Futurist meals comprised a cuisine and style of dining advocated by some members of the Futurist movement, particularly in Italy. These meals were first proposed in Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and Luigi Colombo Fillia's Manifesto of Futurist Cooking, published in Turin's Gazzetta del Popolo on December 28, 1930. In 1932, Marinetti and Fillìa expanded upon these concepts with The Futurist Cookbook. Concept According to Marinetti, he developed his concept of Futurism on October 11, 1908, while he was pondering the liberation of the Italian lyrical genius. He concluded that, for this to happen, it is necessary to change the method by going down into the streets, by attacking the theaters, and by bringing "the fist into the midst of the artistic struggle." When he introduced Futurist cooking, it was directed at combining gastronomy and art as well as the transformation of dining into a performance art. The Futurist movement recognized that people "think, dream and act according to what they eat and drink" so cooking and eating needed to become subservient to the proper aesthetic experience that Futurism favored. It has been associated with the notion of avant-garde in the sense that Futurist banquets are seen as great performances. Futurist food is also considered a means to address political and social issues. Marinetti's Manifesto has been described as a satirical polemic more than a cooking manual and was published in response to the Italian economic needs during the Depression. As it expects the overturning of set patterns, some of its more interesting ideas for the realm of cuisine include the rejection of pasta, as it causes lassitude, pessimism and lack of passion. The omission is in preparation for war as it is seen as a novel way to strengthen the Italian race. The historian Carol Helstosky explains that "the Futurist proposal to abolish pasta was intended to transform Italians from pasta-eating brigands and mandolin players to modern, active citizens. The abolition of pasta would also reduce Italy’s dependence on foreign wheat supplies." This was also in accordance with Benito Mussolini's "Battle for Wheat," begun in 1925, which aimed to decrease Italian dependence on foreign wheat. Another idea in the Manifesto establishes that perfect meals require two elements: originality and harmony in table setting. Futurists maintain that these include all implements, food aesthetics and tastes, and absolute originality in the food. Marinetti also stressed the importance of sculpted foods, including meats whose