Giuseppe Prezzolini

Literary Nonfiction. Italian & Italian American Studies. Translated by Fabio Girelli Carasi. I have often been asked by Italians: 'Who are these Italian Americans? Why don't they speak Italian like us? Why don't they read the same books we read? Why don't they behave like us? Why do they serve a lunch of spaghetti with meat balls as if it were an Italian dish instead of the sorry marriage of a Swedish recipe with an Italian one' As I said earlier, Italian Americans bear the wrong name. They are not a mixture of Italy and America: they are Italians lost in America. --from the foreword

This is a most unusual cookbook. Although it has many delightful recipes for all types of spaghetti dishes and will be a most useful and pleasurable addition to the cookbook shelf, it is also a valuable reference book for all those who are interested in historical background--even if they don't own a stove The first half of the book is devoted to the history of spaghetti eating and spaghetti cooking. The author discusses many legends about the invention of spaghetti, then talks about its many forms and names, and fills this section with charming quotes from some of the oldest classics of literature. He tells us, finally, how spaghetti came to America.In the recipe section, there are recipes from all over the world, including some very old Italian and Regional Italian ones, recipes used by Americans of foreign descent, recipes used by Popes and Presidents, recipes recommended by food editors of various newspapers, and recipes from the best American cookbooks. These cover main dishes, salads, sauces, and desserts. Finally, there is the recipe for the spaghetti dish served at a ball given by the Duchess of Windsor.Spaghetti Dinner was first published in 1955.For additional vintage cookbook reprints, visit CoachwhipBooks.com.