Author Description

"This volume explores how womens' relationships with food have been represented in Italian literature, theater, film, advertising, visual arts and other forms of cultural expression from the nineteenth century to the present. Contributions offer a close reading of the symbolic meanings associated with food and of the way these intersect with Italian women's socio-cultural history and the feminist movement, addressing issues of gender, identity and politics of the body. With case studies that look at Sophia Loren to an analysis of women and food in Italian chef's cookbooks, the collection presents a comprehensive understanding of the unique contribution Italian culture has made to perceiving and portraying women in a specific relation to food. Looking at how Italian women have been portrayed cooking and serving meals to others, while denying themselves the pleasure of the table, these essays help us understand the role food and food-related-activities have in women's lives"--