Martino, Art of Cooking 8/30/04 5:00 PM Page i the art of cooking Martino, Art of Cooking 8/30/04 5:00 PM Page ii california studies in food and culture darra goldstein, editor 1. Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices, by Andrew Dalby 2. Eating Right in the Renaissance, by Ken Albala 3. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, by Marion Nestle 4. Camembert: A National Myth, by Pierre Boisard 5. Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism, by Marion Nestle 6. Eating Apes, by Dale Peterson 7. Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American Diet, by Harvey Levenstein 8. Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America, by Harvey Levenstein 9. Encarnación’s Kitchen: Mexican Recipes from Nineteenth-Century California: Selections from Encarnación Pinedo’s El cocinero español, by Encarnación Pinedo, edited and translated by Dan Strehl, with an essay by Victor Valle 10. Zinfandel: A History of a Grape and Its Wine, by Charles L. Sullivan, with a foreword by Paul Draper 11. Tsukiji: The Fish Market at the Center of the World, by Theodore C. Bestor 12. Born Again Bodies: Flesh and Spirit in American Christianity, by R. Marie Gri‹th 13. Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic, by Sharron Dalton 14. The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book, by The Eminent Maestro Martino of Como, edited and with an introduction by Luigi Ballerini, translated and annotated by Jeremy Parzen, and with fifty modernized recipes by Stefania Barzini Martino, Art of Cooking 8/30/04 5:00 PM Page iii ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZthe art of cooking Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZthe first modern cookery book Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZcomposed by the eminent Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZmaestro martino of como, Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZa most prudent expert in this art, Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZonce cook to the most reverend Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZcardinal trevisan, Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZpatriarch of aquileia Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZEdited and with an Introduction by Luigi Ballerini Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTranslated and Annotated by Jeremy Parzen Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ& Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZwith Fifty Modernized Recipes by Stefania Barzini Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZuniversity of california press Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZberkeley los angeles london Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Martino, Art of Cooking 8/30/04 5:00 PM Page iv University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2005 by the Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Maestro Martino. [Libro de arte coquinaria. English] The art of cooking : the first modern cookery book / composed by The Eminent Maestro Martino of Como ; edited and with an introduction by Luigi Ballerini ; translated and annotated by Jeremy Parzen ; and with fifty modernized recipes by Stefania Barzini. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-520-23271-2 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Cookery, Italian—Early works to 1800. 2. Cookery— Italy—Early works to 1800. I. Ballerini, Luigi. II. Parzen, Jeremy. III. Barzini, Stefania. IV. Title. tx723.m3126513 2005 641.5945—dc22 2004005160 Manufactured in Canada 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 10987654321 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper).8 Martino, Art of Cooking 8/30/04 5:00 PM Page v contents introduction. maestro martino: the carneades of cooks Luigi Ballerini / 1 the art of cooking Composed by The Eminent Maestro Martino of Como 1. meats for boiling and meats for roasting . 49 2. how to make every type of victual. 62 3. how to make every type of sauce . 76 4. how to make every type of torte. 80 5. how to make every type of fritter . 92 6. how to cook eggs in every way. 96 7. how to cook every type of fish . 99 the riva del garda recipes . 115 the neapolitan recipes . 127 maestro martino today: fifty modernized recipes Stefania Barzini / 139 textual note Jeremy Parzen / 193 selected bibliography / 197 index / 199 This page intentionally left blank Martino, Art of Cooking 8/30/04 5:00 PM Page 1 introduction maestro martino the carneades of cooks Luigi Ballerini Dear Reader: This is a cookbook—a historical cookery book. If you do not care to read about the world from which it grew (and it would be perfectly understandable if you didn’t), skip the present introduction altogether. No need to feel guilty about it. Read it only if you are the type that does not mind a little suªering. I promise that, at the end, you will hasten to search for a great chef, either in the outside world or within yourself, to obtain from either of them (or from both) the culinary reward you undoubtedly deserve. or a good number of years, a few centuries in fact, the only known mention of Maestro Martino was to be found in the writings of the fifteenth-century Italian hu- Fmanist Bartolomeo Sacchi, who was acquainted with him personally. This means that the name of an unknown person was for a while on the lips and twice, at least, in the pen of a “reporter” who, in our day and age, is just as unknown as his “reportee.” The muse of history contributed some humor of its own. So enchanted was Sacchi (who in his own time was actually famous enough to need no introduction) with Martino’s gastronomic and rhetorical virtues that he did not hesitate to compare him to Carneades (213–129 b.c.e.), whom Sacchi’s contemporaries would have immediately recognized as the illustrious philoso- pher who headed the New Platonic Academy in Athens, and whose subtle eloquence and ar- gumentative dexterity, appreciated and praised during that rebirth of classical culture we know as the Renaissance, would eventually fall into the same oblivion that now surrounds the cook no less than the scholar. There is more: ever since the hypertrophic question “Carneades, who was he now?” found its way into the pages of Alessandro Manzoni’s I promessi sposi (The Betrothed; first published in 1827), only to be repeated, generation after generation, by legions of high school kids, Italians have adopted the name Carneades as the quintessential moniker of obscurity.1 Thus, to make sure that fame would not treat Martino unfairly, Bartolomeo Sacchi bestowed upon him the following encomium: “What a cook, O immortal gods, you bestowed in my friend Martino of Como, from whom I have received, in great part, the things of which I am writing. You would say he was another Carneades if you were to hear him eloquently speaking ex tempore about the matters described above.”2 Luckily, by the time the events in this story began to unfold, the printing press had become a permanent feature of European cultural life, with the result that Sacchi’s praise of Martino would be repeated a fair number of times, in the 1474 as well as in the numerous subsequent 1 Martino, Art of Cooking 8/30/04 5:00 PM Page 2 2 introduction editions of his treatise De honesta voluptate et valetudine (On Right Pleasure and Good Health). But Sac- chi’s treatise paid homage to Martino in a way that went beyond the exigency of a compliment, eventually yielding results that we are only beginning to appreciate more than five centuries later. By “lifting” the cook’s recipes and translating them into Latin, Sacchi ensured that the highly original approach of Maestro Martino’s De arte coquinaria (The Art of Cooking ) would not remain confined to a few obscure manuscripts penned in the vernacular, but on the contrary would be disseminated throughout Renaissance Europe