Marcella Hazan
Marcella Hazan is a prominent Italian-American cooking teacher, author, and food critic. Her books, which have become staples for many home cooks, are seen as essential for learning and understanding the principles of professional Italian cooking. Her instructional methods and descriptions of classic Italian dishes have influenced countless home cooks and professional chefs, and her books and essays have provided generations of readers with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of Italian cooking.
Born Marcella Polini in Cesenatico, Italy, in 1924, Marcella Hazan lived a life that spanned the two cultures, having spent her childhood in Italy, and later immigrating to the United States. Her childhood home was strongly impacted by the Second World War, and it provided her with an appreciation for simple ingredients and a “less is more” approach to food. She first studied chemistry in college but ultimately pursued educational opportunities in the area of literature. After marrying political scientist Victor Hazan in 1955, the couple moved to New York in the mid-1960s. As Hazan wrote in her autobiography, 'Amarcord: Marcella Remembers', "Italian cooking was to be our shared language..."
Hazan taught cooking classes in New York and Long Island, and established the New York Cooking School in 1973 with her husband. These courses laid the groundwork for her monumental three-book series, 'The Classic Italian Cookbook', 'More Classic Italian Cooking', and 'Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking'. The first of the series was published in 1973, with 'More Classic Italian Cooking' first released in 1978 and 'Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking' in 1992. In all three books, Hazan provided a comprehensive approach to Italian cooking. She described the fundamentals, taught readers the bases of Italian cuisine and gave her readers recipes for each course of a meal. In addition to her books, Hazan wrote several essays, including her popular New York Times-released 'Marriage of Tomato Sauce and Butter’.
The books and essays also provided details about Hazan’s own status as an Italian-born American, and her ability to meld the two worlds of cooking. Her mission was to export the secrets of classic Italian cuisine to her new American home, and she did so in a way that made the style of cooking approachable to home chefs, while never compromising on the authenticity of the recipes.
Hazan provided readers with a unique and specific understanding of the Italian way of cooking, focusing on the relationship between simplicity and flavor. The strategic use of a simple set of ingredients, often just a few well-chosen ingredients, provided clear shortcuts to creating flavorful dishes. One example of this is her world-famous recipe for spaghetti with canned tomatoes, butter and onion. In her book 'Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking', Hazan wrote, “The success of the dish hinges on how effectively the flavors of the tomatoes and onion are released into the butter.” This simple yet effective approach to making flavorful dishes continues to be an inspiration to countless cooks.
In addition to the remarkable success of her cookbooks and essays, Hazan was also the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including Italy’s highest honor, the Order of Merit, in 2005. Also, the Author’s Guild Foundation named Hazan its recipient of the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Indeed, Marcella Hazan has become a legend in the world of Italian cooking. Her books and essays remain a major influence in the cooking world, providing readers with both the fundamental knowledge of Italian cuisine, as well as an understanding of the Italian-American experience. Her insistence on the importance of simple cooking techniques and fresh ingredients, combined with her passionate love of Italian flavors and traditions, have helped define Italian cooking for generations of cooks. Her words, recipes, and loving tributes to classic Italian meals will remain timeless for years to come.
