La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene di Pellegrino Artusi: un minestrone di generi cucinato benissimo

Abstract

Thanks to its digressive structure, La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene by Pellegrino Artusi is a work that intersects with a wide array of genres, a relationship examined here in a systematic approach taking into consideration both the single recipes and the book which contains them. In the former case, one can distinguish between an informative excursus, tending toward the commentary (which evokes short forms such as aphorisms and maxims), and digressions with a narrative orientation, which refer both to genres of personalization (non-fictional, such as the autobiography) and to those of objectification (fictional, such as the novella). There are also digressions with an ornamental function, aimed at embellishment, consisting of authorial quotations, mostly from classic sources. As for the collection in general, its affinity lies not in semi- or extra-literary genres, but rather in editorial typologies such as the almanac and the encyclopedia. Through this network of intertextual references, La scienza in cucina reveals itself as a complex yet functionally integrated work, best situated not within the domain of official literariness, but within that of popular informative publishing.