DELIZIA! THE EPIC HISTORY OF THE ITALIANS AND THEIR FOOD. by Dickie, John - 2008

New York: Free Press, 2008. 367 pp, 9 1/4" H. "A dynamic chronicle that is full of surprises, 'Delizia!' draws back the curtain on much that was unknown about Italian food and exposes the long-held canards. It interprets the ancient Arabic map that tells of pasta's true origins, and shows that Marco Polo did not introduce spaghetti to the Italians, as is often thought, but did have a big influence on making pasta a part of the American diet. It seeks out the medieval recipes that reveal Italy's long love affair with exotic spices, and introduces the great Renaissance cookery writer who plotted to murder the Pope even as he detailed the aphrodisiac qualities of his ingredients. It moves from the opulent theater of a Renaissance wedding banquet, with its gargantuan ten-course menu comprising hundreds of separate dishes, to the thin soups and bland polentas that would eventually force millions to emigrate to the New World. It shows how early pizzas were disgusting and why Mussolini championed risotto. Most important, it explains the origins and growth of the world's greatest urban food culture." **Please note: this is a history of Italian food and only contains a few recipes.** Light toning in the margins of the pages, a dog-ear creas at the top og page 15, minor wrinkling at the top/bottom of the spine. Dust jacket has minor edge wrinkling, some minor rubbing.. Not Signed. First Edition.. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good+.