Italy Today The Beautiful Cookbook Contemporary Recipes Reflecting Simple Fresh Italian Cooking
December 31, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
Italy Today The Beautiful Cookbook Contemporary Recipes Reflecting Simple
Fresh Italian Cooking
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First published in 1988, Italy the Beautiful Cookbook (200,000 copies
sold) set the standard for exquisite presentation of Italy’s authentic cuisine, combining
recipes with scenic photography and details of each region. Now, nine years later, with
worldwide interest in Italian food booming and a new Italian cuisine emerging, this new
book has new power to satisfy the cook and traveler in us all.
With the accelerated
pace of contemporary life, Italians have had to change their style of eating. This has
created fresh ideas, quick approaches to the classics, rediscovered heritage dishes, and
a more relaxed way of assembling menus. This new style is reflected in the more than 220
recipes culled from cooks throughout Italy. Emphasis is on light first courses and vegetable
dishes; simply prepared fish, poultry and meats; and homemade breads, pizzas and
desserts. Photographs of each region accompany these mouthwatering recipes. From the
Alps to Sicily, from the fragrant herbs of Liguria to the pungent olives of Puglia, readers will
delight in rediscovering the pleasures of this inspiring beloved country.
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars
THIS IS THE FOLLOW UP, AND VERY POOR VERSION OF HER FIRST ONE
This book has almost the same title as her first book from 1987, Italy the
Beautiful Cookbook. This one is called Italy today the Beautiful cookbook. This one is as
bad as her first was good… pass on this one and order her first one.
Pasta Authentic Recipes from the Regions of Italy
December 30, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
Pasta Authentic Recipes from the Regions of Italy
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Now that Italy’s national dish has taken over dinner menus across the globe,
it’s time to return to the source in search of the full flavors and storied traditions behind
pasta. Award-winning author Pamela Sheldon Johns conducts a mouthwatering, and
highly educational, culinary tour of the roots of this beloved staple in PASTA!, the fifth book
in her acclaimed Italian artisanal cookbook series. The ever-inquisitive Sheldon Johns drops
in on some of Italy’s oldest pasta makers in search of the secrets of their craft, and
discusses what distinguishes the choicest pastas, both fresh and dried, from the also-ran’s.
She then offers up over 50 simple regional pasta recipes that feature the age-old
foodstuff in its parade of shapes and sizes. One bite of Penne Rigati in Gorgonzola Sauce
(from Lombardy), Farfalle with Peas and Proscuitto (from Emilia-Romagna) or Fusilli with
Sausage and Olives (from the south), and your senses will be on a virtual tour of the
motherland. For those who have struggled with making homemade pasta in the past,
Sheldon Johns comes to the rescue with time-tested master recipes with step-by-step
instructions, straight from the kitchens of Italy.
Atavismo My Home in Italy
December 28, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
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Ann’s journey to learn about her Italian heritage evolved into loving
Italy with its wondrous food, medieval stone villages built into the sides of mountains, the
colorful confetti shops in Sulmona, the tartufo festival in Succiano, the town
celebration of Feragosto, and the festas in Goriano Valli.
The adventure
of exploring off-the-beaten-track hidden itineraries, cooking in the church kitchen of a
monk, shopping at the local markets in San Demetrio and L’Aquila, buying food from
trucksters who delivered right to the front door, seeing ricotta being made in a
shepherd’s shack, picking artichokes in her cousin’s garden, and living like an
Italian in the village she was born in opened the door to a heritage and family previously
unknown to her.
She learned of a scandal in her parent’s family, never
known to her American family, and heard moving stories of unrequited love and wartime
heroism.
From the fabulous cooks in her family, recipes for chinghiale,
zucchini flower fritters, carbonara, chicken cacciatore, milk of almond from the times of
Michelangelo, polenta on the board and many other recipes are included in this
book.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars
A return to her roots
I initially met the author in the Rome airport struggling to find change to pay
for parking. Realizing she was speaking English, we had a small discussion and she
handed me her card as she told me she had just published a book about Italy and my
husband and I and my sister and her husband were just beginning our trek through much
of Italy. I purchased her book and enjoyed reading about her ancestors, home, and her
little corner of Italy. I have since returned to Italy and my next trip will definitely include a
stop in Anna Maria’s corner….of Italy.
500 Recipes From Around The World Volume 2
December 26, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
500 Recipes From Around The World Volume 2
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Volume 2 of Recipes From Around The World contains over 500 recipes such
as:
-Caribbean Pork With Pineapple Salsa
-Lebanese Baba Ghanoush
-
Fragrant Pork Adobo from the Philippines
-Aussie Shrimp On The Barbie With Orange
Ginger
-South African Curried Beef Gratin.
Italian Holiday Cooking A Collection of 150 Treasured Recipes
December 24, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
Italian Holiday Cooking A Collection of 150 Treasured Recipes
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“My Sicilian grandmother used to make a cookic with red wine, dipped
in honey, but I can’t find a recipe anywhere.”
Whether you’re looking for your
grandmother’s vecchiarelle, a traditional Christmas Lye Neapolitan seafood salad,
Italian-style fried chicken for Chanukah, or spice cookies for All Souls’ Day, you’ll find them
together with 150 other classic recipes in Italian Holiday Cooking.
From
Christmas to Carnevale, from Sundae dinner to saints’ feast days, Italians know how to
celebrate. And what’s an Italian celebration without food?
With this collection,
renowned Italian food and wine writer Michele Scicolone brings the spirit and the flavors
of Italian holiday cooking into your own kitchen. Enjoy Christmas Capon, Red Risotto for
Rosh Hashanah, and Good Luck Lentil Soup for New Year’s Day. Leave it to the Italians to
honor the holidays with specific pasta dishes: Pasta for Saint Joseph’s Day — tripolini with
almonds, bread crumbs, and anehovy — Ravioli for the Feast of Saint John the Baptist,
and Fettuccine and Chickpeas for the Day of the Dead. There are antipasti and savory
pies and hearty second courses. Special cakes, cookies, and other dolci include
Chocolate Cake for Passover, Christmas Struffoli, and Carnevale Cannoli. And, of course,
all these recipes can be made throughout the year.
Italian Holiday
Cooking includes stories and the lore of homeland traditions and celebrations that
Italian-American families have kept alive in the United States. So even if you’re not Italian,
celebrate with Italian Holiday Cooking.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars
I was delighted with these authentic Italian recipes but….
This is one of the better Italian cookbooks I have come across
but I ran
into a problem with the first recipe I tried. The orange semolina cake sounded great. I
prepared the semolina, made the ricotta mixture and beat the egg whites. The recipe
never tells you what to do with the cooked semolina! I’m an experienced cook, and I
figured it went into the ricotta mixture, but who knows? We’re eating it tomorrow,
Christmas Eve and I guess I’ll find out then.
Williams Sonoma Foods of the World Rome Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods of the World
December 23, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
Williams Sonoma Foods of the World Rome Authentic Recipes Celebrating the
Foods of the World
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Hearty pastas accented with tomato, pizzas with a crispy-thin crust, and
artichokes braised to perfection are all hallmarks of the Roman table. A cookbook that
showcases the cuisine and food artisans one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Williams-
Sonoma Rome is required reading for anyone with a passion for Italy.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars
Williams-Sonoma Rome Cookbook
This is my favorite cookbook. The recipes are terrific and the pictures bring
back wonderful memories!
Celebrations Italian Style Recipes and Menus for Special Occasions and Seasons of the Year
December 21, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
Celebrations Italian Style Recipes and Menus for Special Occasions and Seasons
of the Year
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Celebrate Italian style with Mary Ann Esposito’s new collection of recipes.
Mary Ann, best-selling author and host of public television’s popular cooking show Ciao
Italia, shares recipes and menus for every occasion. From a pasta buffet for a crowd to
an informal Christmas Eve family dinner, her easy-to prepare dishes are presented in her
trademark style — with reminiscences of growing up in an Italian-American
household.Celebrations Italian Style includes charming folktales, written by Mary Ann and
illustrated by acclaimed artist Tomie dePaola, and glorious color photographs of Mary
Ann’s recipes.
Mary Ann offers a unique blend of recipes and menus culled from her
family archives and from today’s Italian kitchen. Start Thanksgiving Dinner by adding an
American classic to an Italian standard in Pumpkin Risotto. Savor Mary Ann’s fondly
remembered rehearsal dinner escarole-and-meatball Wedding Soup, or Nonna Galasso’s
Cheese Rind Soup, flavored with leftover ends of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Two
chapters are entirely devoted to breads; one for the special breads of Christmas, Easter,
and saints’ days, such as Gubana, Easter Dove Bread, and the Eyes of Saint Lucy, and the
other for everyday breads such as semolina, whole wheat, and dinner rolls. Easy-to-
preparemain courses include Little Pork Purses filled with Fontina cheese, prosciutto and
leeks, a dramatically packaged Chicken in Paper, and Spicy Cold Beef Rolls with
artichoke hearts, bell peppers, and capers.
There are Italian desserts for every
occasion cookies, cakes, tarts, and puddings — Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti, raisin-and-
nut Little Christmas Cakes, and simple fruit desserts such as Cantaloupe and Bananas with
Ricotta.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars
A wonderful way to recapture fond Italian memories
When I received “Celebrations, Italian Style”, I was so very overwhelmed with
fond and wonderful memories of my mother. The explanations of the special
holidays/celebrations were exactly as I remembered them as a child growing up. These
recipes produce the same mouth-watering aromas that used to fill the whole house. You
knew the minute you approached the house that Mama was cooking up something
special. Each time I prepare one of these recipes, I feel my mother is right there beside
me. When I read this book I am completely absorbed by the foods, the smells and the
traditions that I hope to pass on to my own children. I highly recommend this book to
anyone wishing to be taken back to recapture their favorite Italian memories. Enjoy!!
Return to Tuscany Recipes from a Tuscan Cookery School
December 19, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
Return to Tuscany Recipes from a Tuscan Cookery School
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A marvelous compendium of recipes, cooking instruction, and insights into
the culture and culinary traditions of Tuscany.
Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, the team
behind two of London’s most popular Tuscan restaurants, decided to relocate to
Tuscany for a few months—to rediscover Giancarlo’s culinary roots and to run a series
of courses in traditional Tuscan cooking. Return to Tuscany is a delightful record of
their sojourn. Each chapter begins with a lesson, echoing the different stages of their
cooking course, guiding you through the basic techniques of making pasta, assembling
an antipasti platter, cooking meat on an open fire, and baking your own focaccia. In 80
regional recipes—from Jam Crostata and Pici with Arrabiata Sauce to Chicken with
Cinnamon and Lemon—Giancarlo and Katie reveal methods passed down through
generations of the Caldesi family. Evocatively illustrated throughout with color photos of
the food and the landscape, Return to Tuscany is an inspiring introduction to the
culture and culinary traditions of this fabled region of Italy.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars
Not just a cookbook!
I read this book from cover to cover! I recently returned from a trip to
Tuscany, and the information about the Tuscan culture increased my appreciation of
what I had seen and experienced. It is truly a book about a family living in Tuscany–with
recipes. I recommend that others read it before, as well as after, travelling to that
beautiful area of Italy.
The Classic 1000 Italian Recipes
December 18, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
The Classic 1000 Italian Recipes
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What is it that makes us love Italian food so much? Why is it that there are
so many successful Italian restaurants (including pizza parlors and some of the newest
thriving restaurant chains in America) everywhere you go? Is it how irresistible a good
pasta dish is? Is it the passion that Italians put in their cooking? Whatever the reason
there’s no denying that Italian food is one of America’s preferred cuisines. Here is the
definitive text on all the classic Italian dishes you could ever want to cook made
available just when interest in Italian home-cooking is experiencing an all-time high.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars
A review from M
Ciao Italia Pronto 30 Minute Recipes from an Italian Kitchen
December 17, 2009 by Pasta Recipes · Leave a Comment
Ciao Italia Pronto 30 Minute Recipes from an Italian Kitchen
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From her Ciao Italia kitchen, Mary Ann Esposito shows people with busy lives
and those just starting out in the kitchen how to prepare an authentic Italian meal in
thirty minutes, in a book filled with more than seventy mouthwatering recipes from the
entire gamut of Italian cuisine: Cibatta toasts with ricotta and salami
Zucchini soup with cheese and eggs Quick Chicken Cacciatore Fresh Tuna with
Artichokes, Capers and Chickpeas Layered Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole
Baked pears with apricots and wineMary Ann also gives readers tips on maximizing their
time in the grocery store, how to love leftovers, and how to create a Ciao Italia Pronto
Pantry filled with the necessary ingredients that any busy cook should have on hand for a
quick and authentic Italian meal. This is a great new book in a sleek, contemporary
package, from one of televisions most beloved personalities.
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars
More confusing than inspiring
“Ciao Italia Pronto!” is a better cookbook in theory than in practice.
Italian food? Check! Thirty minute meals? Check! Sounds like just the thing to
make a nice meal and still have some time between getting home from work and
bedtime. That would be a false assumption.
American kitchens are certainly more sophisticated since the days when Chef-Boy
-Ar-Dee owned the Italian cooking franchise. However, many of the ingredients called for
in these recipes are still on the exotic side in my corner grocery. Sure, we have farmers
markets, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, even an Italian specialty market or two but, if I have to
fight traffic gridlock after work to go destination shopping for ingredients, it defeats the
purpose of the Thirty Minute meal. The author recognizes this problem and provides a four
page directory of mail order houses to obtain some of the required ingredients. This
immediately makes about 40 percent of these recipes more trouble than they’re worth.
If you do manage to find the ingredients, know that these recipes are neither
simple, nor fast.
The recipe for “Lazy Lasagne” requires eight ingredients, and bakes for 30-35
minutes. That’s cooking time only, and does NOT include prep time. Oh, and the tomato
sauce for the lasagne is a recipe on a separate page. The sauce requires an additional
eight ingredients and 20 minutes of cooking time.
Another main dish, “Fresh Tuna with Artichoke, Capers and Chickpeas,” requires 12
ingredient and we’re advised to make it early in the day, or a day ahead.
Some of the dishes are unfamiliar and pictures of the prepared food would have
been a big help. There are only eight full page color pictures located in the center of the
book, one appetizer, one soup, two main dishes, two salads, and two desserts.
If you’re interested in this book for quick, convenient recipes, look elsewhere. This is
far more complicated and time consuming than the advertised “….30 Minute Recipes
from an Italian Kitchen.” Not recommended.
