15 Facts About Marcella Hazan

Marcella Hazan was an Italian cooking writer whose books were published in English.

Marcella Hazan's cookbooks are credited with introducing the public in the United States and the United Kingdom to the techniques of traditional Italian cooking.

Marcella Hazan was considered by chefs and fellow food writers to be the doyenne of Italian cuisine.

Marcella Hazan earned double undergraduate degrees natural sciences and biology from the University of Ferrara and the University of Padua.

In 1955, she married Victor Marcella Hazan, an Italian-born, New York-raised Sephardic Jew who subsequently gained fame as a wine writer, and the couple moved to New York City a few months later.

Marcella Hazan began by using cookbooks from Italy, but then realized that her clear memory of the flavors she had tasted at home allowed her to reproduce them herself.

Marcella Hazan began giving cooking lessons in her apartment and opened her own cooking school, the School of Classic Italian Cooking, in 1969.

Marcella Hazan published her first book, The Classic Italian Cook Book, in 1973.

Marcella Hazan wrote in Italian, and her books were translated by her husband.

Marcella Hazan's cookbooks concentrate on strictly traditional Italian cookery, without American or British influence.

Marcella Hazan's celebrated recipe for Italian tomato sauce is frequently cited by the cooking section of the New York Times.

Marcella Hazan helped popularize balsamic vinegar in the USA, something she later regretted because she thought people were overusing it.

In 1998, Marcella Hazan retired from her cooking school, and she and Victor moved to Longboat Key, Florida.

Marcella Hazan died from complications of emphysema at her home in Longboat Key on September 29,2013.

Marcella Hazan's son, Giuliano, is a noted cookery writer and teacher.