My first tiny books, paperback, now soiled and gray. I read them cover to cover. No pictures, just passion...
I learned so much from her.

Here is a link that might be useful: Changed the Way Americans Cook ...

Oh, that is sad.

Oh, I'm heartbroken. I have such lovely memories of Marcella.

A friend and I took one of her cooking classes. It must have been 1985, because it was not long after my mother had passed away. For some reason, someone mentioned Marcella's birthday and my tears started flowing - her birthday was the same day and year as my mom's.

Marcella noticed, came over to me, kissed me on both cheeks, and said "Now pay attention to the tagliatelle!"

She was a lovely, feisty lady (and a great teacher). I still think of her often when I'm in the kitchen.

My favorite food personality.

dcarch

I'm sorry to say that until Sleevendog linked to one of her recipes this morning I had never heard of her. A search on this site comes up with a handful of recipes. I'll have to "look her up." I guess yet another cook I will regret not "knowing" in her time.

Loved her , her techniques and her cook books. Think I'll go get one of her cook books I have here and do a little bed time reading.

RIP Marcella

I'm sorry to hear this. I had heard of her, but didn't know about her. Thank you for the links. Thank you Marcella for changing US cooking for the better.

I have never heard of her either. I plan to check out the library for any of her books. Sounds like she enjoyed a wonderful life.

This is the first I've heard of it. A shame. Her cookbook 'Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking' is one of my 'desert isle' cookbooks. Everything I've ever cooked from it has been very good, and some dishes have been outstanding.

One of her recipes which has been frequently posted and reposted on this forum follows. If you're not familiar with Marcella, try this extremely simple but fantastic dish, and it will make you a convert. If you have access to a free range or other gourmet chicken, this will be indescribably good, but it will elevate even a humble supermarket chicken to greatness.

Chicken with Lemons from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Marcella sez: If this were a still life its title could be "Chicken with Two Lemons." That is all that there is in it. No fat to cook with, no basting to do, no stuffing to prepare, no condiments except for salt and pepper. After you put the chicken in the oven you turn it just once. The bird, its two lemons, and the oven do all the rest. Again and again, through the years, I met people who come up to me to say, "I have made your chicken with two lemons and it is the most amazingly simple recipe, the juiciest, best-tasting chicken I have ever had." And you know, it is perfectly true
.
Ingredients
A 3- to 4-pound chicken
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
2 rather small lemons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, both inside and out. Remove all the bits of fat hanging loose. Let the bird sit for about 10 minutes on a slightly tilted plate to let all the water drain out of it. Pat it thoroughly dry all over with cloth or paper towels.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and black pepper on the chicken, rubbing it with your fingers over all its body and into its cavity.

Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them with a towel. Soften each lemon by placing it on a counter and rolling it back and forth as you put firm downward pressure on it with the palm of your hand. Puncture the lemons in at least 20 places each, using a sturdy round toothpick, a trussing needle, a sharp-pointed fork, or similar implement.

Place both lemons in the bird’s cavity. Close up the opening with toothpicks or with trussing needle and string. Close it well, but don’t make an absolutely airtight job of it because the chicken may burst. Run kitchen string from one leg to the other, tying it at both knuckle ends. Leave the legs in their natural position without pulling them tight. If the skin is unbroken, the chicken will puff up as it cooks, and the string serves only to keep the thighs from spreading apart and splitting the skin.

Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast facing down. Do not add cooking fat of any kind. This bird is self-basting, so you need not fear it will stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the preheated oven. After 30 minutes, turn the chicken over to have the breast face up. When turning it, try not to puncture the skin. If kept intact, the chicken will swell like a balloon, which makes for an arresting presentation at the table later. Do not worry too much about it, however, because even if it fails to swell, the flavor will not be affected.
Cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, then turn the oven thermostat up to 400 degrees, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Calculate between 20 and 25 minutes total cooking time for each pound. There is no need to turn the chicken again.

Whether your bird has puffed up or not, bring it to the table whole and leave the lemons inside until it is carved and opened. The juices that run out are perfectly delicious. Be sure to spoon them over the chicken slices. The lemons will have shriveled up, but they still contain some juice; do not squeeze them, they may squirt.

Ahead-of-time note: If you want to eat it while it is warm, plan to have it the moment it comes out of the oven. If there are leftovers, they will be very tasty cold, kept moist with some of the cooking juices and eaten not straight out of the refrigerator, but at room temperature.

I was introduced to her writings by the chef of an Italian restaurant. I've posted many of his recipes, most of which came from the time he spent with Ms. Hazan. Her Classic Italian book is absolutely a go-to for me and have never been disappointed with the results. Lovely lady who has enhanced the cooking world of the U.S.

Not long ago i was linked to another food forum. Not sure what one but i came across a long post where they dedicated it to Marcella dishes...finding one, and so simple, but not changing a thing, (as we often do). No need to. The simplicity and the writing, gives a connection and a true understanding of the basics.
I did not know that she was not comfortable writing in english. Her husband did the translation.
A true collaboration and makes sense to me now.
Way before the internet and recipes with pics, she guided me through my first porcini risotto.
Just words and fully understood.

I'm afraid I'm one of those that had never heard of her until now. I'm very sorry to have missed out on her talents. I did a search for her name on our local library's website, and it came up empty. I'll have to look for her cookbook somewhere, though. I love Italian food.

Sally

That chicken recipe is lovely because it's showing proper respect for good quality ingredients. Not adding too much.
My kind of food.