Latini was born in Collamato, now a
frazione of the town of
Fabriano, in the
province of Ancona, but at the time in the
Papal States. His cookbook,
Lo scalco alla moderna "the Modern Steward", (Naples, vol. I 1692, vol. II 1694), contains in its first volume the (surprisingly late) earliest surviving recipes for
tomato sauce, though he did not suggest serving it over
pasta. One of his tomato recipes is for sauce
alla spagnuola, "in the Spanish style". In his second volume Latini gives early recipes for
sorbetti. Latini had gone to
Rome at the age of sixteen, and worked his way up in the
familia or household of Cardinal Barberini. By turns assistant cook, waiter and wardrobe attendant, he learned the theatrical carving skills expected of a maître d'hôtel and swordsmanship as well. Mastering the arts of successively important stewardship positions, he was made a
Roman conte, a "Knight of the Golden Spur" for his service. After working in Rome and at courts in
Macerata,
Mirandola and
Faenza, Latini went to serve as
scalco, or household steward, to
Carillo Salcedo in 1682. In Naples Latini cast his net widely for the best products of the
Kingdom of Naples for Don Stefano's table. In
Lo scalco alla moderna a brief description of the
Regno listed fruits and local specialties in melons and game, oil and olives, vegetables and salads of "rare quality", drawn from Latini's professional experience from 25 locales, none of them as far afield as
Sicily, in fact mostly within a days journey of Naples:
Poggio Reale,
Chiaja,
Posillipo hills,
Pozzuoli,
Procida,
Ischia,
Capri,
Sorrento,
Vico,
Castell'a mare di Stabbia,
Torre del Greco, Granatiello,
Monte di Somma,
Orta,
Nola,
Aversa,
Cardito,
Arienzo,
Acerra,
Giugliano,
Capua,
Gaeta,
Venafro,
Sora,
Isola di Sora. Latini's manuscript autobiography, not included in
Lo scalco alla moderna, brings his personal career to light by sharing details of a kitchen career that had hitherto been unheard-of when they were first described in print by French gastronomist
Marie-Antoine Carême. A transcription that was made in 1690 was discovered in the city library of Fabriano and published by Furio Liccichenti. == Notes ==