There’s no debate that Italian cooking has always been delicious but it hasn’t always been unified. Before the late nineteenth century Italian dishes and cooking methods hadn’t really been compiled in any way, though that wouldn’t last for long. The first Italian cookbook, La Scienza in Cucina e L’arte di Mangiare Bene, or The Science of Cooking and the Art of Fine Dining arrived in northern Italian markets in 1891. This cookbook made the town in which it was published the holy land of Italian cooking.
Pellegrino Artusi, the author of the famous Italian cookbook and Forlimpopoli native, wrote his recipes in Italian for Italians. The cookbook incorporated easy to make dishes and humorous anecdotes, a testament to the value he placed in good food and living well. Because people often come together over good food, Artusi’s cookbook is often credited with the establishment of Italian cuisine and with unifying the nation.
Today, the citizens of Forlimpopoli celebrate Artusi’s legacy with an annual festival, the Festa Artusiana. The festival commences on the last Saturday of June and lasts for a total of nine food-filled days. To honor the famous Italian author and cook, the festival transforms the streets of Forlimpopoli into a sampling ground, giving food lovers everywhere the opportunity to try some of Artusi’s most famous recipes… without having to cook it themselves! The festival also holds various activities, like live music performances, plays and even contests. The contests recognize original contributions in gastronomy with the Artusi Award and celebrate that year’s best cook and four finalists with the Premio Marietta award. The winner of the Premio Marietta receives one thousand dollars, while the remaining finalists receive five pounds of pasta!
Italy’s long-lasting food traditions, in many ways, started with Artusi; by assembling the staples of Italian cuisine he was able to spread the knowledge of Italian cooking farther than ever before. Flipping through the mouth-watering recipes and the chuckle-worthy musings of Artusi, it’s easy to see his firm belief in the role of food in a good life shine through the pages. Since Artusi lived to be 91 years old, it’s obvious that he knew his stuff! Here at Christini’s we honor Artusi’s work everyday through our delicious dishes and our friendly atmosphere. Stop by one of the best italian restaurants Orlando and dive mouth first into Christini’s traditional Italian cuisine.