Marcella Hazan died last week at her Florida home. She was 89. Remarkable woman. She changed the way America thought about, cooked and ate Italian food. When Marcella began her American career a number of decades ago, Parmesan cheese came in cans (and it wasn’t really Parmesan) and American Italian cooking was based on spaghetti (even the word pasta was alien) and meatballs plus hefty cream, garlic and tomato sauces. Italian restaurants were described as “red sauce” joints. Through her cookbooks, cooking classes and cooking demonstrations, Marcella opened up the eyes of America to the reality and vibrancy of true Italian food: simple, fresh, healthy, ingredient-driven and, most of all, delicious. HG/BSK have relied upon Marcella’s recipes for pork roast braised in milk; vitello tonnato; pureed chickpea soup; Bolognese ragu; mushroom pasta sauce (Marcella’s recipe takes supermarket, bland mushrooms and invests them with torrents of earthy flavor)–and much more. Some 30 years ago, HG/BSK conducted a public relations campaign for one of Marcella’s books. In connection with this, HG/BSK visited Marcella and her husband, Victor, in their Venice apartment. It was a marvelous space with a beautiful kitchen tucked under ancient wooden beams and windows that looked upon scenic vistas of La Serenissima. The terrace contained a magnificent barbecue. HG/BSK accompanied Marcella on a shopping tour of the markets beneath the Rialto Bridge. She selected the freshest fish and crustaceans; vegetables, fruit, cheese, bread and charcuterie. Back in the apartment, Marcella created a meal that was simple — but, like all wonderful food, complex in that simplicity. The centerpiece was a zuppa di pesce, the best fish stew HG/BSK ever tasted (or will ever taste). BSK took scores of photos. As a person, Marcella was talented, imperious and not very likeable. For instance, she was without a shred of sympathy when she learned that BSK was allergic to shrimp; and was furious that she had to eliminate them from her fish stew. The dining group drank a very good Pinot Grigio during the meal (husband Victor was a noted wine writer) but Marcella stuck to her pre-dinner beverage (Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey) much to Victor’s annoyance. The next day she was on better behavior at a business lunch in the nearby industrial city of Mestre. HG has a vivid memory of the tender poached baby octopi devoured at that meal. Alas, the public relations campaign (for a variety of complicated reasons) did not turn out well and HG/BSK’s business relations with the Hazans ended abruptly. Though HG/BSK did not have a happy personal relationship with Marcella, HG/BSK admired her. Marcella was a brilliant woman. She had great honesty and integrity and did not believe in cooking shortcuts. BSK recalls a visit to Marcella and Victor’s Manhattan apartment. Marcella presented BSK with a tomato and an old fashioned vegetable peeler and suggested BSK peel the tomato. Peel a tomato? BSK had never done such a thing. Marcella was exasperated but, with painstaking care, she demonstrated how to swivel the peeler so as to remove the skin and not harm the fruit. Marcella did not pander or attempt to become a loveable television “personality.” She loved Italy and its culture and brought that passion to America’s kitchens and tables. While stern, Marcella was not rigid. She told BSK: “A recipe is not carved in stone. It is a suggestion. Use it and make it your own.”
