an emphatic form of the Italian word minestra (one of two general terms for soup, the other being zuppa), refers to what is probably the best-known Italian soup, and certainly one of the most substantial. It has a high content of solid matter, including a range of vegetables, and pasta or rice, and may be regarded as a sort of Italian equivalent of Scotch broth.
As with most Italian soups, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese is almost obligatory, and helps to make the dish, taken with bread, a meal in itself.
The Genoese minestrone, as one would expect, has pesto as an ingredient. Other regional versions also have their distinguishing characteristics.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
