Bidspirit auction | [LITERATURE] - On Food and

[LITERATURE] - On Food and Wine: Pisanelli’s Early Gastronomy (Venice, 1584) - PISANELLI, BALDASSARRE - Trattato della natura de' cibi et del bere .. Nel quale non solo tutte le virtù, et i vitij di quelli minutamente si palesano; ma anco i rimedij per correggere i loro difetti copiosamente s'insegnano: tanto nell'apparecchiarli per l'uso, quanto nell'ordinare il modo di riceuerli. Venezia, Gio. Battista della Porta, 1584. 4to (cm 19), old vellum binding, rebacked, spine covered, with title on red morocco label, red edges, light browning and few marginal fingermarking, for else a good copy. Small device on title-page, text in cursive and roman type, within typographical border, ff. nn. 4 (1 is orig. blank), pp. 162 (mis-numbered, but 152). Second edition, basically the rare first trade edition, preceded only by a privately printed edition in Rome, of this very early cookery and gastronomy book, where the author describes the natural history, the usages, the qualities of fruits, vegetables (such as mushrooms, artichokes, truffles, fennel, cucumbers, etc.), meats, fish, cheese, etc., and gives information of the conditions under which such food and drinks should be used. The last section is devoted exclusively to wine, with its various types and usage. Westbury p. 173; Vicaire 682; Simon 1171; Oberlè n. 70 (1st edn.); B.IN.G. 1498.