This week, we discuss FT Marinetti and Fillia's Futurist Cookbook. This very strange book from 1932 combines the Manifesto of Futurist Cooking, various contemporary newspaper and magazine responses to the futurists' culinary experiments, and many, many recipes and futurist-inspired scenes of possible meals.
As we say at the front, the futurists were giant, enthusiastic fascists with terrible ideas, and we're not saying that's ok. This weird little book, however, is a bizarre delight. Ignoring the underlying desire to keep Italy as strong as possible so they could conquer the world, the food and presentation are so unpleasant and nonsensical that many debate whether Marinetti and Fillia were serious or kidding.
NOTES / DON'T @ US:
- The version we have is the 2014 edition from the "On the Table" series from Sternberg Press in Berlin. Charlotte Birnbaum is the series editor and Barbara McGilvray is the translator.
- Just in case you didn't read the previous paragraph: Hey, don't be a fascist! They're not cool or clever. Stupid internet turning kids into fascists. Grumble, grumble.
