An Italian Cookbook I am Proud to Own

Pellegrino Artusi was an Italian businessman and writer born in August of 1820. He lived most of his adult life at his home in Florence on D’Azeglio Square, where he quietly lived out his life until March of 1911. He was best known as the author of the cookbook La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiare bene, which translates into English as, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Artusi was the first to include recipes from all the different regions of Italy in a single book. He is often thought of as being the person who established a truly national Italian Cuisine. It is said that even French Chef Auguste Escoffier, the father of French cuisine, was inspired by Artusi and his cookbook.

Artusi strongly believed in progress and the scientific method, which he utilized in his cookbook. The book was considered scientifically tested as all final recipes were the result of multiple trails and experiments until the desired outcome prevailed.

The book was completed in 1871 when Artusi had reached the ripe old age of 71. He could not find a publisher for the book. Being from a wealthy family from which he had received a generous inheritance he used his own money to fund the first publication. The first edition sold one thousand copies within the first four years after which the book was discovered by a wider audience and went on to sell more than 200,000 copies before Artusi passed away. The book is full of entertaining stories as well as the recipes which have helped to continue the books reign on best seller in Italy even today.

The following is a story told by Artusi himself regarding one of Italy’s signature dishes Minestrone.

"In the summer of 1855 I was in Livorno, cholera was slithering here and there in many provinces of Italy, and had everyone dreading a general epidemic, which in fact burst out forthwith. One Saturday evening I went into an inn and asked, "What kind of soup do you have?"

"Minestrone," came the answer.

"Bring me the minestrone," said I. I dined, took a walk, and went to bed, in a room in a spanking new hotel owned by a Mr. Dominici, in Piazza del Voltone. During the night my insides rebelled in a most frightful manner, and I went to and from the privy until dawn, damning the minestrone all the while.

The next morning, I fled to Florence, where I recovered immediately. Monday came the sorry news that cholera had broken out in Livorno, and Mr. Dominici had been the first fatality - minestrone indeed!”

It was not the soup, but the early symptoms of cholera to cause Artusi’s severe gut pain, yet the episode convinced him to write a renowned recipe for minestrone.

Minestrone Ingredients: • 2 quarts (2 liters) simmering broth (beef or vegetable) • 1/2 cup dried white beans (cannellini or similar), or a cup fresh beans. • 1 packed cup each shredded Savoy cabbage, spinach, and beet greens • A clove of garlic, crushed • A bunch of parsley, a small carrot, a short celery stalk, and a small onion, minced • A zucchini and a potato, diced • 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, or minced, seeded, and peeled sun-ripened or canned plum tomatoes • 1/2 cup rice • Salt and pepper to taste • Boiling water • Grated Parmigiano

Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Preparation:

The vegetables listed above are indicative and they can be replaced according to your tastes and what's available at the market. Simmer the vegetables in the broth. When they’re almost done, check the seasoning, add the rice, and continue cooking, stirring gently. The rice should serve to absorb excess liquid, but if the soup gets too thick, add some boiling water. Serve with or without the grated parmigiano.

Every Italian household has its own version of minestrone. As with most Italian kitchens each one holds the opinion that the minestrone their family creates is the very best and the most original version of the dish.

My version of minestrone differs somewhat from il Signore Artusi in that it does not contain some of the ingredients used in his recipe and does however have a few ingredients added that do not appear in his approach to creating this healthy and delicious soup.

My recipe does not contain cabbage but instead uses kale. I do not put rice or potato in my minestrone as I prefer to keep the amount of starch as low as possible. I also add red bell pepper to the vegetable mix and sauté my vegetables in a bit of lard before adding the broth and tomato.

1 medium onion small dice

2 medium carrots small dice

2 stalks of celery small dice

1 red bell pepper small dice

2 medium zucchini small dice

1 yellow neck squash small dice

½ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons lard

28 oz. can crushed tomato

1 can of cannellini beans 19 oz. drained and rinsed

3 oz. tomato paste

32 oz. chicken or vegetable stock

1 packed cup of small diced kale

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Begin by melting the lard in a large heavy bottom pot

Add the diced onion, carrot, celery and red bell pepper, season with salt and black pepper and sweat until soft. Do not allow the vegetables to brown.

Add the white wine and allow the vegetables to continue to cook until the wine has nearly evaporated.

Add the tomato paste stirring constantly until the tomato paste has cooked for at least 5 minutes

Add the stock and crushed tomato and allow to cook for 30 minutes. Add water as needed if the mixture begins to become too dry.

Add the zucchini, yellow squash, kale and cannellini beans. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook until all the vegetables are cooked through but still retain some of their texture. This should take about one hour minimum.

Check seasoning near the end of the cooking time and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve topped with fresh minced parsley and grated parmigiano.

Please visit my wed site for a video demonstration of this recipe.

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Buon Cibo a tutti!

Chef John