Bartolomeo Scappi (ca. 1500-1577) was a great Italian cook. Born in Dumenza, in the province of Varese, he worked at the service of various cardinals before reaching the height of his career as chef for Pope Pius V. Scappi also published a cooking essay that is considered the most important of his time.

Philosophy historian Tullio Gregory, in his introduction to June Di Schino and Furio Luccichenti's "Il cuoco segreto dei Papi: Bartolomeo Scappi e la Confraternita dei cuochi e dei pasticceri" (Gangemi, Rome 2008), notes that "Bartolomeo Scappi is so closely associated with his work in cooking and presenting food, that the most important parts of his biography can be found in his book. His life as Pius V's 'secret cook' is told in his recipes, in the dishes he served to important personalities during sumptuous banquets, and in the palaces and courts where he was hired."

Read more

Source: http://www.italianways.com/