The Cook's Decameron

A novel with two hundred Italian recipes inside it: ten friends dine together for ten days, argue about food and cooks and country, and each day's talk ends in the day's menu.

Table of Contents

Certain Ausonian Feasts

PREFACE MONTAIGNE in one of his essays¹ mentions the high excellence Italian cookery had attained in his day. "I have entered into this…

Recipes

14 pages

Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb, &C

72. Manzo alla Certosina (Fillet of Beef).

Head, Liver, Sucking Pig, &C

122 . 77. Manzo Marinato Arrosto 122 . . 78. Manzo con sugo di Bar- 95. Timballo alla Romana 96. Timballo alla Lombarda 129 97. Lingua alla…

Rabbit, &C

151. Coniglio alla Provenzale (Rabbit) 150 141 152. Coniglio arrostito alla Corradino (Roast 141 Rabbit) . 150 142 153. Coniglio in salsa…

Omelettes and Other Egg

DISHES 200. Uova ai Tartufi (Eggs with Truffles) 201. Uova al Pomidoro (Eggs and Tomatoes). 202. Uova ripiene (Canapés 167 167 157 of Egg)…

Sweets and Cakes

6 pages

New Century Sauce

3 pages

The First Day

2 pages

The Second Day

2 pages

The Third Day

3 pages

The Fourth Day

THE Colonel was certainly the most severely critical member of the company. Up to the present juncture he had been sparing of censure, and…

The Fifth Day

THE following day was very warm, and some half-dozen of the party wandered into the garden after lunch and took their coffee under a big…

The Sixth Day

3 pages

The Seventh Day

2 pages

The Eighth Day

6 pages

The Ninth Day

"SINCE I have been associated with the production of a dinner, I have had my eyes opened as to the complicated nature of the task, and the…

The Tenth Day

5 pages

The Cook's

6 pages

Tongue, Sweetbread, Calf's

10 pages

Fowl, Duck, Game, Hare

15 pages

Macaroni, Rice, Polenta, And

3 pages

Egg Dishes

4 pages

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of The Cook's Decameron (1901) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.