Adolphe Fosset, Enciclopedia domestica concernente le arti, i mestieri, l'economia rurale e domestica, ed applicabili a tutti gli stati e in tutte le occorrenze della vita, tratta dalle opere de' più celebri autori francesi (Domestic Encyclopedia of arts, professions, rural and domestic economy as applicable to all aspects and situations of life, from the works of the most famous French authors)

Fuligno: per i tipi del Tomasini, 1825-1828., 18 voll. BUC, BB-29, vol. XIII

Between the XVIII and the XIX Centuries, Frenchman Adolphe Fosset was an active divulgator of the latest technological and scientific discoveries in the fields of Hygiene and Domestic Sciences. Fosset’s Encyclopedia is a rich mosaic of all of the useful and diverse knowledge required in order to efficiently manage a household as if it were a small company: rural and domestic economics, hygiene, good manners [etiquette] and medicine are all skills that can contribute to the overall health as well as the good social standing of a family. The work illustrates wine-making methods, small crafts and many recipes, from the “Ricetta di similar l’ananas con le mele renette” [how to make fake pineapples by using apples], to the various kinds of vinegar and marzipan, to how to cure gout, emergency medicine, the preparation of ointments, jams, etc.

The pages here on display, from vol. XIII, present the reader with some culinary hints on how to cook codfish, a salted delicacy that was very popular throughout the European continent. The text refers to Occitan recipes and to those of its bordering regions, typically prepared with butter and béchamel and then deep fried. The dietary trends from beyond the Alps became very popular also in Umbria. The edition here on display was printed in Foligno by a family of typographers, the Tomassinis, who were specialized in works concerning both the scientific and the agricultural fields.