Mariani, author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink and the
food and wine correspondent for Esquire magazine, makes a declarative
statement in this fact-filled, entertaining history and substantiates it
with hundreds of facts in this meaty history of the rise of Italian
food culture around the globe. From Charles Dickens's journey through
Italy in 1844 to 20th-century immigrants to America selling ice cream on
the streets of New Orleans, Mariani constantly surprises the reader
with little-known culinary anecdotes about Italy and its people, who
have made pasta and pizza household dishes in the U.S. and beyond.
Mariani's heavy emphasis on specific chefs and restaurant owners in the
latter half of the book may tire your average reader, but foodies will
delight as he details the rise and fall of French cuisine during the
1980s and '90s as trattorias eventually take the States by storm.
Mariani includes many recipes throughout. (Mar.) Copyright 2011 Reed
Business Information. --Publishers Weekly
