Italian Books - Page 16

Sweet Sicily: The Story of an Island and Her Pastries

Victoria Granof

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

There's nothing subtle about Sicily.

From the towering cake known as the Triumph of Gluttony to the pert cherry-topped pastries called Virgin's Breasts to puckery, palate-tingling ices made from the island's luscious lemons and tangerines, Sicily is known for its audacious -- and delicious -- desserts. Pastry chef and food stylist Victoria Granof has traveled throughout Sicily learning sweet secrets and local lore from the island's pastry chefs and home bakers, and the result is Sweet Sicily, a lushly photographed exploration of authentic Sicilian pastry-making.

For more than two thousand years, Sicily has been coveted for its fertile land and unique location in the Mediterranean. The Greeks, Romans, Normans, Austrians, French, Bourbons, and Saracens have all landed on its shores, and in turn left their imprints on its food. Granof's magical tour takes us to Modica, where Franco and Pierpaolo Ruta of the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto create chocolate pastries using a five-hundred-year-old recipe that originated with the island's Bourbon conquerors, and to the Baroque town of Noto, where master pastry chef Corrado uses jasmine blossoms planted by Saracens more than a thousand years ago to flavor his jasmine gelato. Granof goes on a quest to find the most authentic ingredients and recipes, including delectable homemade ricotta made from the milk of sheep that graze on fragrant herbs and pistachios that grow in the shadow of Mount Etna, the island's still active volcano.

In Sicily, every holiday and festival has its proper sweet accompaniment: marzipan lambs at Easter, honeyed pastry fritters at Christmas, crunchy, clove-scented cookies called "bones of the dead" for All Soul's Day. Granof explores these customs and festivals, gathering heirloom recipes, along with local anecdotes and advice. In addition to sweets that are already familiar to Americans, such as cannoli, cassata, and lemon ice, she introduces us to dozens of delectable pastries, confections, and cookies that are destined to become favorites as well.

With a guide to festivals and pastry shops throughout the island, and nearly one hundred recipes formulated for use in American kitchens, Sweet Sicily is an unforgettable exploration of the desserts of the world's most beguiling island.

Italian Ice Cream: Gelato, Sorbetto, Granita and Semifreddi

Carla Bardi, Emilia Onesti

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Go ahead and buy! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 5 people found this review helpful.

It is a great edition, not only for the kitchen, but also for a coffee table display! Many recipes for a great Italian gelato, semifreddi, and so on.

A Taste of Ancient Rome

Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Delicious recipes and a fascinating look at ancient Rome 5 out of 5 stars.
22 of 25 people found this review helpful.

I bought "A Taste of Ancient Rome" more out of historical interest than out of any real desire to prepare foods in the Roman style. One day, though, I ended up being given six frozen mallard ducks, and one of the recipes in this book, Duck with Turnips, caught my eye. I tried it, and it was absolutely amazing. Since that day I've prepared over half of the recipes in this book, and I've found most of them to be delicious, easy to prepare, and economical.

One of the more enjoyable facets of international cooking is seeing how cooks from different cultures meld flavours in a way most of us in North America would never think of. The recipes in this book contain many combinations that would seem to us to be insane. Duck with turnips? Cream of wheat or spelt with a ham bone? Cantaloupe with garlic and pepper? Tuna steak with dates? These blends sounds very bizarre, but they all work, and work well.

The writer has included a few recipes which couldn't be prepared in our time (such as the recipe calling for parrot!) simply to show the decadence of first-century Rome. But what surprised me the most about the other recipes is how many of them are absolutely accessible to the modern chef. One reason for this is the fact that the ingredients unfamiliar to us can for the most part be easily substituted with ingredients we have on hand. Apparently, even some Romans (Pliny the Elder, for instance) hated garum and substituted salt, so it's not inauthentic for us to do so. Another reason is simply that we still eat many of the foods the Romans did. Although they didn't have pasta, tomatoes, potatoes, soy, corn, or any of the other foods borrowed from the Far East or the New World, they did have most of the meats, fruits, nuts, and vegetables we eat on a daily basis.

That said, this book is not for everybody. There seems to be a subset of North Americans who eat nothing but conventional, middle-of-the-road food and who have no interest in anything the least bit unusual or new. If you shop for all your groceries at Wal-Mart, if you turn down any food that isn't aggressively conservative as being weird, foreign, or disgusting, and if TGIFridays or Appleby's is your idea of a really good restaurant, you probably won't enjoy this book. However, if you are able to go beyond your food comfort level and especially if you're interested in how people ate 2,000 years ago, A Taste of Ancient Rome might be for you.

Editorial Review:

From appetizers to desserts, the rustic to the refined, here are more than two hundred recipes from ancient Rome tested and updated for today's tastes. With its intriguing sweet-sour flavor combinations, its lavish use of fresh herbs and fragrant spices, and its base in whole grains and fruits and vegetables, the cuisine of Rome will be a revelation to serious cooks ready to create new dishes in the spirit of an ancient culture.

Cristina's Tuscan Table

Cristina Cook

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Finally a cookbook with some flavor 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Finally a cookbook with some flavor. Do you ever buy a cookbook and the recipe looks really good in the photo but when you make it, it's just not the same? Well, not only are the photos in this book a treat in themselves, but when you make the dish , it comes out just as deliciouses. Try the pumkin tirami su.

A fabulous book for everyone. easy, fun, and inspiring. It has dishes for every occasion, for every meal. I own it and love it. Buy both books together and your set for any event, or just a nice, hardy, flavorful meal with the one you love.

Even as a coffee table book, Cristina's Tuscan Table meets the challenge. The photos, stories about Cristina, and her style of cooking are one of a kind.

5 stars

Editorial Review:

Cristina's Restaurant is a charming European-style bistro nestled in the mountains of Sun Valley. A favorite of locals and tourists alike, Cristina's serves up its exquisite fare to celebrities, politicians, CEOs, and cosmopolitan travelers who have made Sun Valley their personal retreat. Influenced by rural Tuscany where Cristina grew up, the food is elegant, unpretentious, impeccably presented, and freshly seasonal.

Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen

Joyce Goldstein

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Diet -> Kosher

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Is there a restaurant that serves this stuff somewhere? 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.

Short form: vegetables + raisins and pine nuts is a good combination.

There is a certain image of Jewish food and a certain image of Italian food in this country that is widely understood. The food in this book really is neither -- it's a unique cuisine that in some ways is a throwback to Roman food, while still reflecting the Jewish heritage that influenced it. And this is one of the few books readily available that discusses it -- even Claudia Roden's monumental Book of Jewish Food -- IMHO possibly the greatest ethnic cookbook I own -- has very little to say about Italian Jewish food, though its coverage of Sephardic and Mizrachi cooking is otherwise excellent.

The recipes in here are snapshots of foods that aren't necessarily standardized -- the recipe for Riso di Sabato (Sabbath rice), for example, points out that some make it like a risotto, some don't. Three different versions of Passover charoset appear, from different parts of Italy, and even though the world-famous carciofi alla giudea show up there's a riot of other vegetable dishes, including many based on la zucca barucca, a pumpkin-like "blessed squash" that shows up quite frequently in this book.

Italian Jewish food is something very different from what the average cook might expect -- the combination leads to a fairly exotic yet very homey cuisine, and this book is one of the few I've seen that makes it accessible to American cooks. If you like seeking out interesting ethnic cuisines, there's a hole in your library if you don't have this one.

Editorial Review:

Now available in paperback, Joyce Goldstein's beloved cookbook offers a fascinating perspective on the Italian food we all know and love. Tracing the long-forgotten Jewish influences and focusing new light on the intertwining of two time-honored cooking traditions, the recipes in Cucina Ebraica are familiar and yet entirely fresh, a robust and delicious taste of Italy s regional cuisine. From the enticingly crunchy fried vegetables of fritto misto to the savory meat-filled buricche pastries to tonno fresco con piselli (Fresh Tuna with Peas), each dish is an invitation to the unexpected delights in both Italian and Jewish cuisine.

Pizza: And other savory pies

Brigit Legere Binns

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Editorial Review:

If you love pizza, consider the delicious satisfaction of making it at home using fresh, wholesome ingredients and according to your own exacting specifications. Thick, chewy crust or thin, crackery crust. Tomato sauce or sliced fresh tomatoes. Generous with the cheese or light on the toppings.

With this book in your kitchen, you can bake up Italian classics like Pizza Margherita; American favorites like Classic Pepperoni; inspired appetizers like Pizzette with Garlic, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese; and even pizza cousins like calzone and stromboli. Fire up the oven and invite your friends and family over for an array of delectable homemade and handcrafted pizzas.

Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking

Micol Negrin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Americans have fallen in love with Italian regional food, from the casual fare of Tuscan trattorias to the more refined creations of high-end Piedmontese restaurants, from Sicily’s wonderful desserts to Emilia-Romagna’s superb cheeses and cured meats. Rustico is the first American book to explore the remarkable breadth of these richly varied cuisines, devoting equal attention to each of Italy’s twenty regions. This includes thorough treatment of such places as Val d’Aosta, high in the Alps, whose fare is an intriguing mix of northern Italian, French, and Swiss influences: truffled fondue or grappa-spiked venison stew will
transport you to the slopes of Monte Bianco. Or Trentino–Alto Adige, with the southernmost German-speaking towns in Europe, for goulasch and spaetzle. Or the scorched southern regions like Basilicata, known for their spicy dishes; the Veneto, with the aromatic foods that are a legacy of Venice’s reign as the spice capital; or Sardinia, with its Spanish-inflected cuisine.

For each of the twenty regions, Micol Negrin provides ten authentic, truly representative recipes, with a special focus on original, rustic dishes, encompassing the entire meal—antipasti to dolci. Each chapter is introduced by an overview of the region, its culinary influences, food staples, and important recipes; each includes information on specialty products like cheeses and wines; and each explores the traditions, preparations, and life of the region, not only through recipes but through anecdote, history, and captivating photos. Each chapter, in fact, is a book unto itself; and the sum total is the last Italian cookbook you’ll ever need.

Italian Cooking Encyclopedia: The definitive professional guide to Italian ingredients and cooking techniques, including 300 step-by-step recipes

Kate Whiteman, Jeni Wright & Angela Boggiano Carla Capalbo

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

MOLTO BENE! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book has true, authentic Italian recipes that taste out of this world! I especially like all the information provide about the various pastas, cheeses, herbs, etc. The recipes are wonderful but most are not for the novice cook. If you love Italian food and love to cook, definitely try to find a copy of this book!

fine start for cooking italian 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia is an enormous book that has detailed photographs showing the reader how to prepare and cook italian recipes. Every recipe is very simple to follow and understand. This is a great type of book for me because I am a visual learner, I need to see the finished product so that I can see what Im cooking. Plus the photographs show how mouth watering the dishes are.
Another wonderful thing is that the encyclopedia includes roughly 100 or so pages describing the ingredients in the recipes. It shows different pastas, grains, cheeses, and vegetables which is a great tool for future use in deciphering Italian recipes in other cookbooks also.
I love a lot of the recipes in the book inluding the tiramisu, and the tuna canneloni. There are a lot of good standards such as linguini with clams, and fettucine with cream sauce.
I recieved this book when I was just learning to cook (about 8 years ago) and I refered back to this a lot. It would be a great gift for the beginning chef or someone who loves colorful cookbooks.

Pizza: Any Way You Slice It (Easy Recipes for Great Homemade Pizzas, Focaccia, and Calzones)

Michele Scicolone, Charles Scicolone

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Can't resist the warm, enticing aroma of a perfect homemade pizza with a crisp crust topped with creamy mozzarella and juicy tomatoes? Now you can become an expert pizza maker using Charles and Michele Scicolone's Pizza--Any Way You Slice It.  Their simple techniques and 100 innovative recipes will have you making top-quality, authentic pizza right in your own kitchen.

Inspired by a trip to Naples, the birthplace of pizza, Charles and Michele became determined to find ways to duplicate their favorite dish at home.  Charles, who didn't even know the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon, had to start from the beginning.  He made pizza after pizza, and soon Charles, who had never cooked anything in his life, was able to make perfect pizza from scratch.  Friends were amazed not just by how good Charles's pizzas were, but by how simple his techniques were.

Now, after mastering the art of making pizza, the Scicolones share their easy-to-follow tips and shortcuts: from mixing, kneading, and shaping the dough to choosing the right toppings.  Pizza--Any Way You Slice It includes Italian classics, such as Pizza Margherita (tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil) and Florentine Pizza (with spinach), and pizza American style, with favorites like Chicago Sausage and Cheese Deep-Dish Pie and New Haven White Clam Pizza.  And there are easy recipes for unique stuffed pizzas, Italian regional pizzas, focaccia, and flatbreads--something for every taste.

Rounding out this comprehensive pizza book are recipes for pizza accompaniments, pizza history and trivia, a suggested wine list, and a list of the Scicolones' favorite pizzerias in the United States and Italy.  With Pizza--Any Way You Slice It, you're just one recipe away from perfect pizza at home.


From the Hardcover edition.

Cooking Italian With Kids

Liz Franklin

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Editorial Review:

What better way to interest your children in cooking than through the food of a nation passionate about good ingredients and sociable mealtimes? Starting with a Pasta chapter, children can cook up a supervised storm with easy recipes such as Spaghetti with Garlic and Herbs. Bread and Polenta ideas include breadsticks and lovely breads such as Sweet Plum Focaccia. Let children make something from the Antipasti, Easy Lunches, and Snacks chapter, or an Entree such as Meatloaf or Easy Sausage and Onion Calzone. To go with those fantastic dinners are Vegetables and Salads. Finally, there are great ideas for Sweets and Ice Cream. *Delicious, easy recipes for grade school children to make with an adult's help. *Written by mother of three Liz Franklin who has taught cookery classes for children. *In the same series as the bestselling Baking with Kids and Cooking with Kids.