Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
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

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Marcella Hazan
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Italian | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 039458404X
Release Date: 1992-10-27

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?

Book Description

With more than 100 illustrations by Karin Kretschman.

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.

Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages

Average customer rating:

great book
Impossible Cookbook
One of my favorite cookbooks
Simple recipes not simple ingredients
Great recipes, awful binding

Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages
Mario Batali
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Babbo Cookbook
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Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook: Strategies, Recipes, and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking

ASIN: 0609603000
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Amazon.com

Sure to excite lovers of the best Italian cooking, Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages reenvisions classic home cucina with enticing results. Batali, known to fans as "Molto Mario" from his Television Food Network shows, and as chef-owner of Manhattan's much-loved Po and Babbo restaurants, presents nearly 250 of his favorite recipes, traditional and innovative, for delectable salads, pastas, grilled specialties, ragus, and desserts, among others. The collection, inspired by the cooking of Borgo Cappene, a hillside village in northern Italy, and Greenwich Village, where Batali culls exemplary ingredients for his restaurants, reflects Batali's commitment to simple cooking--impeccable ingredients sensibly combined and properly prepared. Cooks seeking deeply flavored, smartly presented dishes will embrace Batali's recipes for everyday meals and for entertaining.

Arranged by courses, antipasti through formaggi and dolci (cheese and sweets), the uncomplicated dishes include White Bean Bruschetta with Grilled Radicchio Salad, Baked Lasagna with Asparagus and Pesto, and Roasted Porgy with Peas, Garlic, Scallions and Mint. Gorgonzola with Spiced Walnuts and Port Wine Syrup with fresh fruit would make a lovely conclusion to any dinner. Throughout, Batali provides advice on dish preparation; there are 32 pages of color photos and dozens of black-and-white shots of life in Batali's two villages. Batali's reliance on the best ingredients simply prepared, rather than on fussy restaurant techniques, places his dishes squarely in the realm of home cooks. They'll find his book a keeper. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

Perfectly pristine ingredients, combined sensibly and cooked properly, are the unmistakable hallmarks of the best Italian food. Chef Mario Batali, known to fans far and wide as "Molto Mario" from his appearances on television's Food Network and as chef of New York's much-loved Pó restaurant, has elevated these simple principles to fine art, creating innovative new fare that pays tribute to traditional Italian home cooking in a distinctly modern way. Now, for the first time, more than 200 of his irresistible recipes for fresh pastas, sprightly salads, grilled dishes, savory ragus, and many others are gathered in Simple Italian Food, a celebration of the flavors and spirit of Italy.

Mario draws inspiration for his distinctive dishes from the two "villages" that have left their stamps on his cuisine: Borgo Capanne, the tiny hillside village in Northern Italy where he lived and cooked for several years, and New York's Greenwich Village, where he has ready access to bountiful produce and outstanding artisan-made products; his full-flavored, smartly presented fare combines the best of both worlds. Chapters covering antipasti, pasta and risotto, fish, meat and poultry, contorni (side dishes), and cheese and sweets offer classic dishes such as Baked Lasagne with Asparagus and Pesto and pork loin cooked in caramelized onions and milk alongside Batali's own enticing improvisations--Penne with Spicy Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Pesto or Tuna Carpaccio with Cucumbers, Sweet Potatoes, and Saffron Vinaigrette. And because his recipes succeed on the strength of their ingredients rather than on virtuoso techniques, home cooks can easily duplicate the clear, clean flavors and lively presentations that are Mario's signature. Thirty-two pages of color photographs showcase Chef Batali's colorful and approachable recipes.

Traditionalists as well as those who thrill to the new will want to make dozens of these crowd-pleasing dishes a permanent part of their repertoire and embrace Mario Batali'sphilosophy of Simple Italian Food.

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2007-04-05

excellent cook book for beginners or pros...love it and love shopping on amazon

Impossible Cookbook.......2006-12-10

Mario Batali's cookbook is most disappointing. I looked it over carefully, and I found absolutely nothing of interest to me. His recipes are incredibly complicated, with ingredients available only in restaurants and the households of professional cooks, northern Italian ones at that. There had to be standby pestos, tapenades, sauces and vinaigrettes. Impossible, really. This is a most unattractive cook book. I won't even give it away.

One of my favorite cookbooks.......2006-04-12

Batali's "Simple Italian Food" is an excellent cookbook for people who actually like to cook, and for those who accept that Italian cooking covers a vast range of subjects and styles, far more than just pasta.

The title is apt: none of these dishes are overly complicated for anyone with a decently equipped kitchen and access to good, fresh ingredients. Unlike more complex styles, French cuisine for example, there is very little combining of several different cooking techniques to produce one recipe. At it's most complicated, the book calls for use of staple ingredients that can be prepared ahead of time, and which Batali also provides recipes for, with sauces for example.

One of the great pleasures of the book is discovering the unexpected tang and heartiness of his dishes. His pasta con vongole is a good example: the recipe calls for pancetta, and the result is a tangy clam sauce in a beautiful, brownish broth which is delicious and hearty without being overly rich. Comprate, cucinate e buon appetito!

Simple recipes not simple ingredients.......2005-03-24

Seems like many great recipes, but many ingredients that aren't found in the regular supermarket, especially if you live in a rural area like I do...so I haven't been able to try many of them.

Great recipes, awful binding.......2005-03-04

I've reviewed this cookbook before from the point of view of the contents, for which I gave it 5 stars. I use this cookbook all the time and absolutely love it. Unfortunately, I use this cookbook all the time and the cheap glued binding has not held up. About half the pages have detached and I'm a few chapters away from having to pull the whole thing apart and put it in a three-ring binder. Interestingly, the same publisher used a sewn binding for the Babbo Cookbook, so I guess the gourmet recipes get the quality treatment. I would still recommend purchasing the cookbook for the wonderful preparations, but shame on the publisher for using such poor components on a book designed to be repeatedly opened and laid flat.

Glorious French Food: A Fresh Approach to the French Classics

Average customer rating:

If you can only own one French cookbook, this may be it
Almost perfect for me.
Glorious French Food
A very Novel Cookbook. Buy it to read!!!
A Glorious Book!

Glorious French Food: A Fresh Approach to the French Classics
James Peterson
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471442763

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In Glorious French Food, James Peterson argues that once you understand a recipe's "logic and context," and the techniques required to follow it, you actually have something much more valuable than the recipe itself--you have the knowledge to create variations, make simplifications, and cook with spontaneity. Although French cuisine is often accused of being fussy and time-consuming, Peterson's clear instructions demystify many traditionally finicky recipes, and in the process, teach us how to cook anything.

The hundreds of recipes presented here are a pleasure to peruse; kitchen novices can work their way through this hefty volume and come out the other end accomplished cooks. Peterson details necessary equipment, techniques, and ingredients for each recipe so that by the time you start making it, you're fearless. Some of his dishes are remarkably simple, like the beautifully fresh, ready-in-minutes Shaved Fennel Salad, or the richly aromatic French Onion Soup. Others are more complicated, but all teach a lesson: In the Roast Chicken chapter, learn to roast without a thermometer, truss without a needle, make gravy, and then succeed at Roast Chicken Stuffed Under the Skin with Spinach and Ricotta. Learn to make pasta dough, and then re-present leftover Provençal Lamb Stew (if there's any of this heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth tender, orange-scented stew left) as Meat-Filled Ravioli. Perfect for fans of French cuisine, this is also a remarkably handy reference guide for any kitchen. --Leora Y. Bloom

Book Description

From the James Beard award--winning author of Sauces-a new classic on French cuisine for today's cook
His award-winning books have won the praise of The New York Times and Gourmet magazine as well as such culinary luminaries as chefs Daniel Boulud, Jeremiah Tower, and Alice Waters. Now James Peterson brings his tremendous stores of culinary knowledge, energy, and imagination to this fresh and inspiring look at the classic dishes of French cuisine. With a refreshing, broadminded approach that embraces different French cooking styles-from fine dining to bistro-style cooking, from hearty regional fare to nouvelle cuisine-Peterson uses fifty "foundation" French dishes as the springboard to preparing a variety of related dishes. In his inventive hands, the classic Moules à la marinière inspires the delightful Miniature Servings of Mussels with Sea Urchin Sauce and Mussel Soup with Garlic Puree and Saffron, while the timeless Duck à l'orange gives rise to the subtle Salad of Sautéed or Grilled Duck Breasts and Sautéed Duck Breasts with Classic Orange Sauce. Through these recipes, Peterson reveals the underlying principles and connections in French cooking that liberate readers to devise and prepare new dishes on their own. With hundreds recipes and dazzling color photography throughout, Glorious French Food gives everyone who enjoys cooking access to essential French cooking traditions and techniques and helps them give free reign to the intuition and spontaneity that lie in the heart-and stomach-of every good cook. It will take its place on the shelf right next to Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Customer Reviews:

If you can only own one French cookbook, this may be it.......2007-09-29

French cuisine, despite predictions of its demise by food writers admist inroads of other Western cuisines including Italian and Spanish cuisines, is still going strong. Many people will, have heard classic/haute cuisine, nouvelle cuisine, bourgeois/bistro cuisine, and regional cuisine that form the four important strands of French cuisine, and this book has touched on all four of these cuisines.

One important difference between this book and others is it uses 50 dishes as the starting point and teach 4 to 10 more dishes that share either the principal ingredients or are related by techniques. It is, as Peterson himself mentions in the preface, aiming to teach you to how to cook on your own and understanding cooking is not just a mechanical follow-one-recipe process: it is a little like how you learned mathematics in electrical engineering and apply the central methodology into diverse areas like power load flow analysis, calculating a circuit's small signal behaviours, using signal processing in protection relays.

Bear in mind that this book is geared towards big city or middle-sized suburban-area American homes. Duck a l'orange, for instance, is in the American adaptation version. This makes the book a little tricky to be used if you live in Auckland, Sydney, or in London, where the ingredients available will likely be different from what's available in US. For those armchair chefs who want to buy a book that tells how French food is actually prepared in France itself, another book, such as the Konemann publications, will likely be more useful.

By all means this book is not meant to be an exhaustive coverage of France's cookery. , but most books on French cooking tend to cover very small specialized subject areas (Provence's bistros) or are just a thin compendium of recipes (eg 100 recipe in a 200 page cookbook showcased as "Cuisine of France"). If you are interested to build a library of French cookbooks, I recommend the more exhaustive publications of Jacques Pepin, Alain Ducasse's Grand Livre de Cuisine (currently with 2 titles in English, but there are a few more published in the original French), and the ever reliable Larousse Gastronomique, in addition to this book. Otherwise for a tight bookshelf, this book on its own may be what you want for French cooking.

Almost perfect for me. .......2007-01-09

I am a big fan of his books after receiving copies of Sauce and Splendid Soups. He brings a fresh approach to the subject and it is written in a style more suited to my learning. I have always been slighly intimidated with the Classic side of French cooking. I hope by the end of the book I will be better aquainted, better versed and better versed.

Bon Appititte.

Glorious French Food.......2005-10-18

I absolutely love this cookbook. As a culinary student, I wish they had issued this book out instead of my $150 doller culinary workbook. This book is such a wealth of information. "Glorious French Food" is big, but Peterson's writing is so interesting and entertaining that I've taken it to the beach with me many times. I've always felt dishes are tastier when one learns the history behind the creations. As for the recipes, they are excellent. I test them on my boyfriend, who by chance is French and a culinary graduate. He feels the recipes are very accurate and will sometimes admit that some of them are better then his family's dishes. I highly recommond this book, for both fun and serious cooks out there. It's a great gift to give.

A very Novel Cookbook. Buy it to read!!!.......2005-09-07

`Glorious French Food' by leading culinary educator, James Peterson may be a true lost classic, in the cookbook world similar to `The Thirteenth Warrior' in the movies or the novels of Thomas Berger, including `Little Big Man'. I noticed a copy on the bargain stacks a few days ago and immediately felt regret for not having done a review of it to help, in some very small way to raise the reputation of this excellent culinary pedagogical text.

I have a very `love / hate' relationship with James Peterson's books. Peterson has a very well deserved reputation as the author of the classic reference, `Sauces', now in a second edition (rare for cookbooks) and his Jacques Pepin homage, `Essentials of Cooking' (for those of you who need your culinary show and tell in full color). He has also done several excellent texts on special subjects such as Vegetables, Salmon, Duck, and Soups. I have reviewed each and every one of these books favorably, yet my experience when doing specific Peterson recipes (except those in `Sauces') is mixed. I am not entirely surprised at this, as I sometimes find his individual recipe descriptions just a bit mixed up, as if his copy editor was taking a coffee break as they were editing that recipe.

Peterson may in this book offer a great explanation for this paradox. He says that his greatest ambition would be to write a cookbook with no recipes. This is not as easy as it sounds, since I reviewed Pam Anderson's book `How to Cook Without a Book' and I found it wanting in several regards. Peterson also says that his greatest compliment is when a reader says they made one of his recipes, but changed it a bit, and it came out very well. All this means is that Peterson is a relatively unconventional cookbook author who is best approached differently than you may approach `The Joy of Cooking' or `Mastering the Art of French Cooking'.

This book, even for its great size (almost 750 pages) is, like Madeleine Kamman's `The New Making of a Cook', a book meant to be read from front to back in an easy chair with no electronic distractions nearby. The first and most important reason for reading this book like a novel is its novel organization. Instead of chapters on Salads, Soups and Stocks, Meat, Poultry, Starches, Vegetables, and Desserts, there are a very neat 50 chapters on fifty of the most famous dishes from the French culinary canon. As you may guess from the size of the book, there is a lot more here than 50 recipes which, with a typical treatment, may take not much more than 100 pages to dispatch. Rather, most of the chapters are really about a family of dishes.

The very first chapter takes twelve (12) pages to cover `Assorted Vegetable Salads', all falling under the rubric of the French word, `Crudites' which, roughly translated, means raw vegetables. In this chapter are nine (9) dish recipes for Celeriac Remoulade, Grated Carrots, Red Cabbage Salad, Cold Cucumbers, Marinated Mushrooms, Baby Artichokes with Walnuts, Shaved Fennel Salad, Tomato Salad, and Parisian-Style Potato Salad. There are also two `pantry' recipes for Basic Mayonnaise and Crème Fraiche. Like the very liberal Chris Schlesinger (`The Thrill of the Grill', `How to Cook Meat', etc) and unlike the very traditional Madeleine Kamman, Peterson is extremely liberating with his advice. He tells us how to improvise crème fraiche and he tells us all the reasons why some substitutes, such as American sour cream, will just not work as well in some recipes. He does not tell us not to improvise. He also follows the party line on the right potato for the right dish, but he also says that you can probably get away with using any kind of potato for any kind of dish, which fits my experience in using a russet for both mashed potatoes (with a good potato ricer) and potato salad, two recipes for which russets are supposed to be inferior to waxy or `all purpose' varieties.

Part of what makes many great cookbooks such a pleasure to read is the extent to which the author introduces their own informed opinion into the writing. Both `Mastering the Art of French Cooking' and `The New Making of a Cook' would be great cookbooks without the lively opinions of Julia Child and Madeleine Kamman, but they are much better at getting their subject across than a dry presentation of quantities and procedures. If you think this is unimportant, take a quick look at a few recipes in `The Joy of Cooking' and you will see an ample amount of humor in even this encyclopedic collection of recipes.

One thing I especially enjoyed in this book was the affirmation of the doctrine in Ms. Kamman's book that in spite of all the butter, pork fat, goose fat, or olive oil in popular recipes, French cooking is NOT about high fat content. Peterson is especially good on fats in general and butter in particular, as he hits all the right notes about cooking with butter. For one thing, he discounts the common practice so popular with TV culinary personalities of mixing butter and oil to raise the burn point of butter solids. He says it simply does not keep the butter solids from going black. He also clearly differentiates plain clarified butter from the Indian staple, ghee, where the butterfat is taken to a darker brown than is done by simple clarification.

I even found something new on my favorite cookbook subject, omelets. Peterson gives two different techniques and clearly differentiates both the method and the cultural differences in French cooking between the omelet and scrambled eggs.

The bad news is that if this book may be in danger of loosing its market, and it may go out of print. The good news is that you should be able to get a copy from our beloved Amazon.com for cheap.

A Glorious Book!.......2005-06-19

This book has ample recipes for advanced beginners, with most for intermediate experience level home cooks. Yes, some recipes are for advanced cooks, or moderately persistent intermediate cooks! The meals are well worth the preparation.

These recipes are not rocket science; Peterson guides one well through the more unfamiliar techniques as needed. These are generally extremely well written recipes, often with a commentary on a dish's history or general context, and gives many lessons in technique, without "lecturing". Best of all, the few recipes I've tried have been very tasty!

Do read "Read this first", the first 30 pages, before progressing to individual recipes, to get a broad idea of what it to be presented, and needed as backgroundl Curiously, he recommends not to saute or cook at higher heat in a mixture of butter and oil. That's his choice, however I've seen this mixture as the saute norm, rather than an exception, in French kitchens in the USA and in France. He is an American cook, not a Classically trained French master chef.

Some recipe topics include: Various salads, assorted cooked vegetables, pates and terrines, omelettes, souffles, cheese fondues, vichyssoise (not truly French in origin, but actually American), oxtail soup and stews, vegetable and fish soups, mussels, scallops, soles and lobster dishes, with easily 5 dishes within each of the named categories. It goes on with chicken, duck, veal, rabbit, and many beef dishes. Desserts include tarts, mousse, custards, crepes, cakes, and preserves. Almost encyclopedic in coverage, more than enough to keep you busy for years, cooking classic French dishes.

Even if you do not get around to cook one recipe from this book, you will enjoy reading these tantalizing recipes, and with Peterson's writing style, savor the varied selections of French dishes, learning many techniques and "secrets" from a great chef, these techniques carry over into cooking with all sorts of ingredients available at your local grocery store!

Italian Immigrant Cooking (Immigrant Cookbook Series, Bk. #1)

Average customer rating:

Best Authentic Italian
Buy the Book for the Manicotti Crepes alone
Neighborhood recipes
The Best Italian Cookbook you can buy! Period!
Butter Cookies

Italian Immigrant Cooking (Immigrant Cookbook Series, Bk. #1)
Elodia Rigante
Manufacturer: First Glance Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The North End Italian Cookbook, 5th
The Arthur Avenue Cookbook: Recipes and Memories from the Real Little Italy
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ASIN: 1885440022

Book Description

Here is authentic Italian home-cooking at its best.

Customer Reviews:

Best Authentic Italian .......2005-12-21

I love this cookbook!!! Her recipes are just like my Grandmother used to make. Unfortunately all of our family recipes are not written down. So whenever I am unsure of how to make something I check with Elodia!

Buy the Book for the Manicotti Crepes alone.......2004-05-07

My sister had this book and made the Manicotti Crepes and meatballs for a family dinner. I liked it so much, I bought my own copy of the book. Elodia's recipes are great, they are old-fashioned good but suited to the busy working cook.

Neighborhood recipes.......2004-04-19

Mrs. Rigante and my husband's grandmother were aquaintances in her Brooklyn neighborhood; they lived just a few blocks from one another. Grandma didn't write down a lot of her recipes, so Mrs. Rigante's cookbook is a lifesaver. Their recipes are so similar it's like having a bit of home every time you open up the book. We can't look through it without getting hungry! Every recipe we've tried is excellent, and I love the family anecdotes and pictures. This is a staple for every cookbook collection.

The Best Italian Cookbook you can buy! Period!.......2004-01-08

I borrowed the cookbook from my Sister inlaw and loved it. I had to get a copy and luckily I found one! The recipes are fantastic I really love the book. I am italian and these recipes remind me of my Grandmothers cooking. Elodia is the best! Buy it if you can find a copy.

Butter Cookies.......2003-12-16

Page 172 recipe does not work. A waste of time, ingredients and $$$.

Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy

Average customer rating:

I'm loving it
Terrific everyday cookbook
It's a hit!
Tired of wimpy frozen lasagna, limp spaghetti, and uninspired Italian?
A great cookbook, vegan or not

Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy
Donna Klein
Manufacturer: HP Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule
Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock
Student's Go Vegan Cookbook: Over 135 Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegan Recipes
Extraveganza: Original Recipes from Phoenix Organic Farm

ASIN: 1557884943

Book Description

Mangia-minus the meat and dairy-with these classic Italian dishes from the author of The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen.

In the sumptuous style of classic Italian cuisine, this collection of delectably authentic recipes reinvents vegan. Mouth-watering dishes burst with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats like olive oil-all within an animal-free diet, ideal for lactose-intolerant eaters and vegetarians, too.

Delicious Italian food was made for bountiful and flavor-filled variations, not weak substitutions-which is why none of these recipes calls for tofu, soy milk, or other ingredients that mimic meat, dairy, and eggs. Now readers can treat themselves to something scrumptious-even if they can't make it to Italy this year.

Customer Reviews:

I'm loving it.......2007-09-02

I bought this fairly recently and I've made a number of dishes from it that have all turned out perfectly. I'm thrilled to have found a vegan cookbook that uses simple, healthy ingredients with no tofu or meat substitutes in sight!

I've served a couple of these meals to non-vegetarians and they were super impressed! Donna Klein is my new favourite vegetarian cookery writer.

Terrific everyday cookbook.......2007-08-23

I've had this book only for a few weeks but I have used it many times already. It is often the first cookbook I head for when looking for something to cook.

That's because it is full of simple recipes using common ingredients, many of them quick and easy to put together. A really good everyday cookbook. The only reason I didn't give it a higher rating is that it didn't have more recipes.

It's a hit!.......2007-08-17

My son was pleased to receive this cookbook. He has made many recipes from it and all are good.

Tired of wimpy frozen lasagna, limp spaghetti, and uninspired Italian?.......2007-06-15

Do you love Italian food, but are tired of greasy, unhealthy versions in restaurants? Looking to lighten up on fat and cholesterol? A vegan or vegetarian looking for authentic Italian without strange soy meat substitutes?

Enter Donna Klein's Vegan Italiano. Author of TheThe Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, The PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) Vegetarian Cookbook: 240 Healthy and Easy No-Prep Recipes for Busy Cooks, and the The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen: Delicious and Nutritious Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Dishes, Klein writes easy-to-follow, delicious vegan recipes that, best of all, are free of strange soy substitutes like TVP crumbles, soy sausage, tofu or tempeh. Only garden-fresh natural ingredients are used, with a touch of olive oil for flavor.

Naturally, Italian standards such as bruschetta, minestrone, gnocchi, and lasagna are included. Bruschettas include Asparagus, Apulian-Style with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil, and Cherry Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper. Lasagnas include Spinach and Eggplant and Zucchini. The main part of the book is dedicated, not surprisingly, to pasta, with numerous farfalle, linguine, and fusili offerings. There are also numerous ideas for fresh wild greens salads, vegetable side dishes, pizzas and breads, and desserts. Many of the dessert offerings would be perfect on a hot summer's day on the patio: fruits poached in red and white wine, macedonias, and granitas.

The great thing about vegan Italian recipes is that they're delicious as written, but if you want to add cheese, feel free. It's much easier to add animal products to a successful vegan recipe than it is to subtract them from a traditional one.

The majority of recipes are easy to prepare and contain detailed nutritional info. Fans of Donna Klein's other vegan and vegetarian cookbooks, as well as those looking for healthier updates on authentic Italian cuisine, will do well to check out Vegan Italiano. Although not as thorough as Klein's Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen (much of Vegan Italiano felt like carryovers from MVK), these are still healthy, delicious Italian favorites that are easy to prepare.

A great cookbook, vegan or not.......2007-06-10

This book uses vegetables, grains, and beans in ways that will delight anyone interested in improving his/her diet.

The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook: 350 Essential Recipes for Inspired Everyday Eating

Average customer rating:

A nice simple cook book
Best cookbook!
family cook
Yummy for Vegetarians!
Wonderful!

The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook: 350 Essential Recipes for Inspired Everyday Eating
Jack Bishop
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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

A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen: Easy Seasonal Dishes for Family and Friends
A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes
Vegetables Every Day: The Definitive Guide to Buying and Cooking Today's Produce With over 350 Recipes
Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, The
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

ASIN: 1576300447

Book Description

This uniquely accessible collection draws together the best vegetarian recipes of Italy-350 in all. 'Pasta and pizza may be Italy's most eye-catching exports, but it is the country's varied and sensible use of vegetables that provides the best inspiration for American cooks,' writes Jack Bishop. 'Asparagus spears coated with a little olive oil and roasted to intensify their flavor; thick slices of country bread grilled over an open fire and topped with diced tomatoes and shredded basil from the garden; or a fragrant stew with fennel and peas-Italians enjoy these dishes because of what they do contain, not what they don't.' Many of the recipes were gathered by Bishop during extensive travels throughout Italy. Some are family favorites, adapted from those of his Italian grandmother. All deliver perfect results with a minimum of effort. Serving suggestions for each recipe make planning vegetarian meals easy.

Customer Reviews:

A nice simple cook book.......2007-08-23

I've cooked five or six recipes out of the book and found them to be as advertised, simple but with delicious results.

Best cookbook!.......2007-03-08

I recently moved to Italy and decided to get this book to bring with me so as not to get stuck in a vegetarian food rut and also to be able to eat good Italian food without always having to go out to a restaurant. I have made something different almost everynight for a month so far. Not one recipe has disappointed me. They are all very easy to follow and super tasty. My boyfriend is loveing my new found love of cooking, and especially la cucina italiana! I'd also like to add that I used to be vegan so I always look at recipes from an "Is it possible to make this vegan?" standpoint. MANY MANY of these are already vegan on their own and even more of them are if you have the right soy products and a little imagination so I reccomend this book to vegans as well.

family cook.......2007-02-09

We have used many recipes out of this book and have not found a bad one. Very very tasty. My eldest daughter also bought one after trying some of the recipes while visiting us over the holidays.I recommend it to every one.

Yummy for Vegetarians!.......2007-01-10

Love this book! Recipes are simple and delicious. I gave this to my daughter for Christmas, and she is loving it! I would love a photo on every recipe for the next book to entice us to try it!

Wonderful!.......2006-07-05

The recipes in this cookbook are easy, delicious and wonderful! I use this cookbook more than I use any other book and this is the only one that stays on my counter year round. Try it and you will just love it!

Gelato!: Italian Ice Cream, Sorbetti & Granite

Average customer rating:

Gelato!: Italian Ice Cream, Sorbetti & Granite
Pamela Sheldon Johns
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

Cheese & Dairy | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More
The Ultimate Frozen Dessert Book : A Complete Guide to Gelato, Sherbert, Granita, and Semmifreddo, Plus Frozen Cakes, Pies, Mousses, Chiffon Cakes, and ... of Ways to Customize Every Recipe to Your
Frozen Desserts: The definitive guide to making ice creams, ices, sorbets, gelati, and other frozen delights
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
Lello 4070 Gelato Junior

ASIN: 1580081975

The Spiaggia Cookbook: Eleganza Italiana in Cucina

Average customer rating:

Another Pretty Italian Restaurant Cookbook. Too Expensive
Beautiful Book / New Ideas for Italian Cooking
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BOOK!!!

The Spiaggia Cookbook: Eleganza Italiana in Cucina
Tony Mantuano , and Cathy Mantuano
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Fiamma: The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cooking
Scott Conant's New Italian Cooking
The Farallon Cookbook: The Very Best of San Francisco Seafood Cuisine
Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant
Go Fish: Fresh Ideas for American Seafood

ASIN: 0811845117

Book Description

Elegance meets culinary tradition at Spiaggia, Chicago's premier Italian restaurant, where Chef Tony Mantuano and restauranteur Larry Levy have been astounding celebrities, foodies, and renowned chefs and winemakers for more than two decades. For the first time they share the secrets behind their award-winning Italian cuisine. From antipasti to primi courses such as Crescenza Cheese-filled Ravioletto with Parmesan Truffle Butter, to secondi main courses such as Grilled Veal Chop with Crispy Sweetbreads and Swiss Chard Timbale, these recipes explore Italian traditions and build on them in a way that's completely contemporary. This gorgeous reference makes the perfect gift for anyone passionate about the indulgences of Italian cooking.

Customer Reviews:

Another Pretty Italian Restaurant Cookbook. Too Expensive.......2005-01-14

`The Spiaggia Cookbook' by Tony and Cathy Mantuano is a Chicago Italian restaurant cookbook that aspires to be more than a souvenir of one's visit to the restaurant. The challenge to the reviewer is against what standard do we measure this book. The two which come to mind are Chicago's `Tru' by Rick Tramonto and `the Babbo Cookbook' by premier New York Italian chef / restaurateur Mario Batali.

For starters, the Spiaggia book begins with Foreword by Chicago real estate and restaurant developer, Larry Levy who touts the Mantuanos for filling Levy's prime real estate at the head of Chicago's Golden Mile in a big new building with a classy restaurant which brings to life the Italian cuisine on the shores of Lake Michigan. This is only fitting, as `spiaggia' means `shore' in Italian. Mr. Levy celebrates the number of culinary celebrities that have dined at Spiaggia and found it good. Tony Mantuano follows with an introduction that recounts the year he and his wife spent in Italy staging at several restorantes and trattoria in preparation for the opening of Spaggia. The Intro also sings the usual hymns to fresh ingredients and authentic Italian dishes. I confess this kind of literary glad-handing never really impresses me except that it sets the stage for what the author is attempting to do with their book.

Let me get the comparison to `Tru' out of the way quickly by saying that I would never recommend the `Tru' cookbook to anyone looking for a collection of handy recipes, as it is high end French technique with a huge dollop of Charlie Trotter / Thomas Keller innovation thrown in. In fact, I rate Tramonto's communicating his techniques superior to fellow Chicago chef Trotter. The Mantuanos, on the other hand do stay true to classic Italian techniques, if not necessarily Italian dishes. Therefore, for a lower price, `Tru' gives more high faluttin' technique for the buck, if that is what you want.

`The Spiaggia Cookbook' and Batali's `The Babbo Cookbook' are exactly the same list price; however, Mario gives us 300 pages of recipes from the beginning of the antipasto chapter to the end of the Dolci chapter. The Mantuanos give us 150 pages for the same price. With regard to how `Italian' the recipes may be, I find it very odd to find recipes in `The Spiaggia Cookbook' calling for Japanese Kobe beef, Russian sevruga caviar, and French foie gras. In contrast, Mario strictly follows his philosophy of giving us recipes exactly as done in his restaurant, with true Italian ingredients, and, ingredients which are practically local to New York such as fiddlehead ferns from New England and New Orleans shrimp.

`The Spiaggia Cookbook' makes much fuss over their Italian wines and local wines based on Italian grapes, yet the book gives us nothing on matching wines to the dishes. Mario also gives us no wine pairings, but then he doesn't run on about it in his book. Both books are organized according to the traditional courses in the Italian meal. These are antipasti, Primi (pasta, risotto, and soup), Secondi (main courses), Formaggi (cheese), and Dolci (desserts). I give Spiaggia extra points for giving us the titles of all their recipes in the Table of Contents at the front of the book. Regarding the layout of the recipe writing, I much prefer the Babbo style with numbered steps. It is simply much easier to follow by remembering you have finished step 4 and need to go on to step 5 rather than balancing a ruler on the page to mark your place in the text. I also found the conceit of two circles to punctuate some important sentences as a waste of printing costs. They distract more than they highlight.

As far as the actual technique in the two books, I personally prefer Mario's recipes as I simply thing they are more genuinely Italian. As neither I nor Ruth Reichl can seem to get a reservation at Babbo, I like the idea that I can reproduce their recipes, but as an amateur student of Italian cuisine, I like it more that I can get real Italian and Italian style cooking in Babbo while I do not trust that the Mantuanos are giving us the genuine article. Spiaggia and Babbo have very few recipes in common, but both give us the recipe for potato gnocchi. Spiaggia roasts their potatoes and mixes potatoes, egg, and flour in a bowl. Babbo boils the potatoes with skins on and mixes potato, flour, and egg using the classic `well' or `fountain' method. As most Italians historically did not have ovens, I tend to believe the Babbo method is closer to the traditional method. This consideration may mean little to people who have eaten at Spiaggia and were impressed by the experience. But, for those of us who buy cookbooks and have no plans to be in Chicago in the near future, I think that for the price, this book does not measure up to the five star standard in Italian restaurant cookbooks.

This is a good book, but there are better high-end Italian restaurant cookbooks to be had. I agree with other reviewers who praise the look of the book, but it is simply not 'best in show'.

Beautiful Book / New Ideas for Italian Cooking.......2005-01-11

This book has absolutely gorgeous photography and has simply delicious recipes. Great source guide for hard to find product.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BOOK!!!.......2004-12-29

I was given this book as a gift for the holidays. I was immediately impressed with the photos, which made my mouth water. Chef Mantuano recipes make me want to eat at Spiaggia more often. This book will make a terrific gift or a perfect way to treat yourself if you enjoy food.

The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food

Average customer rating:

yjm-oh!!!!!!
Lots of work but worth it
Handmade Pastas
No serious kitchen should be without this book!
The very best regional Italian cookbook! Buy It!

The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food
Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy's Farmhouse Kitchens
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Biba's Northern Italian Cooking
Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking
Naples at Table : Cooking in Campania

ASIN: 0688089631

Book Description

Just when you thought you knew the best of Northern Italy, along comes Lynne RossettoKasper to introduce you to Emilia-Romagna, a fertile wedge between Milan, Venice, and Florence, as gastronomically important as any land in the world. The lush homeland of balsamic vinegar, Prosciutto di Parma, tortellini, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, this is a region venerated by Italy's food cognoscenti. "Ask an Italian where to take only one meal in Italy, and, after recommending his mother's house, he will more than likely send you to EmiliaRomagna,"writes Kasper.

A cuisine at once voluptuous and refined, the dishes of Emilia-Romagna's kitchen are literally irresistible. just listen to the names"Little" Spring Soup from the 17th Century, His Eminence's Baked Penne, Modena Crumbling Cake. Then imagine sitting down to a dish of Hot Caramelized Pears with Prosciutto, a Risotto of Red Wine with Fresh Rosemary or a Pie of Polenta and Country RagÚ

The first American book to present the food of this singular northern region, The Splendid Table is an Italian cookbook for the nineties. It will take you from Parma, Bologna, Modena, Ravenna, and Ferrara to tiny villages in the foothills of the Apennines, from Renaissance banquet halls to the simplest of farmhouses, offering history, folklore, and substantive cooking tips along the way.

Among the things you will find are:

A 56-recipe pasta chapter including many never before seen in America. From fast and easy dishes such as Linguine with Braised Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar to a lasagne of chicken, pine nuts, and currants.

A veal Parmigiano like no other-Pan-Fried Veal Chops with Tomato Marsala Sauce, the whole finished with curls of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

An array of meatless or almost meatless recipes. Grilled vegetables with maccheroni; a

country dish of braised lentils with ribbons of pappardelle and crisp nubbins of pancetta; Tortellini of Artichokes and Mascarpone; or Fresh Tuna Adriatic Style.

Straight out of the Renaissance but perfect for today, a sumptuous tortellini pie, ideal for important dinners and holidays.

A salad of tart greens, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Prosciutto di Parma with a warm garlic and balsamic dressing and many other antipasto dishes.

Over thirty dessert recipes including Chestnut Ricotta Cheesecake and Torta Barozzi, a mysterious chocolate cake made at only one pastry shop in the entire region.

"A Guide to Ingredients" that shares the secrets of how to select, use, and store the very best balsamic vinegars, olive oils, porcini mushrooms, Prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, coppa, fresh herbs, and much more.

Encounters with Lucrezia Borgia, Gioachino Rossini, Napoleon's Empress Marie Louise, Giuseppe Verdi, Arturo Toscanini, Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Tebaldi, and Luciano Pavarotti, all characters in the epic of Emilia-Romagna.

The Splendid Table is the Italian cookbook America has been waiting for a book firing our passion for Italian food while responding to our health concerns. It not only reveals Italy's best-kept culinary secret, the great cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, it is at the same time one of the most important teaching books of our era. Know it will become a good friend, well thumbed and lovingly stained over years of good cooking and good reading.

24 pages of finished dishes in full color. 200 recipes with wine and menu suggestions.

Customer Reviews:

yjm-oh!!!!!!.......2007-01-10

I used to work in a great italian restaurant. One of the books from the chef's library that stood out was this one. It has great recipes. Very true to the food. Close your eyes. Pick a recipe. Make it and its a hit!
I am one that LOOOOVES to "twik" recipes. With this book, there is no need.

Lots of work but worth it.......2007-01-01

This is a fantastic book. At first glance I set it aside as it looked labor-intensive, but as I tried it out I've had nothing but great results. Most recipies involve a *lot* of overall time and work, especially getting some of the ingredients (hard to find veal neck bones) but so far worth it!

Handmade Pastas.......2006-04-09

Delicious.

I adore this book. I love sitting down just to read the histories and evolutions of dishes. And I love the actual recipes I've made so far from it.

But most importantly, I've learned not to be afraid to make homemade pastas thanks to Kasper's easy conversational style.

The pasta doughs are simple and forgiving, and the pastas are delicious, filling, and a huge cost and nutrition savings compared to packaged.

No serious kitchen should be without this book!.......2006-03-24

My wife is a food professional and we eat very well at home. She mentioned this book after our trip through Tuscany & Umbria earlier this year and I bought it as a gift for her. Wish that we'd had it years ago! The Bolognese sauce alone is worth the price! I do not personally use the cookbook but have been hearing raves about the content - both recipes and general information about this region in Italy. This is very high praise from my hard-to-please retired teaching chef wife.

The very best regional Italian cookbook! Buy It!.......2005-07-27

`The Splendid Table' by Lynne Rossetto Kasper is simply the most splendid book I have read on a regional cuisine and it is by far and away the best of the three books on the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, even though the other two, `Biba's Taste of Italy' by Biba Caggiano and `Recipes from My Two Villages' by Mario Batali are excellent, as far as they go. Ms. Caggiano's book is simply a collection of recipes from Emilia-Romagna and Mario's book is more of a personal diary of recipes than a thorough examination of a historical cuisine.

Ms. Kasper's book, in the year it was published, won both the James Beard and Julia Child (IACP) cookbook awards, which is roughly the same as winning both the Academy award and the Foreign Press Writers award for best picture. And, I believe this book deserved all the attention it has received. Even Mario, who has his own book on the subject, made a special point to mention this book on his `Molto Mario' show. Since I have owned the book for over a year, it is one of those cases where I deeply regret having taken so long to get to studying the volume.

All that remains, then, is to point out what it is which makes the book so good.

For starters, it covers every aspect of a region's cuisine. That is, it deals with the history, the agriculture, and the economy of the region as well as the great recipes. And, what a background we have to relate. Emilia-Romagna is not just another region in one of the world's great culinary countries. It is THE very heart and soul of that culinary tradition, even more than the fabled provinces of Tuscany (Florence) in the north and Campagna (Naples) in the south. It is the home of Italy's three most important non-wine food products, Proscuitto de Parma, Parmesano-Reggiano, and Balsamic Vinegar. On top of that, it is also the home of some of the most famous fresh pasta dishes to come out of Italy plus several of the most famous salume products from Italy (witness the name Bologna, the region's capital city, given to some of these products).

While this coverage is necessary for a complete book on this subject, it is not enough. And, this book gives us the most important component, an excellent selection of very well written recipes. And, with over five hundred pages to fill, Ms. Kasper has given us several different takes on many of the more interesting recipes. A fine example is the famous ragu Bolognese, which is offered up in at least six different variations, each for a slightly different purpose or from a different background.

Never having studied this northern (generally tomatoless) sauce in detail before, I am struck by how similar it is to the most common recipes for Texas chili. It has no beans, the meat is diced and browned, not ground, and tomato and other spices are added sparingly. In the place of dried chiles, the ragu includes cinnamon (in several of the more traditional recipes). One very odd facet of these recipes is that where a Bay leaf is specified, the author calls for the California bay leaf rather than the milder Turkish bay leaf.

The recipes are organized like all good Italian cookbooks, by course. The chapters are:

The Antipasto Course
Ragus
Essential Sauces and Stocks (In no other book have I seen such a thorough treatment of Italian broths and stocks. Ms. Kasper includes the simple traditional `brodo' but adds much more, highlighted by the rich `Il sugo de carne' or meat essence.)
Pastas
The Sweet Pastas of the Renaissance (So, not only do we get modern dishes, we also get recipes for historical dishes which one usually never finds outside a book specializing in Renaissance cooking).
Risotto, Soup, and Vegetable First Courses
Second Courses
Vegetable Side Dishes
Breads
Desserts

Aside from the atypical choice of the California bay, nothing in this book disagrees with anything I have seen from any other authority on Italian cooking. In fact, Ms. Kasper generally improves on other advice by giving more details and a finer turn to her information on ingredients, techniques, and background. I am especially happy to see recipes for some of the more complicated dishes which simply never find their way into less ambitious books, such as `bomba di riso', a northern Italian analogue to the pasta `timbale' of the south. And, while many books cover bread making in a very superficial manner, this book not only does justice to this difficult subject, it covers many of the more arcane flatbreads which tend to be overshadowed by pizza from Naples and foccacia from Genoa. Her chapter on desserts also gives the lie to Sr. Batali's often-repeated statement that the Italians are not big on sweet desserts. While many of these may have grown out of French and Austrian influences, there are tortes and tarts aplenty to enliven an Italian themed entertainment.

Ms. Kasper also gives us a very nice little guide to ingredients, mail order sources, and a bibliography composed almost entirely of Italian language sources.

It is not hard to see how Ms. Kasper has been able to produce such a great book. Elizabeth David lived in Italy and studied its cuisine for a year before producing her excellent `Italian Food'. Ms. Kasper has spent the better part of a lifetime, including five years living in Bologna, studying this cuisine. It is no surprise that the recipe writing in this book rivals that of Julia Child in `Mastering the Art of French Cooking', as this author has spent about the same time mastering her subject before committing it to paper.

Any culinary library that has any pretensions to being complete must include a copy of this book!

Average customer rating:

I love the cook books by Carol Field
Wonderful breads!
A CLASSIC
Great book, but not the easiest recipes
I had high hopes for this book, but I've lost faith.

The Italian Baker
Carol Field
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

Herbs, Spices & Condiments | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray: A Cookbook
Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery: Recipes for the Connoisseur
Crust & Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers
Artisan Baking

ASIN: 0061812668

Book Description

Bread in Italy is rough country loaves with thick chewy crusts and flat disks of focaccia seasoned with the wild herbs of the fields. It is celebratory sweet holiday breads dense with fat raisins, toasted nuts and candied fruit peels. It is "new wave" wave" breads, recently invented by artisan bakers and studded with roasted peppers, sun. dried tomatoes and salty olive paste. It is imaginative multi-grain breads and rolls with tastes and shapes that vary dramatically from region to region.

Recipes for the breads of all these regions, for the comforting rustic soups and salads and appetizers based on them, for breadsticks and rolls, pizza and focaccia, for holiday specialties, for pastries, cookies, cornetti and nut tortes, fruit tarts, cheesecakes and spice cakes and other confections-all are offered in this landmark volume which presents, for the first time in English or Italian, the diverse baking traditions of Italy.

Knowing these regional specialties and the stories behind them is like taking a trip through the Italian countryside. Putting the recipes on paper as Carol Field has done is like preserving the villages in the Italian hillsides with their churches and frescoes, for they are part of a tradition that has never before been recorded. In preparing for this book, Carol Field spent two years working with the bakers of Italy, traversing the country again and again from Lugano and Como in the north to Lecce and Palermo in the south, tasting and testing, then going back to the States to rework the recipes in an American kitchen with American ingredients. The result is recipes that are impeccably written for utmost ease and flexibility. Some are simple and earthy, some elegant and refined, but all will be a revelation to Americans who have previously known Italian breads and desserts only from the limited and stereotyped range available until now. Each recipe offers instructions for making doughs by hand, by electric mixer, and by food processor. Illustrations provide clear step-by-step how-to, and chapters on ingredients, equipment and technique reveal all the whys and wherefores.

Customer Reviews:

I love the cook books by Carol Field.......2007-09-01

reading this book you can feel the heart and soul she has for the Italian land and it's people. One of the great treasures of cook books. Carol Field's books bring out the history and wonderful cultural recipes. This Book is Art! Good cooking is art!

Wonderful breads!.......2007-08-24

Wonderful bread recipes for anyone who wants to make their own bread with the authentic recipes of Italy.

A CLASSIC.......2007-07-29

I love this book. Easy to understand, straightforward to bake from. Good illustrations. From Pane Siciliana, (I make it braided with sesame seeds) to Pasta Sfogilata (puff pastry for little cream filled cannons) It's all good--if it's Dolci it's there. A trip to Italy's bakeries in a great book. Not many others can compare.

Great book, but not the easiest recipes.......2007-05-15

I've made a few things out of this book. Each step is laid out in detail, and the drawings are helpful. My only caveat is that many of the recipes are not partiucularly easy. But, boy, they sure taste good!

I had high hopes for this book, but I've lost faith........2007-04-19

I have tried two recipes from this book, the semolina bread (Altamura) which was ho-hum, and the sweet corn bread (Pan de Mej) which was a RECIPE FOR DISASTER. I have prided myself in having never had a yeast bread fall flat on me, until this happened. The reason I even tried it was as an inspiration from the corn bread recipe from Jeffrey Hamelman's `Bread' (which, by the way, was a success) -- I wanted to use my leftover corn flour and thought I'd like something sweeter. My fatal mistake was taking the recipe from the Italian Baker at face value, and: (1) not bothering to check baker's percentages (hydration due to liquids was actually low, but with the eggs and butter it looked more like cake batter than dough); (2) the recipe called for unbleached flour which I followed without thinking. I know I've read somewhere before that unbleached flour should not be used in cakes because the fat will not cling to it, and the recipe called for quite a lot of butter; and (3) the proofing time indicated was four hours which I doubted right from the start because of the amount of yeast required. True enough, my dough was overflowing from the pan in less than two hours.

In hindsight, trying this recipe was suicide. There were far too many mistakes for them to be misprints, and the only conclusion I could make was that the recipe was not kitchen tested at all. I will not even try to redeem myself by revising the recipe to make it work, because the scraps I tried didn't even taste good.

Is it unfair of me to judge this book so harshly based on one recipe? But if I can't trust the recipes based on this experience, why should I bother trying another?

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