure of reading is Exciting Food for Southern Types which is all about Italian cooking.
Not only are there recipes in this book but also little anecdotes about some food dishes and people's experiences with them. I just found them really nice to read about as the stories were really funny. This book is definitely worth a read.

I thought it was quite interesting reading this book in its historical context with how it talks about not preparing a certain type of bird in the summer because it won't preserve properly, and all of the cooking is done over a flame or in a dutch oven which, is just interesting to read about how food was prepared in the late 1800's.

I also just feel the need to mention the design of the book. The cover is textured and the pattern on the cover actually feels a bit like a pattern on a dinner plate, which I thought was just the coolest thing.

While a lot of the recipes are things I would probably never try and some contain birds I haven't really heard of, there were a couple of recipes that sounded really good. I especially liked the sound of a sponge cake recipe which wouldn't be too bad to try and make.

As a first introduction to the Penguin Great Reads books, I'm quite impressed and looking forward to reading all of the other books in the series to just learn more about different styles of cooking and different foods from different countries and different time periods.

[Katherine Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The best sauce you can offer your guests is a happy expression on your face and heartfelt hospitality."

A fantastic and inspirational book, the recipes are simple but work wonderfully. As others have mentioned this series doesn't have pictures but that to me is no issue, the words are enough.

[Larissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this at the Brooklyn Public Library (my last BPL library rental before the move!) after seeing it in a bookshop--loved the title and the cover art. Turns out it's more of a cookbook than a book of essays, but the context is interesting. Pellegrino compiled recipes from all over Italy shortly after its unification, something that apparently had not really been done before. and although the book is mostly comprised of recipes, he fills it with fascinating and funny anecdotes about the people who taught him how to cook these dishes, little history lessons about regions of Italy and the progression of cuisine, and more. It's quite the anthropological text, actually.

Also, even though it was written over a century ago, it reads as a very contemporary text, that is, until you get to cooking instructions about placing your pot or pan on the open fire that apparently was in every kitchen. Thinking about how to convert instructions--such as those about keeping a pot near embers but not over an open flame--to work on contemporary stoves was also a fun exercise while reading.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book by the original icon of Italian cookery, Pellegrino Artusi who is known for his 1891 book Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well.
Written in a conversational and witty style he shares the history and folklore of the recipes he includes in this volume.
With little anecdotes peppering the food entries this is more than just a cook book.
I especially like the way the author includes recipes and stories from either people he knows or who have written to him personally sharing them with him and often special mention is made of the origin of a recipe or vignette and who it is attributed to.
A must for all "foodies" or just those interested in the history of Italian cuisine.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun food read. I've got the book from which this is extracted and will read it soon, hoping that all the good parts are not in this slim paperback.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, lots of excellent stories i between the recipes. Some of which are worth trying.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the anecdotes between recipes, almost enough to get me to get the full book and just read it for those. Almost. If I ever see a copy, I might pick it up. It was entertaining and gives an interesting perspective on the influx of foreign influence on Italian cooking at the turn of the last century. Also, there is a sense of regionality and what that implies.

Those issues are some of the same that are cropping up now in "modern" cooking. It is a bit of the more it changes but more than that, there are possibilities beyond. We have an idea of how all that influence turned out and what has become of Italian national cooking beyond the borders. So, maybe using the whole hindsight thing, we can develop a new resiliency and determine what needs to be preserved and what is not so precious.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this little excerpt book. It's a mix of recipes, anecdotes and stories of the food and cooking of the different regions of Italy. Artusi was only writing a few decades after Italy had become unified, so there is still (and I suppose there is still is - not that I'm an expert in Italy) a very strong regional identity. There are some interesting recipes and ideas... I'd never thought of mixing eggs into soup, unless they're just lobbed in to be poached straight away; parmasan is in everything; health biscuits - apparently his cookies will help you live a long life! (I admire his optimism); and just random little asides and comments. I like his easy, friendly writing style.