Anna Del Conte
Encyclopedia
Anna Del Conte is an Italian-born food writer whose works cover the history of food as well as providing recipes. Resident in England
since 1949, she has been influential in raising the country’s awareness of Italian cuisine
: her 1976 Portrait of Pasta has been described as ‘the instrumental force in leading [the English] beyond the land of spag bol, macaroni cheese and tinned ravioli
’. Still in 2009 she remained critical of ‘Britalian’ cookery, however: mixing too many ingredients and suffering from the English palate’s liking for much stronger flavours, it lacked the subtleties of its Mediterranean original.
ese family; her father was a stockbroker and Anglophile, while her mother, with whom she had a tempestuous relationship, was of ‘good aristocratic stock’. Born three years after the March on Rome
, the Fascist
state ideology was a consistent presence in her early life: her father's work required him to be a member of the Fascist Party, and she has recalled having to wear ‘silly armbands and uniforms otherwise you couldn’t go to school’. After spending a part of the war years in Emilia-Romagna
– where twice she was arrested on suspicion of involvement with the partisans
, and where she was strafed by Allied fighter aircraft while cycling on a county road – the family returned to Milan. Here, having lost most of his money, her father returned to work while she studied history at the University of Milan
before moving to England
in 1949 to learn English while working as an au pair
. She has said that at the time food in Britain was not something you discussed but that you ate. In England she subsequently married Oliver Waley (1925 - 2007), and engaged in part-time work as the couple raised a family. She said on the BBC Radio 4 program, Desert Island Discs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vy3rr that though she had a few extra-marital affairs, there was loyalty and it was a good marriage.
In mid-life she turned to cookery writing. Her first book, Portrait of Pasta, was published in 1976. An adaptation of Marcella Hazan
’s Classic Italian Cookbook for a British readership followed and in 1984 The Gastronomy of Italy, an encyclopædic work covering the topic from the Roman period
to the present for which she was awarded the Duchessa Maria Luigia di Parma prize. Subsequent books included Entertaining all’Italiana (1991), shortlisted for the André Simon Award, and The Classic Food of Northern Italy (1995) which received the Orio Vergani prize from the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, as well as an award from the Guild of Food Writers
. In 2009 she published Risotto with Nettles: A Memoir with Food in which she places her recipes in the context of her memories of a life in Italy and England. She has also written many articles for Sainsbury’s Magazine, winning a Glenfiddich Award in 1999.
In an interview with the Guardian she said that she believed the British "lost their connection with good food through having had their industrial revolution so early. 'Ours came only after the second world war; until then, people had much more connection with the land.'" In that same interview she said, "I didn't set out to be a cookery writer. I wanted to be an opera singer. However, since I did not have much musical talent, it was rather unrealistic."
In her Desert Island Discs program she said that her husband was her 'chief taster' because he had a British palate, so could tell her what she could expect her readers to feel. She mentioned that she never did any TV cooking series because she felt she came over as a cold person and expressed her view that whatever you do you shouldn't serve bolognese
with spaghetti as it's just the wrong shape - tagliatelle is much better.
Anna Del Conte was awarded the honour of Ufficiale dell'Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana on June 2nd 2010. It was proposed to the President by the Italian Ambassador, Giancarlo Aragona, and the honour was given in recognition of the importance of Anna Del Conte's work in keeping alive Italy's good image in the U.K.
In 2011 Anna received from Nigella Lawson the Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement.
Currently, she lives in a barn conversion in a Dorset
shire village. but travels frequently to her native Italy.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
since 1949, she has been influential in raising the country’s awareness of Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
: her 1976 Portrait of Pasta has been described as ‘the instrumental force in leading [the English] beyond the land of spag bol, macaroni cheese and tinned ravioli
Ravioli
Ravioli are a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. The word ravioli is reminiscent of the Italian verb riavvolgere , though the two words are not...
’. Still in 2009 she remained critical of ‘Britalian’ cookery, however: mixing too many ingredients and suffering from the English palate’s liking for much stronger flavours, it lacked the subtleties of its Mediterranean original.
Life and works
Del Conte was born in 1925 into a prosperous and cultured MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese family; her father was a stockbroker and Anglophile, while her mother, with whom she had a tempestuous relationship, was of ‘good aristocratic stock’. Born three years after the March on Rome
March on Rome
The March on Rome was a march by which Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party came to power in the Kingdom of Italy...
, the Fascist
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
state ideology was a consistent presence in her early life: her father's work required him to be a member of the Fascist Party, and she has recalled having to wear ‘silly armbands and uniforms otherwise you couldn’t go to school’. After spending a part of the war years in Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
– where twice she was arrested on suspicion of involvement with the partisans
Italian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
, and where she was strafed by Allied fighter aircraft while cycling on a county road – the family returned to Milan. Here, having lost most of his money, her father returned to work while she studied history at the University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
before moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1949 to learn English while working as an au pair
Au pair
An au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use...
. She has said that at the time food in Britain was not something you discussed but that you ate. In England she subsequently married Oliver Waley (1925 - 2007), and engaged in part-time work as the couple raised a family. She said on the BBC Radio 4 program, Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vy3rr that though she had a few extra-marital affairs, there was loyalty and it was a good marriage.
In mid-life she turned to cookery writing. Her first book, Portrait of Pasta, was published in 1976. An adaptation of Marcella Hazan
Marcella Hazan
Marcella Hazan, maiden name Marcella Polini, is an Italian cookery writer who writes in English. Her cookbooks are credited with introducing the public in the United States and Britain to the techniques of traditional Italian cooking...
’s Classic Italian Cookbook for a British readership followed and in 1984 The Gastronomy of Italy, an encyclopædic work covering the topic from the Roman period
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
to the present for which she was awarded the Duchessa Maria Luigia di Parma prize. Subsequent books included Entertaining all’Italiana (1991), shortlisted for the André Simon Award, and The Classic Food of Northern Italy (1995) which received the Orio Vergani prize from the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, as well as an award from the Guild of Food Writers
Guild of Food Writers
The Guild of Food Writers is the professional association of food writers and broadcasters in the United Kingdom. It has over 390 authors, broadcasters, columnists and journalists amongst its members.-Activities:The Guild:...
. In 2009 she published Risotto with Nettles: A Memoir with Food in which she places her recipes in the context of her memories of a life in Italy and England. She has also written many articles for Sainsbury’s Magazine, winning a Glenfiddich Award in 1999.
In an interview with the Guardian she said that she believed the British "lost their connection with good food through having had their industrial revolution so early. 'Ours came only after the second world war; until then, people had much more connection with the land.'" In that same interview she said, "I didn't set out to be a cookery writer. I wanted to be an opera singer. However, since I did not have much musical talent, it was rather unrealistic."
In her Desert Island Discs program she said that her husband was her 'chief taster' because he had a British palate, so could tell her what she could expect her readers to feel. She mentioned that she never did any TV cooking series because she felt she came over as a cold person and expressed her view that whatever you do you shouldn't serve bolognese
Bolognese sauce
Bolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy. It is traditionally used to dress tagliatelle and is one of the two sauces used to prepare "lasagne alla Bolognese"...
with spaghetti as it's just the wrong shape - tagliatelle is much better.
Anna Del Conte was awarded the honour of Ufficiale dell'Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana on June 2nd 2010. It was proposed to the President by the Italian Ambassador, Giancarlo Aragona, and the honour was given in recognition of the importance of Anna Del Conte's work in keeping alive Italy's good image in the U.K.
In 2011 Anna received from Nigella Lawson the Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement.
Currently, she lives in a barn conversion in a Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
shire village. but travels frequently to her native Italy.
External links
- An interview for the BBC Radio 4 programme, Woman’s Hour.