Marcella Hazan was the Italian superhero in the Judith Jones cookbook universe that dominated food publishing from the 1960s through the early 2000s. Like the other members of that league of extraordinary cooks, Hazan called on the powers of fresh ingredients and homemade stock to fight the scourge of convenience food that had held American kitchens in thrall for most of the 20th century.

Each member of the league fought the evils of corporate cooking in her own way. Julia Child was patient and genial and armed with plenty of wine. Madhur Jaffrey was witty and self-deprecating and wielded a vast array of spices. Claudia Roden’s weapon was deep scholarship, and Edna Lewis called on the tremendous power of nostalgia.