Prolific and revered, cookbook author Marcella Hazan is considered one of the foremost authorities on Italian cooking. Julia Child valued her as her “mentor in all things Italian,” and for millions of Americans, she is the definitive source for Italian cooking wisdom.

Born in a small fishing village in Emilia-Romagna and trained as a scientist, Hazan never cooked until she married and moved to America with her husband, Victor. There, she worked tirelessly to recreate the Italian dishes she and Victor craved from home. She soon abandoned her career as a biologist and embarked on a career of teaching Italian cooking — eventually, in collaboration with Victor, authoring six landmark cookbooks that have become go-to references for home cooks and served as inspiration for professional chefs. Marcella transformed how Americans cooked Italian, introducing millions to authentic ingredients and traditional techniques. As uncompromising as she was beloved, Craig Claiborne wrote in the New York Times, “No one has ever done more to spread the gospel of pure Italian cookery in America.” In celebration of three momentous occasions: her 100th birthday year, Knopf's reissue of the indispensable cookbook Marcella's Italian Kitchen, and the release of the upcoming documentary film, MARCELLA, her son Giuliano Hazan along with two-time James Beard Award winner® Art Smith, celebrated chef and executive producer of the soon-to-be-released documentary, will be cooking a multi-course menu of Marcella’s most cherished recipes. Please join us as we pay tribute to an icon of Italian cooking and winner of the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award: the incomparable Marcella Hazan.

A sneak peek of the documentary, MARCELLA, will be previewed during the dinner with an introduction by director, Peter Miller. Peter is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning director and producer, as well as a longtime collaborator with America’s most celebrated historical filmmaker, Ken Burns.

Copies of Marcella's Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan: Updated Version with a Foreword by Molly Baz will be available for purchase from our partners at Kitchen Arts & Letters