Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well

Regional Cuisine Nutrition Culinary History Food Science Gastronomy Reference Cookbook Italian Cookery Educational Cookbook

Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well is the 653-page English paperback that turned an 1891 Italian household guide into a modern gastronomic bible. University of Toronto Press’s 2014 edition preserves every witty headnote, scientific explanation and 790 regional recipes— from broths to biscotti— that made Pellegrino Artusi’s original a cult classic. At 229 mm tall and just over a kilo, this is the comprehensive, shelf-worthy reference cooks reach for when they want authentic Italian technique backed by food-science lore.

What sets the book apart is Artusi’s rare blend of chemistry lab and nonna’s kitchen: he tells you why scum forms on boiling beans, how altitude affects rising dough, and which 19th-century Florentine baker first perfected “the perfect crack” on brine-crusted bread. Modern readers gain time-tested tricks—like using a walnut-shell to clarify stock—that today’s chefs still pay culinary-school tuition to learn. The voice is charmingly conversational, peppered with anecdotes about train travel, regional rivalries and the occasional recipe rescue, making it as entertaining to read as it is useful to cook from.

Collectors value this edition for its sturdy sewn binding and wide margins designed for kitchen notes; the clean, unmarked pages show only a light curl to the cover and a gentle crease on the first leaves—minor cosmetic quirks that keep the price accessible while the content remains pristine. Whether you’re a young adult building your first serious cookbook library or an experienced home cook hunting for the ultimate Italian authority, this copy delivers heirloom knowledge without the fragile price tag of an antiquarian set.

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