Food & Love: Marcella Hazan

Victor and Marcella.

(Image: Giuliano Hazan)

All Things Considered did a beautiful story today remembering Marcella Hazan, the noted Italian cook and writer who recently passed away at the age of 89. It is not only a wonderful life story, but a wonderful love story of a woman--a trained biologist--who learned to cook the meals of her Italian homeland out of necessity to feed her food-loving husband. Out of boredom, she began taking a Chinese cooking class. She would go on to teach an Italian cooking class, which eventually led to a cookbook deal, followed by several more. Always by her side was her husband and biggest supporter, Victor. Hazan is responsible for making famous a very simple chicken and lemon dish, which is often lauded as the best chicken dish of all time. After the recipe was first published in a women's magazine, Hazan received letters from women saying that, after making the dish for their boyfriend, they received a marriage proposal. The magazine later reran the recipe with the new title "Engagement Chicken."

(Image: The New Yorker)