L'arte Cucinaria in Italia. Trattato teorico pratico e dimostrativo della cucina italiana e delle principali straniere, applicabile a qualsiasi servizio sia per cucina di lusso che per quelle d'albergo e di famiglia, compilato per iniziativa del Circolo Gastronomico Milanese

Milano: Società Tipografico Wilmant, 1910. 2 volumes.  Tall 8vo.  275 x 200 mm., [10 ¾ x 7 ¾ inches]. XI, [1], 760 ]4 pp.; [6], 837, [1] pp.  Bound in modern half calf over marbled paper boards; title labels and gold tooling on spine.  Illustrated with numerous engravings throughout the text by E. Tornaghi and L. Pasisi.  Fine, clean copy with large margins.  First edition of an important publication of over 1600 pages, containing 4,377 recipes.  The translated title reads in part, The art of cooking in Italy. Theoretical, practical and demonstrative treatise on Italian cuisine and the main foreign ones.  It is a pioneering work in Italian and includes rescipes and instructions from many of the most important Italian chefs of the late 19th century. Cougnet (1850-1916), who was initially a sportswriter, gradually shifted his focus to gastronomy and in this project acted as editor, collecting the recipes of many of the most famous Italian chefs of his day (F. Berra, G. Molteni, C. Molina, G. Leoni, A. Pettini, F. Ambrosetti, P. Peruzzotti, L. Orlandi, G. Ciocca, E. Tornaghi, L. Pasini). A groundbreaking work, it represents the first significant attempt to assert a professional Italian gastronomic culture divorced from the hegemony of French haute cuisine. Cougnet was one of Italy's earliest systematic menu collectors; his trove is currently housed in the library of the Accademia Barilla.  He was the author of three other titles, which at a later date may be of interest to the collection.  These titles include: I:  I piaceri della tavola :  Contributo alla storia della cucina e della mensa.  Milano, 1903 The Pleasures of the table.  The evolution of cuisine in France & Italy in the early modern period, with a Description of the banquet tables of Carlo V and Louis XIV.  II:  Il pasticciere e confettiere moderno :  raccolta completa di ricette per ogni genere di biscotti, torte, paste al lievito, petit fours, confetteria, creme, frutti canditi, gelati, ecc. : con metodo pratico per la decorazione delle torte e dolci fantasia.   Milano, 1907.  The modern confectioner and confectioner: complete collection of recipes for all kinds of biscuits, cakes, yeast pastries, petit fours, confectionery, creams, candied fruits, ice creams, etc. : with a practical method for decorating fancy cakes and sweets. III:  Il ventre dei popoli.  Saggi di cucine etniche e nazionali.  Torino, 1905. The stomach of the People.  Essay on ethnic and national cuisine.  History of provincial Italian cooking and the influence of imported taste into the national cuisine.  Cougnet wrote a 60 pp. Introduction to the book authored by Giuseppe Ciocca.  For Cougnat's L'Art Cuicinaria in Italiana offered here, the OCLC cites copies at NY Academy of Medicine, Texas at Austin,  and Vermont. It is not cited in the NUC.    All his works are equally as rare in American libraries. Bitting 103, Benporat, Storia della gastronomia Italiana p. 407. .