Marcella Cucina

Until recently, I had not heard of Marcella Hazan. I owe my good fortune to an article in the local newspaper, where the writer lamented the one-year anniversary of her passing, at the age of 89, and praised her legacy at the same time. I am Italian American and a student of the Italian language. And did I mention that my favorite food is Italian? So naturally I was drawn to this cookbook. Actually, I had trouble deciding which of her books to buy. After reading many reviews, I choose this one. But I would have been satisfied with any one of her cookbooks; this one was published in 1997. What interested me from the start was Marcella's story of her life. Secondly, I liked the idea of Italian cooking from the perspective of Italian cooks all across Italy. This is, in essence, where Marcella Hazan gathered much of her cooking expertise: She visited, and cooked, with Italians, in their own kitchens. The result is simple and authentic recipes, emphasis on "simple," from the many regions of Italy. And many of those recipes are in this cookbook. If you read the other reviews, especially the lesser-rated ones, you might get the impression that Marcella was inflexible in her attitude toward cooking Italian. Actually, I found that trait refreshing, in an age where "authentic" has been watered down like so much under-strained spaghetti. So, if you are interested in the art of authentic Italian cooking, the way it has been done for centuries in Italy, you should consider this, or another cookbook, by the woman who's cooking skill has been compared to that of Julia Child. In my opinion, Marcella Hazan was a master in the art of Italian cooking. And her dedication to it is masterfully presented in this cookbook.

I interviewed Marcella Hazan and her husband, Victor, when this book first was published, and we had a wonderful discussion about the design: the end papers are her manuscript notes, which Victor transcribed, for example, and special details, like the intercom at the entry to their home in Venice, or her shopping list with notes from Victor, add so much charm.I love the sense of living in Venice that this book evokes. I am sorry that her obituary in The New York Times (she died in 2013) did not mention the time she lived there. I will always remember her and Victor in the soulful photo in "'Marcella Cucina" of the two of them returning from shopping in Venice, two vital elderly people, in love with life and with each other.

As in all of Hazan’s cookbooks, the recipes in this book are straightforward to prepare and delightful to eat. What is different about this book is its narrative. Hazan, we learn, was a wonderful storyteller. Reading her stories is like being in the kitchen with Marcella and Victor, shopping at the market alongside her, or learning the ways of someone for whom cooking was as natural and life-giving as breathing. Hazan’s warmth and simple honesty beguile and inspire without pretense or artifice. Perhaps that is why this book is as much at home on the nightstand as it is in the kitchen.

Book came in very good condition. I was looking for an Italian cookbook that had a variety of easy to prepare dishes while using fresh ingredients and this book does that. Her stories are entertaining and you end up with a new appreciation of ingredients. For example nothing is used unless it has a purpose and as a result some dishes are prepared with few ingredients. I made a sauce using only celery, olive oil a little butter chopped onions and plum tomatoes that was delicous.You will learn what to use in your dishes and why it is important.

condition of the book was good but has an extremely strong cigar odor as well as discoloration from smoke.Smell is strong enough to fill up a room and this should have been disclosed.

Tried one recipe so far, which made me buy the book (books, since I bought more of them by her). It was a simple pasta sauce, but GOD, it was the best one I have had the pleasure of making! If she can make me anything beyond the mediocre cook that I usually am, then she deserves my money, and the stars!

I was in Rome when I saw it in a library, but my plane was leaving and took a picture of the cover and was delighted to find it in amazon. The condition is excellent and the recipes are as great as I expected them to be... Very happy with this book... Marcella is a wonderful cook, known all over the world. I am learning from her...

The Fricassed Chicken with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes alone is worth the price of this book. It is fabulous, and is worthy of any dinner party. And so simple in the Hazan tradition. I didn't like the scallion pasta, but generally you cannot go wrong with this book. And as for Marcella cooking for her family, well, I think if there were more of it in the world we would all be better off.

Good book full of great information, but not as descibed by the seller it had been badly water damaged and quite alot of the pages were stuck together.

Most inspiring.

Excellent and definitive.

Wonderful book! I enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed all her other books!

Very good condition