Francesco Leonardi

Francesco Leonardi (* around 1730 in Rome , † after 1816) was an Italian cook and culinary author.

Life

Around 1750 Leonardi went to Paris to cook in Marshal Richelieu's kitchen . Then he returned to Italy, to Naples to the Prince of Francavilla and Marquis of Oria . In 1772 he was hired by Cardinal De Bernis , a French envoy to the Holy See . He cooked for high military personnel in the Louis XV Army . Then he traveled with General Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov through Europe and followed him to Saint Petersburg in 1778 . In 1783 he became Empress Catherine II's cook . Because of the harsh climate, he returned to Italy.

Here he devoted himself to writing his work in six volumes, L'Apicio moderna ( The modern Apicius , or the art of preparing all kinds of dishes ). The first edition was published in Rome in 1790 and reissued in 1807, supplemented by two more volumes on Italian cuisine. He later began to write a new work, the Dizionario Ragionato delle alimentari ( Food Encyclopedia ), of which only three volumes have survived, published in Rome in 1795 by the publisher Paolo Giunchi.

Leonardi was the first great chef to describe the classic Neapolitan combination of pasta with tomato sauce . His tomato sauce made from strained tomatoes, onions , celery , garlic and basil is still the basis of many Italian dishes today.

Works

• 1790: L'apicio moderno, ossia l'arte di appreastare ogni sorta di vivande in 6 volumi ( The modern Apicius , or the art of preparing all kinds of food in six volumes )
• 1795: Dizionario ragionato degli alimenti ( food lexicon )
• 1817: Gianina, ossia la cuciniera delle Alpi ( Gianina, the Alpine kitchen )
• 1826: Il cuciniere perfetto italiano ( The perfect Italian cook )
• 1827: Tonkin, ossia il credenziere cinese ( Tonkin, the Chinese waiter )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} academiabarilla.it: L'APICIO MODERNO I-VI (1790)
2. ↑ taccuinistorici.it: L'Apicio moderno ... - Francesco Leonardi