The Classic Italian Cookbook

The Classic Italian Cookbook
Average customer rating:

Probaby THE most essential book on Italian cuisine in the English language

Excellent choice for a beginning cook

Pass (on) the salt

Simple, delicious, and well written.

Essential

The Classic Italian Cookbook
Marcella Hazan
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Italian | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Marcella Says...: Italian Cooking Wisdom from the Legendary Teacher's Master Classes, with 120 of Her Irresistible New Recipes

ASIN: 0394405102
Release Date: 1976-02-12

Amazon.com

Perhaps more than any other person, Marcella Hazan is responsible for bringing Italian cuisine into the homes of American cooks. We're not talking spaghetti and meatballs here--Hazan's cuisine consists of polenta, risotto, squid braised with tomatoes and white wine, sautéed swiss chard with olive oil and garlic.... Twenty years ago, when Hazan first exploded into the American consciousness with The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, such recipes were revolutionary. With time, however, these classic dishes have become much-beloved family favorites.

Now a new generation is ready to be introduced to Marcella Hazan's way with food, and in Essentials of Italian Cooking Hazan combines her two earlier works into one update and expanded volume. In addition to the delicious collection of recipes, this book serves as a basic manual for cooks of every skill level. Recipes have been revised to reduce fat content, and a whole new chapter full of fundamental information about herbs, spices, and cheeses used in Italian kitchens--as well as details on how to select specific ingredients--has been added. New chapters, new recipes--who could ask for more than Essentials of Italian Cooking?

Customer Reviews:

Probaby THE most essential book on Italian cuisine in the English language.......2007-08-20

Among serious home cooks and many professional chefs, Hazan's book is widely considered to be one of THE essential books on Italian cuisine.

All of her recipes are well written, well explained, well organized, and the flavors are well honed and she's obviously been making (and teaching) them over and over again for years ... and as a result, her book has a polished and reliable feel to it. Even if you momentarily lose your way and are faced with a leap of faith on some ingredient or technique, you quickly learn to trust Mrs Hazan's advice and experience, because she earns it the hard way.

Her recipes range from the basic and reliable, to the sublime.

Classic Risotto ? It's in there.

Want to make various types of fresh pasta from scratch ? It's in there.

Braised Pork Chops in Browned Sage Butter ? A fabulous recipe. I loved it so much that I went out and bought a $160+ top of the line heavy duty covered saute pan in order to do it proper justice, and to be able to serve 4 people at a time.

If you're the sort of foodie who understands and appreciates the differences between "Classic Italian" and "Italian-American" cuisine, and if you cook either at home with any degree of regularity, then this is THE book for you.

All glowing praise aside, I do have a few minor nits:

1) Although this book represents a welcome giant step beyond mere "Italian American" in the direction of Classic and Authentic Italian, the authoress could have gone still further, but didn't. For instance - there's not nearly as much focus on seafood in this book as there is in Italy. Also, sausage making dealt with fairly minimally, and Offal is barely mentioned at all. For those sort of things, you need to go to a hardcore gourmand chef like Mario Batali. Most mainstream home cooks won't bat an eye missing such things, so I can't really complain too vigorously ... but I adore offal, and I noticed its absence.

2) Marcella is most assuredly old school - and you either love or hate that. I happen to love it, but I thought it worth mentioning. Case in point - all pasta in this book is made the old fashioned way ... flour, egg yolks, and rolling pin, and occasionally a dowel or (if you're really a geek) a chitarra. You wont find any mention of taking shortcuts with semolina flour and water, or using food processors or electric rollers/extruders in this book, and if you were to ask her in person she'd probably shake her finger at you in a disapproving fit of apoplexy, while remarking that pasta that's extruded like [...] matter will taste like it too. Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much. Anyway, hardcore traditionalists love and admire her for her commitment to traditional techniques.

Glowingly recommended.

Excellent choice for a beginning cook.......2007-08-11

When I started learning how to cook, this was the first cookbook that gave me reliably good results. Hazan's instructions are scrupulously clear, so that even fairly involved recipes like polenta and home-made pasta will come out right the first time. She tells you when some or all of the steps in a recipe can be completed ahead of time. (I wish more cookbooks did this.) She also tells you when you may substitute ingredients and when you may not--e.g., when you may use canned beef broth instead of home-made. Her advice can sound snobbish, but it is correct. The roasted bell pepper sauce with garlic and basil is sublime when made with freshly grated parmiggiano-reggiano cheese. Made with domestic parmesan, even if freshly grated, the sauce is merely nourishing. The book also offers helpful advice on how to match pastas with sauces and on how to put together a collection of dishes that will make up an authentically Italian meal.

In general, my experience has been that if I like the ingredients that go into a recipe, I will find the results at least pleasant and often delicious. I can't say that about many other cookbooks. Among the best recipes in the book are those for chick pea soup (non-vegetarian), sage and butter sauce with home-made fettuccine, risotto with celery, frittate with onions, braised pork chops with sage and tomatoes. , sauteed swiss chard stalks, and olive oil cake (accurately described as "surprising and savory"). The introduction to the chapter on salads is also most helpful. Since learning how to dress a salad in the Italian style, with salt, oil, and the slightest drizzle of wine vinegar, I've never had the desire to purchase a salad dressing.

Pass (on) the salt.......2007-07-25

Much as I love Italian food and the preparation thereof, I often find this book frustratingly unclear in its recipes.

It is also very old-fashioned as far as nutrition goes. For example, if prepared to the book's specifications, many dishes we tried tasted overwhelmingly salty to us--and we don't generally even make a conscious effort to avoid salt in our diets.

Simple, delicious, and well written........2007-06-26

After reading all the positive reviews here on amazon, I mentioned this book to my sister, who gave it to me for my birthday. I've rarely been happier with a cookbook. The recipes are very simple, not too many ingredients, but the way they combine is delicious, and many can easily be expanded upon or slightly altered (though I really recommend trying all of them in their simple forms first, as the way they are cooked and the advice on selection of ingredients lends them unexpected complexity).

I've so far cooked several of the pasta sauces, two of the pizza recipes, and the unique layered crespelle, and all have been delicious and not difficult to make (most can be made with one sauté pan, a wooden spoon, and a good knife). Even more helpful than the recipes themselves is the essentials section which offers a very good guide to what italian home cooking essentially consists of, ingredient selection (which includes some surprising things, given common American understanding of Italian cooking and common restaurant practices here), basic technique, and so forth. Each section also includes an introduction to the book's approach to it, and most recipes have a description of the region or city the dish is from with some interesting tidbits about them to give the reader a frame of reference.

I've never been to Italy, so I cannot attest to the book's authenticity, but it certainly gives the appearance of being very well-researched, and those I know who have been to Italy have given me very positive feedback on the dishes I've made from it. On the whole Hazan's work is scholarly in its rigor, but approachable and appreciable in its style and lack of pretense.

Essential.......2007-02-24

Last Fall three women and I went to Italy; my first time but it will not be my last. I fell in love with Italy and her people. For Christmas my husband bought this book and her son's How to Cook Italian at my request. Neither book let me down. For me, together they are my bibles for true Italian cooking. Every recipe has been delicious! There is soooo much information; it's mind boggling but wonderful; there's so much to soak up. I recommend both books wholeheartedly; you will not be disappointed.

The Classic Pasta Cookbook (Classic Cookbooks)

Average customer rating:

One of the best cookbooks EVER
One of the best
Must Have!
GREAT Book
Best receipie book I have

The Classic Pasta Cookbook (Classic Cookbooks)
Giuliano Hazan
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Pasta | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1564582922

Amazon.com

A born teacher, Hazan gives clear and easy to follow instructions for making pasta and for cooking more than 100 pasta dishes. Luscious color photos in this large-format book lavishly show all about Italian pasta, from making fresh egg pasta to why particular shapes pair best with certain kinds of sauces. Published in 1993, The Classic Pasta Cookbook remains an ideal way to develop and perfect your pasta repertoire. There are classic recipes, plus dishes like Spaghetti with Leeks, Shallots and Red Onions, and Puttanesca Bianca.

Book Description

Features more than 100 recipes from all regions of Italy.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best cookbooks EVER.......2005-11-28

Ever wonder why the food in Italy is so good when it seems so simple? The secret is good technique combined with locally-fresh ingredients. I love to cook, I love French food the best and I love complicated food, but I love a simple pasta just as well. I am also very visually oriented. Thus, the illustrations of the mise en place is perfect for me. I usually only need to glance at the actual instructions for the classics, which include visuals of all your ingredients. If you appreciate Eyewitness Guides (also published by DK) you'll appreciate the visual approach to cooking. The Carbonara is my favorite - although I always add a little chicken broth to pull it all together, and take the pancetta out of the pan till the last minute then toss it in (so it does not get soggy) and the Puttanesca ROCKS! I've tried at least 3/4ths of these and they are great. The only one I've tried that isn't awesome is the zucchini & shrimp pasta. A great pasta book and a great cookbook overall. It's in the canon if cookbooks - right up there with Joy of Cooking.

One of the best.......2004-12-08

I got this book while living with my sister in florence, italy. at first glance it looks like a step-by-step "idiots guide to pasta" but once you jump past the children's book exterior, it really is a great resource. The recipes make the best use of easily accessible fresh and imported canned ingredients. The sauces are straightforward and simple both in preparation and taste. I personally like the huge quantity of vegetarian or easily-adjusted-to-be-veg recipes. Having access to the florence markets made everything taste like heaven!!! Don't miss the recipe whose introduction begins something like: "If I were sentenced to death and allowed to choose a last meal, this pasta with white truffles would be it."

Must Have!.......2003-12-16

If you like pasta this book is a must have. I am Italian, and learned to cook because I appreciate good food, and I like to eat! Eating is essential to life, why not eat the best foods, you only live once! I learned from watching my mother and grandmother cook and I can tell you the recipes in this book are the real thing; after all my mother bought this book for me. In my opinion(and my mother's) Marcella Hazan wrote the bible of Italian cookbooks with "Essentials of Italian Cooking"(also a must have), and this book is written by her son, so it is natural that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I have used this book countless times over the years, it is my reference for any pasta dish. It is easy to understand and follow, and after a while you will realize all these dishes are easy to prepare. Great illustrations on how to make fresh pasta and excellent sauce suggestions for different types of pastas. Lots of pictures so it makes it easy to understand what the dish is meant to look like, and what the ingredients should look like...I may have had a head start being of the Italian culture, but this book should make it easy for anyone to understand. Italian cooking is not centered around spaghetti and stewed tomatoes over tons of burned garlic, Italian cooking is colorful, diverse and subtle. This book will give you some insight into true Italian pastas, and the importance of fresh ingredients. Buy it, read it and eat in good health Per Cent' Ani!

GREAT Book.......2003-08-16

But why on EARTH are people selling it for 60 BUCKS when it's 24.95? LMAO

Great book, every recipe to die for. Yummy!

Best receipie book I have.......2003-03-18

I love it. It's easy to read and follow, has tons of illustrations, easy receipies. I use it a lot.

The Fine Art of Italian Cooking: The Classic Cookbook, Updated & Expanded

Average customer rating:

Good Times

The Fine Art of Italian Cooking: The Classic Cookbook, Updated & Expanded
Giuliano Bugialli
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Bugialli on Pasta
Giuliano Bugialli's Foods of Italy
Foods of Sicily & Sardinia and the Smaller Islands
Guiliano Bugialli's Food of Naples and Campania
Giuliano Bugialli's Foods of Tuscany

ASIN: 0517224321
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Book Description

This is the definitive cookbook on Italian cuisine. The author is one of the foremost teachers of Italy's revered cooking techniques with more than 20 years of teaching and cooking experience. Giuliano Bugialli's incomparable cookbook has been updated, expanded and beautifully redesigned, including:

• Over 300 recipes from Tuscany and other regions of Italy
• Suggested dinner menus and wine recommendations
• Chapters on pasta, breads, sauces, antipasti, meat and fish, poultry, risotto, vegetables, and desserts
• Improved ingredient lists, revised wine lists, updated notes on olive oil, Italian herbs, and cheeses
• 75 detailed, easy-to-follow line drawings

Customer Reviews:

Good Times.......2007-03-08

This book is jammed with great recipes. I highly recommend it if you want to challenge yourself in Italian cooking. We have enjoyed a few dishes and will continue to dive into this great book.

Patsy's Cookbook: Classic Italian Recipes from a New York City Landmark Restaurant

Average customer rating:

OVER-RATED
book
vintage italian!!!
Patsy's pasta and more
The most user friendly cookbook ever!

Patsy's Cookbook: Classic Italian Recipes from a New York City Landmark Restaurant
Salvatore Scognamillo
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking
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The North End Italian Cookbook, 5th
The Palm Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Classic American Steakhouse

ASIN: 0609609548
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Book Description

From the Restaurant That Frank Sinatra Made Famous

Of the thousands of restaurants in New York City, very few withstand the tests of time—and only one can lay claim to being Frank Sinatra’s favorite. And where Frank went, his friends followed—from close pals such as Tony Bennett and fellow Rat Packers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. to the show-biz colleagues they brought in.

Established nearly sixty years ago, Patsy’s has long been a celebrity favorite and a New York institution. Why? Great food, family friendliness, and a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel like you’ve come home. And the fare is the classic southern Italian cuisine that’s become America’s comfort food: Mussels Arreganata, Fettuccine Alfredo, Rigatoni Sorrentino, Chicken Parmigiana, Veal Marsala, Shrimp Scampi, Tiramisù . . . a greatest hits of Neapolitan-influenced dishes.

And Patsy’s Cookbook provides more than recipes: also in the mix are anecdotes from family and friends, including the occasion when Pablo Picasso tried to give Patsy a painting; the time that the restaurant opened on Thanksgiving Day just for Frank Sinatra; Aunt Anna’s rather unorthodox autograph request of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs; and the story of the roast suckling pig delivered to Jackie Gleason’s hotel suite.

Here is a remarkable collection of 100 perfectly executed, delicious recipes, heartwarming stories of a successful family business, and entertaining celebrity tales, capturing the full experience of a New York City institution. Patsy’s Cookbook is an invitation to join the extended family that’s proud to call Patsy’s their second home.

Customer Reviews:

OVER-RATED.......2007-01-18

I bought this book on the strength of the many reviews that praised it. After reading it, however, I felt like I had just read a paid advertisement. At first, the references to Sinatra held a certain fascination and made me feel like an "insider." However, page after page of cloyingly sweet testimonials, written in a style that makes one feel that you are reading PR instead of candid comments, leaves a bad taste. There are also repetitious references to the original Patsy, in his grey waiter's suit, refilling bread baskets. Patsy sounded genuine, but I'm not so sure about his successors. By the end of the book, all of this mushy testament, perhaps unfairly, detracted from the interest in the recipes. I was left with the impression that this was a place that was treading on past glories and I decided to see what others had to say. I looked at the customer reviews on the web for those who had recently dined at Patsy's and at least half of the reviews (from non-celebrities) reflected rude service from the front desk and serving staff and premium prices. There are some interesting recipes in this book but I just can't help thinking that Patsy's shot themselves in the foot with the way this book is written. I like to read cookbooks, particularly those with a story to tell, but I couldn't wait to put this one away.

book.......2006-11-03

The book had a torn page in it, but I really didn't like the book and would have kept it if not for the torn page. It had some recipes that were of interest, but overall didn't like the book.

vintage italian!!! .......2006-05-15

OK..............I admit that I have never been to Patsy's yet, BUT that doesn't disqualify me from knowing this cookbook. It's the best; why, do you ask? Well, I'd be delighted to compose for you.

I am Italian......pure 100%, on both sides, and with enough background to talk about everything that means anything to our culture. I grew up in the 60's and 70's when Frank and Dean were THE only reason for watching TV. I know that it was a turbulent decade, full of discovery and change and restlessness. But some things felt OK and this book tells you about it.

On Sundays, the whole extended family would gather at "Nonni's" house (grandparents). Because of the value and love of our food prepared in its purest form, it took about 14 calls between my mom, her sisters, and my Nonna, to figure out who was bringing what (and with 8 daughters, Illinois Bell made a huuuuuge profit from them). The food was simple and fresh and magic.

This is "Patsy's Cookbook" whole purpose.

The stories that accompany the book are a blast from the past. The pictures that accompany the stories and recipes are even better because if you close your eyes and think about it, you can picture yourself walking down the street, seeing the restaurant sign, and looking forward to opening the door and having all the scents and aromas hit you full force.

All the "regulars" and the stars that have dined there get a good mention; the engagements that were proposed there; the celebrations that were created there. I'm looking forward to going to New York and Patsy's is on the top 10 list of restaurants to experience. Maybe it's just me, but I know it'll be a very welcoming and comfortable place.

The book is broken down into 8 main sections of recipes, preceded by:

Foreward by Nancy Sinatra
Preface
Introduction

Section One--APPETIZERS: stuffed artichokes/asparagus rolls/Joe's eggplant sandwich/figs with prosciutto and mascarpone/roasted portobello mushrooms and asparagus/portobello tower/seasoned bread crumbs/mussels arreganata/roasted red bell peppers/peppers siciliano/palle di riso (rice balls)/shrimp with sauteed fennel over mesclun salad/tomato bruschetta/vegetable napolean

Section Two--SALADS AND VEGGIES: basic vinaigrette/white bean and scallion salad/green bean, potato, and tomato salad/chopped salad/fennel and endive with blood orange segments/mesclun salad with vinaigrette/ricotta salata salad/asparagus parmigiano with basil/broccoli rabe affogato/eggplant parmigiana/cavolfiore fritto/sauteed mushrooms with cognac and cabernet sauvignon (fantastic!)/baked mushrooms with zucchini stuffing/sauteed spinach/fried zucchini blossoms (this was a summer staple as the blossoms were blooming)/zucchini a scapece/Grandma Josie's zucchini pie

Section Three--SOUPS: pasta e ceci/escarole in brodo/pasta con lenticchie/minestrone/pasta e piselli/stracciatella/zucchini and egg soup

Section Four--PASTA, RISOTTO, AND SAUCES: tomato sauce/fettucine alfredo/fettucine tossed with fresh tomatoe and basil/bucatini all'amatriciana/penne bolognese/linguine with artichoke hearts and olives/prosciutto and lemon sauce over linguine/linguine napolitano/orecchiette with broccolini and sausage/penne with roasted eggplant/rigatoni with chicken and mushrooms/farfalla papalina/rigatoni sorrentino/timballo di maccheroni alla Paatsy's/spaghetti frutti di mare/Aunt Anna's Genovese sauce/pesto/risotto con funghi (very deelish)/risotto frutti di mare

Section Five--CHICKEN: chicken cardinale/spicy lemon chicken (great for a good meal at the last minute)/chicken parmigiana/chicken piccata/chicken with mushrooms and red peppers/chicken portobello/scaloppine di pollo zingara/rollatini di petto di pollo e spinaci/herb-roasted
chicken/chicken livers with peppers/chicken veneziana

Section Six--MEATS: filet mignon barolo/manzo alla siciliano/steak alla Patsy's/roasted rack of lamb/hot sausages San Gennaro/pork tenderloin with port/pork chops with vinegar peppers/pezzatino di vitello/braciolettini di vitello/veal marsala (a very elegant dish to prepare)

Section Seven--FISH AND SHELLFISH: Sal's Chilean sea bass with eggplant and olives/cassuola di calamari/fillet of sole arreganata/trota alla giardino/roasted striped bass with orseradish crust/prosciutto-wrapped monkfish/salmon with herb sauce/sauteed shrimp wiwth cognac and dijon mustard/calamari salad/shrimp Milanese/shrimp scampi/swordfish steaks arreganata/marinated tuna steaks with cilantro sauce

Section Eight--DESSERTS (always the best section of any cookbook): Michele's cheesecake/warm chocolate cake/chocolate mousse/tiramisu (yes!)/Maddalena raspberry cookies/lemon granita/coffee granita with whipped cream/fresh figs poached with vanilla and brandy/Macedoine of oranges with Sambuca/peaches in Asti Spumante/pears poached with pear liqueur/lemon ricotta torte/zabaglione/walnut-filled crepes

Acknowledgements
Index
Conversion Chart
Patsy's Sauces (which you can purchase)

The book was written on the encouragement and accolades that friends and customers gave to the Scognamillo family. Everything here is simple to find and buy, and all are fairly easy to prepare depending on how fancy you wish to be. I have tried a little of everything and my tastebuds have been most content. Bon appetito!!

Patsy's pasta and more.......2004-07-30

As a New Yorker of Italian-American descent, I can honestly say that most New York Italian restaurants are mediocre at best, and nothing more than tourist traps. Patsy's, however, is the exception to this rule. I have never EVER had a meal there that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. Now, Patsy's has put their best recipe's in a beautiful book, Patsy's Cookbook: Classic Italian Recipes from a New York City Landmark Restaurant.

The recipes are pretty straightforward, with lots of leeway for people to adjust them to their tastes. Mr. Scognamillo's directions are clear, and free of those vague terms that you find in most other cookbooks: heat for a few minutes, add a tad of basil, stir frequently... all those instructions that mean nothing specific and could destroy a dish. No mistaking the directions here. But most important, the meals are delicious!

The most user friendly cookbook ever!.......2003-06-30

What a delight to have this cookbook in your kitchen.
The recipes are so user friendly that even the most inexperienced cook can prepare an unbelievable delicious five star rated dinner in the comfort of their home. I have one cookbook for myself and got one for my daughter is who away at college, so she can learn the "Real" way to prepare some of the most delicious Italian dishes in the world. The instructions are so easy to follow and are given in such detail that there is absolutely no way to make a mistake. You will thrill your next dinner guests with your culinary abilities compliments of Sal Scognamillo. You also will find this book an enjoyable read filled with all sorts of stories of family traditions and famous guests, who have known New York's best kept secret of fine Italian dining for years. The secret is out now ... and available to all of us! If you are ever in New York you will have to stop into Patsy's and enjoy the best Italian food in the world...and if you aren't making it up to the Big Apple anytime soon you can use this cookbook to bring Sal vicariously into your own kitchen to help you prepare the Patsy experience! :)

Williams-Sonoma Simple Classics Cookbook: The Best of Simple Italian, French & American Cooking (Complete Series (San Francisco, Calif.).)

Average customer rating:

Delicious Recipes, Great Photographs and Detailed Descriptions
SUPERIOR SERVICE AND QUALITY
The One I Always Pull Down from the Shelf
I went from Novice to Gourmet!
I went from Novice to Gourmet!

Williams-Sonoma Simple Classics Cookbook: The Best of Simple Italian, French & American Cooking (Complete Series (San Francisco, Calif.).)
Chuck Williams
Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Complete Entertaining Cookbook (Williams-Sonoma Complete Cookbooks)
New American Cooking: The Best of contemporary Regional Cuisines (Williams-Sonoma New American Cooking)
Holiday Favorites: The Best of the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library
Entertaining: Inspired Menus For Cooking with Family and Friends (Williams-Sonoma)
The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert

ASIN: 1892374358

Book Description

From the creators of the best-selling Williams-Sonoma Complete Entertaining Cookbook comes a wonderful addition to the Complete Series. Williams-Sonoma Simple Classics Cookbook, a guide to Italian, French, and American favorites, offers a wealth of delicious and, more importantly, simple recipes for cooks who favor foods with international flair.

Combining the best of Simple French, Simple Italian, and Simple American Cooking, this beautifully photographed and incredibly valued book is a must for people who love to cook.

Customer Reviews:

Delicious Recipes, Great Photographs and Detailed Descriptions.......2006-07-16

This is a true must have. This is an elegant and beautifully crafted book, that contains best simple recipes from the Chuck Williams Collection: Simple Italian Cooking, Simple French Cooking, and Simple American Cooking.

The book includes nearly 200 recipes, beautifully formatted and at a great price. I say it again, a truly must have.

SUPERIOR SERVICE AND QUALITY.......2004-08-05

I placed the order and in just days I received the book very fast and in very good quality. Thanks a million !!!

The One I Always Pull Down from the Shelf.......2003-11-29

This cookbook demostrates that combining good ingredients with simplicity can result in wonderful dishes. I have an extensive cookbook collection, some are beautiful to look at and some are a great resource for recipes; this is both a joy to browse and a pleasure to cook from. The instructions are clear, the lists of ingredients and number of steps are reasonable, and the results have always been very rewarding. As an indication of how highly I think of this book, I purchased copies for both my mother and daughter. This is a great book to have in your kitchen library.

I went from Novice to Gourmet!.......2003-02-19

I have collected some very interesting and promising cookbooks over the years, and all of them combined could not teach me what this one book has. I literally went from Novice to Gourmet when I started making some of these recipes. I rave about it and give it to everyone on my gift list.
You can make any of the recipes everyday and not feel overwhelmed because they are truly simple! My favorite is the Lamb Shanks with Rosemary and Leeks served with mashed potatoes. Although it takes 2 hours to make, your actual work time is less than 20 minutes. Just leave it to simmer and check on it every half hour, and Viola you are a gourmet chef!
I have such confidence in the kitchen because of this book! I hope, if you decide to purchase this book or put it on your wish list, that it will give you half the joy it has given me because even that would be heaven sent!

I went from Novice to Gourmet!.......2003-02-19

Average customer rating:

My Favorite Cookbook
Marcella Hazan's best: the one I reach for first.

The Classic Italian Cookbook
Marcella Hazan
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Marcella's Italian Kitchen
Marcella Says...: Italian Cooking Wisdom from the Legendary Teacher's Master Classes, with 120 of Her Irresistible New Recipes
Marcella Cucina
Every Night Italian: 120 Simple, Delicious Recipes You Can Make in 45 Minutes or Less

ASIN: 0345314026
Release Date: 1984-01-12

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite Cookbook.......2004-10-23

I regularly cook from about 10 cookbooks representing most of the great cuisines of the world, and this is my favorite book (perhaps tied with the essential The Joy of Cooking, aka Joy). Marcella's sensible if opinionated commentary provides much of the appeal, but it's the recipes that keep me coming back: they are simple, easy to follow, wholesome, and delicious. Sure, the Bolognese meat sauce takes 4 hours to make, but it's still simple. Rabbit braised in white wine, fried artichoke wedges, home-made pasta, a range of simple delicous antipasto, awesome parmesan-battered lamb chops, and several versions of scaloppini (and you can be sure she tells you how to slice it right!). Verdura (vegetables) are extensively covered with a series of improbably good, simple treatments: fennel becomes a sublime accompaniment, artichokes take center stage, green beans sparkle, and her take on potatoes is simple and great. Everything in this book is wonderful. This is her original, and it's the best.

Marcella Hazan's best: the one I reach for first........1997-12-02

I have always considered myself an Italian cook, although myrange is considerably broader, but this book changed my whole out lookto Italian cookery. I have collected most of Marcella's books, including the latest, but this is the one I reach for first. The section on Italian style grilled vegetables has become a summer favorite and has literally changed the way I plan a vegetable garden. It alone was worth the cost of the book. The osso bucca is to die for, and in my veal poor region it has withstood the substitution of lamb shanks. Every fall I put up a years's supply of the oven dried plum tomatoes in oil and the hot peppers in oil. I was asked for recipes of these dishes so often, I bought a half dozen of the paperback version of this book to distribute to my children and friends. I am invited out to dinner now by friends who have prepared one of these classic dishes (Chicken al Diavolo, for example) and even forgotten where they got the book. I am saddened to see it is out of print, because I could use a few more copies for friends who can't be trusted to know how to boil pasta ascuitta but are embarking on "Mediterranean diets". Joseph Chiaravalloti

The Essential Italian Cookbook: 50 Classic Recipes, With Step-By-Step Photographs

Average customer rating:

A gold mine of culinary ideas.
The Essential Italian Cookbook: 50 Classic Recipes

The Essential Italian Cookbook: 50 Classic Recipes, With Step-By-Step Photographs
Heather Thomas
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Great Chefs Great Cities: Volume I

ASIN: 1561385980

Customer Reviews:

A gold mine of culinary ideas........2002-11-17

Here's a cookbook that truly delights. We have tried almost every recipe in the book and have not found a single one that is not as succulent as the beautiful illustrations suggest. Some of the meals may not be for the diet set but I can assure you that you'll lick your fingers with these delicious Italian dishes. Buon Appetito!

The Essential Italian Cookbook: 50 Classic Recipes.......2000-09-05

This is a cookbook every bride or bride-to-be should have if they enjoy Italian Food! The recipes are basic, the step-by-step photographs are extremely helpful and the taste of the finished dishes is authentic! If you are just beginning your cooking experience or are a seasoned veteran of the kitchen, this book is a must for your library. The recipes will want you to have a different dish each nite for the next 50 nites. For anyone who wants to be able to serve a meal with the real taste of Italy you'll find the key here. The short but informative pages on Italian ingredients and equipment/utensils is a primer everyone should know. Do yourself a favor and that of your daughter or daughter-in-law and put this in your shopping cart!

TALISMAN ITALIAN COOK BOOK RON (Crown Classic Cookbook Series)

Average customer rating:

The Talisman Cookbook
From Grandma, With Love
Great, classic cookbook
Good traditional Italian recipes
Before its Time

TALISMAN ITALIAN COOK BOOK RON (Crown Classic Cookbook Series)
Crown
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The North End Italian Cookbook, 5th
Every Night Italian: 120 Simple, Delicious Recipes You Can Make in 45 Minutes or Less
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
1,000 Italian Recipes
Good & Garlicky, Thick & Hearty, Soul-Satisfying, More-Than-Minestrone Italian Soup Cookbook

ASIN: 0517520400
Release Date: 1989-04-13

Book Description

Il Talismano is and has been for over 50 years the one great standard Italian cookbook. It is to Italians what Joy of Cooking is to Americans. Containing in simple and clear form the best recipes for all the foods that we associate with Italian cuisine, it covers all the regional variations of Italian cooking: Milanese, Bolognese, Venetian, Neapolitan, Sicilian, Veronese, and Florentine.

Appetizers range from the simply elegant, like Cantaloupe and Prosciutto and Artichoke Hearts in Olive Oil, to the sublime, like Tunnied Veal and Crostini of Mozzarella and Anchovies. Soups include Stracciatella, Fish Brodetto Rimini Style, and Tuscan Minestrone.

No part of Italy is very far from the sea, a fact reflected in the variety and quality of Italian seafood preparations: Flounder with Black Butter Sauce, Lobster alla Diavolo, Mullet in Piquant Sauce, Scungilli Marinara, and Shrimp Buongusto. For the landlocked there are recipes for Beefsteak alia Pizzaiola, Ossobuco, Saltimbocca, Scaloppine al Marsala, Loin of Pork with Milk, Chicken Cacciatora, Chicken Livers with Sage, Wild Duck with Lentils, and Rabbit in Egg Sauce.

Pasta is perhaps Italy's greatest contribution to world cuisine, and The Talisman contains dozens of authentic recipes like Homemade Ravioli, Green Lasagna Modena Style, and Spaghetti Marinara. There are recipes for Polenta, the Italian cornmeal preparation, as well as rice dishes and pizza.

Finally, Italian desserts are explored in full: Almond Macaroons, Pine Nut Cookies, Ricotta Pie, Zeppole, and Zuppa Inglese. There is also a glossary (complete with pronunciation guide) to Italian cooking terms.

For the American edition of The Talisman, all weights, measurements, instructions, and ingredients have been adapted to American usage. The result is a collection of recipes that are as easy to prepare as they are delicious to eat.

Customer Reviews:

The Talisman Cookbook.......2007-08-13

This is a excellent collection of recipes and includes many that are not found in other cookbooks. I have been using this book for years and am replacing a very old copy which I ordered from Ronzoni years ago.

From Grandma, With Love.......2007-08-08

When I moved away from home and then returned to visit my grandmother, I decided it would be a good idea to get her recipes. She would create a feast every Sunday for our family and I wanted to carry on the tradition. Imagine my surprise when she handed me this cookbook and said, "they are all in here." Naturally, Grandma would experiment with the recipes, here and there, but the basics are in there just waiting for your personal touch.

Note: These are old world recipes, not what you would expect from a cookbook published today. Be prepared to start from scratch.

Great, classic cookbook.......2007-01-13

Simple, authentic recipes. Many recipes in this book have become family favorites for us. This book sits next to The Joy of Cooking on the bookshelf in my kitchen.

Good traditional Italian recipes.......2007-01-03

An Italian cookbook that is very traditional. . . . The introduction by Mario Pei highlights this: "It may be emphasized that this is an Italian, not an Italo-American cookbook. The recipes here listed describe dishes which are regularly eaten throughout the length and breadth of the Italian peninsula rather than dishes which are the specialty of a single Italian region, or those which have grown up in Italian communities in America." The end result, Pei observes, is that "a large number of these dishes will be almost totally unfamiliar to the American reader."

The book is divided into many sections, starting with antipasto, going through soups, egg dishes, cheese, and so on through macaroni, spaghetti, rice, to pizza, and finishing with desserts and beverages. All in all, the cookbook covers a lot of territory.

Many of the recipes will not be so simple to manage, if one wants to put something together quickly. Other reviews have mentioned this in one way or another.

However, there are some good recipes in this cookbook, traditional as they might be, that promise a nice taste treat. Among these are Beefsteak Hunter Style, Ragout of Beef with Tomato Sauce, Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce, Pork Chops Modena Style, Macaroni with Ricotta, and so on. Again, some recipes call for an awful lot of up front work that many readers won't be interested in. But there are also many others that can be done quite handily.

A good book to add to one's cooking library.

Before its Time.......2006-12-31

This book-an adaptation, not a translation of an Italian
cookbook was published in 1950. This was a time when
many Americans still held to various dumb and demeaning
stereotypes about Italy and Italians. If there was any
knoweldge of Italian food at all, it was based on an
experience at a few southern Italian-styled restaurants
that had opened in major American cities.

This book and the television show that accompanied it were
useful correctives to the few Americans who were aware of
them. The TV show was a pioneering 'food-tv' effort by a
husband and wife team called the Bontempi. The book itself
was sponsored by the Ronzoni Pasta Company in Queens, New
York and was sold for $3.00 on the show.

Fifty-five years later, the recipes look remarkably soph-
isticated. The only tomato sauce recipe is on the fourth
page of the sauce section and rice dishes get almost as
much space as pasta. Classic dishes-like Saltimbocca and
Osso Buco Milanese abound and Lasagne are prepared in
both Northern and Southern versions. There are a few Italian-
American dishes included-you can have two different
versions of spaghetti and meatballs, but the recipe listed
under 'meatball' is for a one and half pound loaf,
simmered in stock.

The introductory essay by the linguist Mario Pei is priceless.
He explains in the most gentle terms the difference between
American stereotypes and Italian reality.

For a snapshot of Italian food before it became modernized,
this book is irreplaceable. It is also the source of
the kind of simple and elegant recipes that made Italian
food both wildly popular and strongly influential. For
many cooks it will be the only Italian cookbook they'll
ever need.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN 9781601640005

The Chianti Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from the Heart of Tuscany

Average customer rating:

Not One Recipe Has Gone Wrong!
Absolutely the Best!
THE ONLY BOOK ON ITALIAN COOKING YOU WILL EVER NEED
The best cooking book I have ever had
Extremely easy, but extremely tasty!!! First hand knowledge

The Chianti Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from the Heart of Tuscany
Giovanna Folonari Ruffino
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Amazon.com

In Chianti Family Cooking, cooking instructor and member of the famous Ruffino Chianti family Giovanna Folonari Ruffino offers 100 lusty, simple, and intensely flavored dishes for the lover of Italian foods and Italian wines. Almost devoid of commentary, nearly every recipe is, instead, accompanied by a photograph. (Those dishes lacking pictures, such as Spaghetti with Onion Sauce, tend to be remarkably plain and presumably not all that photogenic.) Ruffino's first courses range from the familiar (Penne with Spinach and Gorgonzola, Orecchiette with Broccoli) to the extraordinary (Pennette with Arugula and Sausage, Crepes with Spinach and Ricotta served with Red Sweet Pepper Fondue). Her meat dishes shine: Veal Rolls stuffed with Radicchio, Prosciutto, and Fontina is yummy beyond compare. Each section is accompanied by a recommended wine list. Surprisingly, Ruffino shows little bias toward Tuscan wines--the wines of Northern Italy, from Collio to Barolo, are represented here, as well those of the Ruffino estate. Despite (or possibly because of) its inconsistencies and surprises, Chianti Family Cooking offers the kind of direct and forceful food that will delight even the most jaded of palates. --David Kalil

Book Description

Throughout the world, the Ruffino name is synonymous with the fine wines of Italy's Chianti region. To the natives of Chianti, however, the Ruffino name also means fine food--in particular, the fine food of Giovanna Folonari Ruffino, whose Tuscan kitchen has become a magnet for culinary students.

As her friends and family will attest, Signora Ruffino is a charming hostess; as this book proves, she is also an accomplished cook. Now, with the help of Michele Evans, co-author of the James Beard Award----winning Gangivecchio's Sicilian Kitchen, she has collected a hundred of her favorite recipes so that the rest of us can enjoy the simple but delicious cuisine that has made her dinner parties and family meals so memorable.

Each easy-to-follow recipe consists of simple instructions and is accompanied by a beautifully reproduced color
photograph that enables the home cook to see exactly what the finished dish looks like. The result is a visual feast that will stimulate the eye and please the palate.

Customer Reviews:

Not One Recipe Has Gone Wrong!.......2002-10-28

I've had this book for a few years and just love it. The Eggplant Rolls with Ham are fabulous and so is the Macaroni with Smoked Mozzarella Sauce, and so is the mushroom and potato soup, but last night I made the Risotto with smoked ham and fennel and everyone LOVED it! Also, I made the peach cream with mascarpone and amaretti and it is so wonderful I had to whip up a second batch today! BUY THIS BOOK!

Absolutely the Best!.......2000-11-23

I am not an accomplished cook but love Italian food. This book made me look good when cooking for friends and family. The food tastes soo good and it's extremely EASY! You have to try the Eggplant / Ham rolls.

THE ONLY BOOK ON ITALIAN COOKING YOU WILL EVER NEED.......2000-03-25

This is the only book on Italian cooking you will ever need because this book has it all. Ruffino is not only a master cook, she is also a master teacher and this book proves it. The recipes are the best I've ever tasted and my personal favorite has to be the Spinach and Ricotta Crepes with Red Sweet Pepper Fondue--delicioso! This is more than a cookbook--it is an experience you'll want to savor again and again and share with your family and friends.

The best cooking book I have ever had.......1999-12-22

For all the people ho love the Italian kitchen, its flavours and its simplicity this is a real must. The best gift you could make to your family and the people you love

Extremely easy, but extremely tasty!!! First hand knowledge.......1999-09-29

This September I went to Tuscany for a visit of the wine country...among our tour of the country side, we were fortunate to tour Giovanna's vineyard, take a cooking lesson from her and eat lunch for which she prepared. Everything she served was not only delicious but extremely EASY preparation. Few ingredients. Nothing too difficult. Look for her wine as well. Awesome. She is probably one of the most energetic people I have ever met. Unpresumptious and Beautiful. This will be the only Italian book I ever use.

The Classic Italian Cookbook (Classic Cookbook)

Average customer rating:

exquisite Italian cookbook
This book is perfect!
Magnificent food

The Classic Italian Cookbook (Classic Cookbook)
Julia Della Croce
Manufacturer: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The Silver Spoon

ASIN: 0751303127

Book Description

Each Classic guide is ideal for the home cook, delighting the eye and the palate with full-color photography of ingredients and finished meals.

Customer Reviews:

exquisite Italian cookbook.......2005-02-14

The most fantastic things about this cookbook is that you can get detailed information about dishes (with Italian name), regional background, basic ingredients and tools with pictures, and cooking techniques how to deal with fishes and meats and how to make pasta and pizza with these ingredients and tools. The content is very organized, not too overwhelming, and easy to look them up. If you are an intermediate-level cook and ready to move on to the next stage (but you don't want to be overwhelmed by the professional cookbook), this is the one!

This book is perfect!.......2004-08-30

This is my favorite Italian cookbook. The illustrations are wonderful and the directions are perfectly clear. The Pasta Vongole and Tiramisu are a couple of my favorite recipes.
This book is particularly good if you are a beginner.

Magnificent food.......2001-02-11

I cooked Osso Buco alla Milanese, Fagiolini al Pomodoro and Patate al Forno from recipes in this book. Together with Italian bread, a nice little wine, a simple green salad and dessert, it was a superb meal.

Ask Dorling Kindersley to rush this wonderful cookbook back into print so your dinner guests will say you're a culinary genius.

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