Saturday, February 6, 2016

Our February-March Cook the Book Pick


The Unprejudiced Palate: Classic Thoughts on Food and the Good Life, by Angelo Pellegrini (1948)

 What did America look like to an immigrant Italian child? How did this child applied his philosophy of life, rooted in Italy, to his new home in Seattle? In this book, the first he published, Pellegrini tells his story but also the way he sees life and in particular the way he approaches growing, making and eating food (and wine too).

I am also Italian and an immigrant to the US, though, differently from Pellegrini, I arrived here as an adult. Still, I read with interest his impressions of the New World and his thoughts on what he experienced. 

Pellegrini’s prose is pleasant and precise (in his “day job” he was an English professor), with the affectionate intensity typical of Italians when they talk about things that are dear to them. He was not part of any school of thought nor did he follow any fashion: with grace and kindness, he told things as he saw them and as he did them. When you read something in the book that sounds familiar, remember that he wrote it over 65 years ago.

I hope you will enjoy this food writing classic and will be inspired by it.

Note: As this book was originally published decades ago, it exists in various editions, the most recent of which is part of Random House's Modern Library Food series (the ebook is also available). I have the 1984 edition, which has an afterword by MFK Fisher, describing the rather inauspicious beginning of her acquaintance, and later friendship, with Pellegrini. 

Submissions for this round of Cook The Books are due by end-of-the-day Thursday, March 31, 2016. Anyone can join by reading the current selection, preparing a dish inspired by its contents and writing about it. Let me know when your entry post is up by commenting on this post and/or sending me an email at: simosite AT mac DOT com. 

New to Cook the Books? Check out our About and Guidelines pages or leave a question in the comments on this post. 

Simona, of Briciole

23 comments:

Debra Eliotseats said...

I've had my copy on the Kindle app for some time but I can't wait to delve into this, Simona. Looks like a great pick for CTB!

Simona Carini said...

Thank you Vicki and Debra. I hope you'll enjoy Pellegrini's style. He also gives a view of American cooking pre-WWII which is quite interesting.

Deb in Hawaii said...

Have my book and I'm looking forward to reading it. Love the historical aspects. ;-)

A Day in the Life on the Farm said...

I ordered it up from Kindle. Next in the queue to read. Thanks for hosting.

Simona Carini said...

Thank you Deb ad Wendy. I hope you'll enjoy Pellegrini's stories and his storytelling style.

Claudia said...

Thanks Simona, looks like an interesting read. Hoping to get a copy from the library.

Amy said...

Thanks for hosting this month! Here is my post for Mom's Vegetable Soup!
http://www.amyscookingadventures.com/2016/02/moms-vegetable-soup-cookthebooksclub.html

Simona Carini said...

I hope you'll like it, Claudia.

Wow, Amy: that was fast! Thank you so much for your contribution.

Alicia Foodycat said...

I'm enjoying this book so much! What a great pick. It's so contemporary!

Simona Carini said...

So glad to read you are enjoying the book, Alicia. I agree: if you didn't know when it was written you'd think Pellegrini is contemporary. Looking forward to reading your post.

A Day in the Life on the Farm said...

HI Simona,

My post is up at http://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2016/03/tossed-homemade-macaroni-noodles-for.html

Thanks so much for hosting this month. Feel free to pull a photo.

Mae Travels said...

I found Pelligrini to be a self-satisfied, male chauvanist boor. I wrote about it here:
http://maefood.blogspot.com/2008/05/prejudiced-palate.html

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Simona Carini said...

Thank you, Wendy.

We have published the next set of picks, Mae: maybe you'll find something inspiring among them.

Claudia said...

My post is now up: http://honeyfromrock.blogspot.com/2016/03/happy-st-pats-home-cured-corned-beef.html
It was an interesting memoir and, as you say, pre World War II history, how America looked to one immigrant.

Camilla M. Mann said...

I completely lost track of this! I'll try to get it done this week. Arrrgh. Sorry.

Camilla M. Mann said...

Just emailed you, Simona. Let me know if you didn't get it!

Simona Carini said...

Thank you Claudia!

Debra Eliotseats said...

Simona---Mine will be up tomorrow (Monday, March 28).
http://eliotseats.com/2016/03/28/italian-soup-for-ctb/ ‎

Thanks for hosting and recommending this book!

Simona Carini said...

Thank you, Debra, for your contribution!

Deb in Hawaii said...

My post is up! Thanks Simona for hosting--it resulted in some delicious time in the kitchen. ;-)

http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2016/03/tomato-fennel-soup-with-fennel-frond.html

Simona Carini said...

Thank you so much, Deb. Glad you had some nice time in the kitchen.

Simona Carini said...

And here's my contribution: http://www.pulcetta.com/2016/03/recipe-broccoli-parmigiano-angelo-pellegrini.html

Thank you all who've joined this edition of Cook the Books!
There is time until the end of March 31 to add your contribution.

A few people sent me an email with the link, so the roundup will be quite a feast.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Squeaking in under the wire http://foodycat.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/orecchiette-with-broccoli-proscuitto.html