Product Description
American chef Jessica Theroux spent a year traveling throughout Italy, cooking and talking with Italian grandmothers, learning their secrets and listening to their stories.The result is a charming and authentic collection of recipes, techniques, anecdotes, and photographs that celebrate the rustic and sustainable culinary traditions of Italy’s most experienced home cooks.
Cooking with Italian Grandmothers features the histories and menus of fifteen grandmothers, each of whom welcomed Ms. Theroux into their kitchens and pantries and shared both their favorite dishes and personal wisdoms.From the dramatic winter shores if Ustica to the blooming hills of Tuscany in spring, readers will journey through Italy’s most divers regions and seasons, to discover the country’s most delectable dishes, from the traditional to the unexpected, and meet the storied women who make them.
Part travel diary, part photo essay, part cookbook, Cooking with Italian Grandmothers features over 100 time-honored recipes, from the perfect panna cotta to the classic meat lasagna.

Includes:

Recipes and wisdom from 12 Italian grandmothers
100 classic Italian recipes
A number of regional and seasonal menus, complete from appetizer to dessert.
Over 150 full color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A cookbook rich with recipes, stories, and pictures from a year spent with Italian grandmothers
Chef and health consultant Jessica Theroux had a mission: travel throughout Italy for a year, meet bona fide Italian grandmothers, and learn from them the secrets of real Italian cooking. With little more than a handful of personal contacts--but with a clear idea of what, and whom, she was looking for--she traveled from town to town, seeking out incredible home cooks, earning their friendship, and learning their most beloved recipes. The result is a gorgeous, heavy volume rich with rustic Italian recipes; lovely pictures of Italian homes, foods, and countryside; and stories about the women who brought these recipes to life.

The twelve Italian grandmothers featured in the book are generous with their time and cooking techniques, providing over a hundred recipes ranging from caramelized baby artichokes to blood orange gelato. These are not thirty-minute meals--but ease of preparation isn't the point; this is about tradition and nourishment in their very best forms. //Cooking// will make readers long for an Italian grandmother of their own--but provides the next-best way to get succulent Italian food on the table.

Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell

Everyone's Thanksgiving Gift
Jessica has gifted us with a deeply thoughtful, moving, and beautiful book. Every page reminds us what truly nourishes: The land, what it provides, the legacy of the cultural knowledge that has been passed down through the generations of women.The love that is shared through good meals and time spent with friends and family. The opportunity we have to slow down, listen, and learn from our grandmothers.

This is not only a cookbook, it is a collection of experiences that give context and richness to the ingredients and recipes.What I like most about it is the understated feel, look, and tone of the book.It's not flashy, or hyped, and in this world of glossy fads and celebrity chefs, that's a breath of fresh air.

I especially loved the simplicity of some of the meals.Roasted broccoli shoots with olive oil and salt. That's it!So incredibly yummy.

Jessica is an authentic, welcome voice for the Slow Food movement. I look forward to being nourished by this book and whatever she shares with us next.

Amazing recipes...Fantastic food!!
My mom and I just spent a lovely day together cooking five of the recipes from this amazing book!We were able to make all of them despite our somewhat limited chef skills...and each dish was just FANTASTIC!!!We both thought it was one of the best meals we've ever had.The Apple Cake was phenomenal!The fennel salad was a simple wonder!And the best part is feeling that connection with our heritage and with each other...everyone should give a copy to their mom!!!

Soulful Journey
This book is absolutely beautiful! Between the illustrations, the photography, the words, and the recipes, it's truly a piece of art! Jessica's journey connected me back to my journey in and out of the kitchen..travel, food, grandmothers,,,, After reading her book, It felt as if my own grandmother was present. A true hommage to older generations...bringing back what's good, soulful, and much needed in today's busy world. It's a reminder to slow down and tap back in to our roots...to remember our past generations who were serving up soulful advice and food! I can't wait to give this book as gifts for the holidays and birthdays...especially for women..it is a beautiful work of art with amazing and easy recipes from Italy. What more could you ask for?

Truly a Beautiful Book
Chef, author, artist, and healer Jessica Theroux traveled all throughout Italy, apprenticing to wise grandmother cooks during her year-and-a-half adventure.This book is a set of stories, recipes, and photography from the journey.

The recipes are absolutely fantastic, the photography is luscious, and the documentation of vanishing traditional Italian food culture is important.But what really makes the book stand out is the quality of the writing.

The language is evocative, and the tales of the women embody such beautiful wisdom. The prose is poetic and rich; the writer has a gift for telling the tales of these extraordinary women.And Jessica's journey was not just physical; you can feel the author grow wiser throughout the progression of the book. The challenges of the trip, the exposure to the wise grandmothers, and the wild and unexpected experience of life itself serve to impart this wisdom to Jessica page by page.

The Jessica who set out on this journey is different than the Jessica who returned.

I don't normally associate cookbooks as something that you can just sit down and read, but this book is a joy to curl up with, like a warm wool blanket by the fire.I will be buying them for family and friends as Christmas presents, and just-for-the-heck-of-it presents.A sense of love and warmth permeates the book, and it will truly touch the reader.

Every once in a while a truly special book comes along- this is one of them.

Five stars. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides an updated combination of two best-selling cookbooks--The Classic Italian Cookbook and More Classic Italian Cooking--with thirty-five new recipes, revised cooking instructions, and new menus. 40,000 first printing. Amazon.com Review
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? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (144)

Non- cook turned Great Cook
This Book is amazing. I use to hate to cook this book hs given me a reason to enjoy cooking. The recipes are easy to follow and there is lots of variety in the book. Perfect condition.

Simple and elegantly delicious
This book is excellent- simple recipes that are fairly easy to make and thoroughly enjoyable--to make and eat!.What else could you ask from a book highly regarded by James Beard?I had a lot of fun making various kinds of pasta and learning to enjoy the "art of Italian eating".

my favorite Italian cookbook
I discovered this book when reading the back of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, which is also an outstanding book. He wrote a list of 50 cookbooks he'd rather not live without and this was listed as his favorite Italian cookbook. Marcella covers quite a lot of recipes and gives fantastic instruction, making each recipe easily approachable for all cooking levels. I've recommended this book to many people and have given countless copies to friends and family. Marcella originally wrote two books on Italian cooking about 20 years ago and they became instant classics. With this book, she combined her first two efforts, added new recipes and cut the fat content in some of her original recipes. I now have a difficult time going out for Italian, since I've got an arsenal of brilliant recipes at home.

The Best Italian Cookbook Ever.
My wife was born in Italy, and this is the book she turns to.Yes, Marchella can get a bit extreme, but it all makes a point that its just not how its cooked, but what as well.

THE Italian Cookbook
Fantastic book with the most detail and the most recipes of any Italian cookbook I have come across. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
Product Description
Finally a book that combines the fresh, exuberant flavors of great Italian food with the ease and comfort of a slow cooker. Michele Scicolone, a best-selling author and an authority on Italian cooking, shows how good ingredients and simple techniques can lift the usual "crockpot" fare into the dimension of fine food. Pasta with Meat and Mushroom Ragu, Osso Buco with Red Wine, Chicken with Peppers and Mushrooms: These are dishes that even the most discriminating cook can proudly serve to company, yet all are so carefree that anyone with just five or ten minutes of prep time can make them on a weekday and return to perfection.

Simmered in the slow cooker, soups, stews, beans, grains, pasta sauces, and fish are as healthy as they are delicious. Polenta and risotto, "stir-crazy" dishes that ordinarily need careful timing, are effortless. Meat loaves come out perfectly moist, tough cuts of meat turn succulent, and cheesecakes emerge flawless.

Recipe Excerpts from The Italian Slow Cooker

Chicken Parmesan Heroes

The Butcher's Sauce

Chocolate Truffle Cake

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... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Just want I wanted......
I bought this book in hopes it would have real recipes with out using canned soup or the dump method of slow cooker cooking.I don't mind a bit of up front work if the dish comes out tasting like I had spent all day on it.This book fills the bill.Great pictures, which I love, great recipes with easy to follow instructions for those first time cooks.I also love any details about a recipe, where it came from, what to serve it with, and such.I have made the Italin Peppery Stew with tons of black pepper and served it over the Italian White Beans and both recipe were wonderful.My family loved how the stew was different and the beans were an unexpected surprise.We loved them.I would place this recipe right up there with Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon which I have made twice now.
People who want to make a recipe and not spend time creating it will always dislike recipes that have details.But the details are the "devel in the details" if you will.Browning the meat before you place it in the crock pot makes a huge flavor and texture difference in the end product.I want my dinner to have depth of flavor and character.
I encourage you to take the time and recreate these recipes and make your family a wonderful sit down meal they will not forget.

Italian slowly cooked
Many Italian cucina fundamentals inside structure of the recipes, as well as many appropriate seasoning combinations. Can adapt the prep and cooking approaches to many meals similar to each distinctive recipe in this well-presented book.

Excellent
So far I've only tried one recipe, the pork stew.It was so good!Unique, compared to all other slow cooker recipes I've used.Can't wait to try the other recipes!

Made me use my slow cooker!!
I purchased this book for myself because I always thought food in a slow cooker tasted like it had been boiled to death.Since trying a few of the recipes, I have purchased 2 more as gifts.

I'm Italian and have always used Grandmom's recipes, which required a long slow prep for some of our favorite dishes.

This book has even had me cooking Tuscan Stew (I don't eat any fish and almost never cook it).Received rave reviews from the group,(all Italians), I cooked the stew for because they knew "Fish was not my Friend"!

Recommended for anyone who has a slow cooker or is thinking about buying one.
Lots of easy and delicious recipes await your purchase!!

handy cookbook
first saw recipes from this book in a magazine...they were a nice change from the usual crockpot recipes...I like it! ... Read more

Product Description
Italian-born Biba Caggiano takes readers under her wing with more than 200 recipes from Northern Italy-the center of great cooking. Simple-to-master recipes cover tortellini from scratch, authentic pasta sauces, savory meat dishes, luscious desserts and more. This new edition features everything from simple dishes for a family meal to more elaborate recipes for special occasions, including:

* Homemade Minestrome
* Tagliatelle Bolognese Style
* Shellfish Risotto
* Bruschetta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
* Roasted Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Another great cookbook
I have just reviewed Biba's Modern Italian Cooking - Northern Italian Cooking is also a 5-star choice.The first edition of this one was the first of Biba's books that I bought.The current edition has a few different recipes so I kept the original and when I wanted a copy for a second home I ordered another copy.My aunt once said "if you can read and tell time, you can cook".You have to supply your own clock but if you read Biba's books you can not only cook - you can cook delicious meals with virtually no chance of failure.After you have bought Modern Italian Cooking, order a copy of this one too.

Put this book on your kindle!
I just purchased my kindle and was delighted to see "Biba's Northern Italian Cooking"which I immediately downloaded. I bought the original book which was published by HP books. Everytime I used it for guests for dinner they would rave about the meal and I would give them my copy. Over the years I can't count the number of times I have repurchased this cookbook. Now it's on my kindle andmy guests will have to buy their own copy.

Biba's Northern Italian Cooking
Biba's reciepe book is the bible for my family.Every woman in our family has this book...my original additon is tattered...and I just bought it for my new daughter-in-law.It is filled with the basic receipies of our Northern Italian Background.It is like having all my grandmother's receipes in on convenient book.We love it and love Biba.
Susan Rastelliu

It's now my daughter's turn
An earlier edition of this continues to be my favorite Italian cookbook after 15 years.I just purchased a new copy to give to my daughter for her first cookbook.

Every recipe from this book that I've tried over the years has been delicious.There are other great Italian cookbooks out there, and I own some of them, too.I like this one in particular for Caggiano's recipe selection, and its sample illustrations of preparation technique and presentation.The visuals were reassuring when I was new to cooking and entertaining.Now, when I'm deciding on a dinner, this is one of the books I consult out of reflex.

Italian cuisine varies across the penninsula.Most Italian-Americans came from the south.If you are accustomed to southern italian cooking, many of the recipes in this book will be brand new to you, and add a savory variety to your menu.

From appetizers to pasta, polenta, risotto, main courses, vegetables, sauces and desserts, I've made many wonderful dinners with what I call "Biba's book".

Worth every penny!
I just love this cookbook! Biba's recipes are well explained and go from simple and hearty to elegant and sophisticated! This is my northern Italian cookbook bible! Try the shellfish risotto, friggione, or tuna fish sauce recipes, and you'll see what I mean.

Biba also includes seasonal menus which has really helped me a
lot with putting together dinners for my husband's Italian family! This is a great set of recipes and, if you like Italian food, or, if you're like me and don't really like pasta - this may be the book you've been looking for! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Even More Reason To Visit Northern Italy
I had put The Italian Farmer's Table on to my wishlist and kept longingly looking at it, wondering if it would be worth purchasing or not. I finally bit the bullet and was pleasantly surprised when it arrived at my home. Being of Northern Italian descent, I was not only enamored by the beautiful photographs, but the intimate stories and cherished recipes that these agriturismos shared with the authors. I have always wanted a core group of recipes from the region that my family descends, but it is difficult finding them online. With this book, you are afforded variety and substance with the many recipes they provide; there really is something for everyone. I am looking forward to making my way through all of the recipes in this book.

If you are a fan of travel, authentic recipes, beautiful photographs and endearing stories and lore, please pick up this book. It is well worth purchasing and makes a great addition to any home library.

greatest cookbook
this cook book is great.Everyone should have it.The receipes are delicious very informative and also like the pics.

Good country food...
I love this book.Full of complicated but nevertheless easy recipes, I have been using it as bedside reading.Since I live on a ranch in California and have recently come back from my first trip to Italy, this is a travelogue for me as well, reminding me of the universality of rural living and good food...OK, Italy is better than my podunk Northern California area.There is enough commentary about the region and visits to cheese makers, butcher shops, and accomodations from fancy lodges to humble farms to make it simply good reading.I wish it didn't have the matte-finish pictures now common in cookbooks...glossy is so much prettier.However, I'd recommend this book highly.

Italian Farmers Table
Beautifully designed, and loaded with interesting Italian recipes from a young couple from Connecticut who travelled extensively in Italy.

Interesting recipes
So far, I've only made one recipe from this cookbook and it turned out very well.Some of the ingredients may be hard to come by (we don't have a lot of Wild Boar available where I live) but the recipes mostly look doable and I will continue to try them. ... Read more

Product Description
Everybody loves Italian food, and with good reason. The cuisine extols hearty and healthy meals with the freshest ingredients, a diversity of flavors, and tried-and-true recipes (some of which date as far back as the Roman Empire) that are naturally low in saturated fats and calories. All this, and it tastes great, too!

Discover the mouthwatering joys of Italian cooking with this complete guide to the regions and recipes of Italy. Celebrated chef Cesare Casella and seasoned food writer Jack Bishop lead you step-by-step through an entire full-course Italian meal, from antipasti, salads, and soups to pastas, entrees, and delicious desserts. Discover how to make your own fresh pasta, polenta, and pizza, and how to plan simple or elaborate dinners for every occasion. You'll find all the recipes and tips you need in Italian Cooking For Dummies, along with tons of advice on selecting the right herbs, ingredients, cooking tools, and utensils, and finding more information in print or online. The book also features a complete glossary of cooking terms and ingredients to help you enjoy la dolce vita.Amazon.com Review
Cesare Casella, Italian chef extraordinaire, is out to provethat this food can be both simple to prepare and surprisinglyhealthy. Italian mothers and grandmothers wouldn't have it any otherway! In Casella's previous culinary creation, Diary of a Tuscan Chef,we joined the author on a food pilgrimage to Tuscany. Now, inItalian Cooking for Dummies, the trek explores every region andits associated dishes. Casella and coauthor Jack Bishop embrace us asclose friends with whom they have eaten pasta for years. One step at atime, the authors lovingly explain how to make Italian food at home,discussing ingredients and techniques. Scattered within each of theeight chapters are recipes for 29 pasta dishes, 7 risottos, 22heavenly desserts--in fact, 150 delicious dishes altogether. Intraditional For Dummies style, life is made easier by icons alertingyou to timesaving tips or potentially disastrous situations--likeleaving risotto unattended, which can lead to a big sticky vat ofgoo!

There is something here for every taste: meats, fish, pizzas,and vegetarian dishes, as well as desserts and salads. Pasta Wheelswith Walnut Sauce makes a nutty alternative to pasta dishes made withtomato-based sauces. The Spinach Gnocchi are surprisingly simple tocreate and will be gobbled down in no time. Calzone with MixedVegetables is a healthy alternative to pepperoni pizza. Desserts arevery well represented--here is traditional Creme Caramel, and adelightful Pink Grapefruit Granita.

So enjoy life and eat like theItalians do; Italian Cooking for Dummies shows youhow. --Naomi Gesinger ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This book will have you cooking like a pro.
I have made several of the recipes in this book and had great results every time.The instructions were easy to understand and the ingredients were easy to find at the supermarket. This is definitely a great book for beginners.

Awesome reference!
This is a very informative and easy to follow reference for cooking Italian foods.I love the explanations for cheese types, wines, espresso, herbs and etc.This really helps me to understand what products to buy and how to buy them.The information on reading the labels olive oil was eye opening.Ihave tried a couple of the recipes and they are yummy and simple.I am hooked on the Asparagus with Parmesan and egg!It sounded rather weird but I tried it and absolutely love it, especially when I am in a hurry and hungry.I am so glad I have this cook book as a resource.

Transform ordinary family meals into festive dining events.
Italian cuisine an enduringly popular cuisine for dining out and eating in. Italian Cooking For Dummies provides a compendium of easy-to-make, delicious recipes under the guidance of Master chef Cesare Casella andoffers Italian fare from every region of the country. Many of these dishesare especially health being naturally low in saturated fat and calories.Casella show the family cook all the essential skills needed to perfectevery dish and provides alerts for possible problems in cooking -- andtheir solutions. From Pasta with Tomato and Basil Sauce, Venetian StyleCalif's Liver, White Pizza with Arugula, and Rigatoni with Sausage andPeas, to Sauteed Mixed Mushrooms, Prunes in Red Wine, Tuscan Bread Salad,and Halibut with Peas and Scallions, Italian Cooking For Dummies offers atotal spectrum of delightful dishes that will add lustre, diversity, andmouth-watering flavor transforming any ordinary family meal into amemorable and festive dining experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Hundreds of detailed recipes enable both the beginner and the experienced cook to prepare the Italian feast of their dreams. Step-by-step instructions cover a wide range of Italian delights, from regional specialties to showpiece entrees, from quick antipasti to elaborate dolci. Special attention is paid not only to preparation but to presentation, serving suggestion, and appropriate side dishes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

One of the few authentic Italian cookbooks!
Chef Bruno Ellmer is a Certified Master Chef (CMC). At the time this book was written there were less than 30 CMC's the world over. In fact Chef Ellmer helped to design the test for the master chef program at the Culinary Institute of America.

Chef Ellmer traveled the world and worked as a professional chef all throughout Europe the Middle East and the United States. His knowledge of food is unmatched, even by other master chefs.

In this book you will not find the typical red sauce cookery associated with Italian food which is actually American Italian food. You will find authentic Italian recipes from some of the finest Italian kitchens. Not home style, rather 5 star style. It's also written for professionals so the home cook is advised in advance. The quantities here are for large food service operations mainly hotels. However the home cook can get some really great ideas and learn what cooking on a professional level is like.

Again don't expect spaghetti and meatballs, but be prepared for a culinary delight of sophisticated authentic Italian food.

great professional guide but not for the beginner
This is a great set of professional Italian recipes. The range is magnificent and utilizes the ingrediants to the fullest. I must warn the home cook these recipes are not designed for the casual cook,Most recipies require a solid knowledge of classical culinary technique . This book is great for expierenced home cooks to create dishes that are elevated above the ordinary italian fair. I ,as a professional Chef, found this a great resource in designing my own menu .

It is a very usefull book in a chef's bookcase
I found this book from a suggestion of an Italy friend.I read it and i thing that it is a good guide, for someone who want to learn something more about Italian kitchen.For me it was very good.

It is a very usefull book in a chef's bookcase
I found this book from a suggestion of an Italy friend.I read it and i thing that it is a good guide, for someone who want to learn something more about Italian kitchen.For me it was very good. ... Read more

Product Description
Each Italian region has its own favourite ingredients and cooking techniques and its own unique character. Common to all regions is the importance of quality ingredients. This book is an authoritative guide to them, and the recipes of Italy.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

condition of book
This book was not in as good of condition as I was led to believe.

great!
Most of my and my husband's favorite recepies came from this book. Picture guide makes the cooking process really easy especially for a beginner like me.

An Overview of How We Cook
This is the second time I've bought this book. My ex's dog chewed up the first one. Who knew that Dachshund had an Italian flare to him?Many of my friends are confounded by Italian food thinking it complicated.It is anything but complicated and this volume shows how easy it is to create our dishes. The photos are well done and the text easy to read.When I share it will my co-workers and friends they are always surprised at the ease of cooking fresh food from the best ingredients.This, Italian Cooking Encyclopedia, will do the same for you.

A literal reference book for Italian cooking
I love this book!The information on ingredients is invaluable.The recipes are wonderful and nicely illustrated.This is a favorite.

A Great Cookbook!
My wife gave me a copy of this book a number of years ago. It has become my most used cookbook. The recipes are wonderful, the instructions clear, and the pictures add a lot. The initial section on ingredients is alone worth the price of the book. It is a real education in Italian ingredients and a fun read in and of itself.I recently ordered one for my daughter who always enjoyed reading mine.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes Italian cooking! ... Read more

Product Description
Filled with delectable, authentic recipes and menu suggestions highlighted by full-color photographs, Caggiano's book of cooking secrets will enable cooks to master her recipes with ease. From appetizers and soups to main dishes and distinctive desserts, the rich Northern Italian cuisine can fill any cook's home. 100 full-color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Biba is the Best
Northern Italian Cooking is the best cookbook of its type.I first heard of Biba Caggiano when she was featured in Better Homes and Garden's in the 1980's.I purchased the first edition at that time. I've lost count of the number of copies I purchased since then.My copy is dog eared and stained but I think it just shows how it is so well loved.

Everything I have made from this cookbook has gotten rave reviews.The recipes are clear, concise and easy to follow.The ingredients are easy to find and readily available.Buy this cookbook.

The REAL DEAL
My boyfriend's mother gave this to him years ago. I probably own about 50 cookbooks but this is hands down the one I need the most. Simple recipes with authentic and fabulous flavors. The type you would expect your mother to hand down to you.Forget the other[] italian food cookbooks - this is the essential purchase.

Norther Italian Cooking by Biba Caggiano
This was the first cookbook I bought when I decided to get serious about Italian cooking. That was over 10 years ago.I have given it as presents to at least 6 people, all who loved the meals I had cooked from Biba's recipes.The recipes are easy to follow (not necessarily easy to make) but if you follow them carefully not only will it taste like a meal prepared by an expert, but it will look that way too!I prepared the Rabbit with Wine and Vegetables for an Italian friend the night he arrived from Italy and his comment was "We have to find you an Italian husband-you already know how to cook!"I am now "famous" for my Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese!It's the best lasagne I've ever eaten and it looks just like the picture!I have bought other Italian cookbooks but this one remains my favorite!

Tutto Bene!
Not only are the recipes absolutely delicious, Biba's enthusiasm for food and its value plus her warm spirit unfold in her writings and create a renewed joy for cooking. I feel she's a friend to my kitchen and supporter of my personal endeavor to make people happy partly through great food.

Every dish I've made from Biba's cookbook knocksboth me and my Italian boyfriend (and tough critic) over with delight. It becomes a tough decision as to what to make for family and friends. He has even exclaimed "This is as good as my mom's". A book of recipes that will become a tradition of your own.

Easy and Elegant recipes
I love to cook and my ever-expanding family and friends love to eat... this cookbook is the one that I have used for many years..the cover has fallen off and my favorite recipes are covered with fingerprints...(Thevegetable and seafood recipes are wonderful! ) it's the one cookbook thatI refer to most often and the one I ALWAYS purchase as gifts for beginnercooks...for friends who love to cook..but, mostly for newlyweds.. Therecipes are amazingly simple and easy to follow , but elegant..(I usuallyhave most of the ingredients on hand) I've found myself using3 or 4recipes for one dinner party.. Everyone thinks I one of the best cooks..butit's Biba who should get all the credit..so, I bow with thanks to Biba formaking me the cook I am today.....This is a must in every kitchen! ... Read more

Product Description
When we gush that this first-ever Italian cookbook from the experts at Cooking Light magazine contains only the most bellisimo dishes, we’re not exaggerating. And did we mention healthy? This collection goes way beyond spaghetti and meatballs, showcasing incredibly good and good-for-you regional specialties—some familiar, some not, but all with the Cooking Light Test Kitchens seal of approval. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good, Low Fat Recipes - a Bit Pricey
This is a great little cookbook with gorgeous pictures of the completed recipes.I've made many of the recipes in this book and have been well satisfied with them.My only complaint is that the price is a bit steep for such a short cookbook. ... Read more

Product Description

125 quick-and-easy recipes for swift, sophisticated cooking

Today’s home cooks demand books that provide quick, convenient ways to serve tasty meals. That’s what The Simpler The Better series is all about. This unique cookbook features 125 short, fabulously appealing Italian recipes that require only three to eight ingredients, three easy steps, and a maximum cooking time of 30 minutes. From savory soups to sweet desserts, readers can choose among such delights as Rosemary-Pepper Pizza Bread; Fresh Arugula, Blood Orange, and Fennel Salad; Linguini with Butter, Parmesan Cheese, and Mushrooms; Chicken Breast with Pancetta and Sage; and Figs with Orange and Basil. Acclaimed chef Leslie Revsin makes the recipes accessible but inventive enough to serve for company as well as for everyday dinners. Beautifully packaged, the book features a stylish interior design and 16 pages of striking color photographs.

Leslie Revsin (Seattle, WA) has won wide acclaim for her work as a chef, food writer, and consultant. The first woman chef hired by New York’s Waldorf Astoria, she went on to One Fifth Avenue and the Inn at Pound Ridge before achieving cult-status success with her own popular bistro, Restaurant Leslie. Revsin was chosen as one of 13 "Master Chefs of New York" on PBS as well as one of Food & Wine magazine’s Top Chefs. A regular contributor to Fine Cooking magazine, she is the author of the James Beard Foundation Book Award nominee Come for Dinner (0-471-42010-7) and The Simpler The Better: Sensational Home Cooking in 3 Easy Steps (0-471-48231-5). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great SIMPLE Italian food ...
I love to cook.Sometimes, I want to do a full-out gourmet meal with dozens of ingredients.

But usually, I'm fixing dinner after a long day and I don't want to mess with a fancy menu.

That's when I turn to cookbooks like "The Simpler the Better: Sensational Italian Meals."All of the recipes feature a few carefully selected easily obtainable ingredients, prepared using standard kitchen appliances and utensils.You shouldn't have to search any further than your everyday supermarket to find what you need to make any recipe in this book.

The Oven-Roasted Sea Scallops with Capers and White Wine, for example, has five ingredients, and uses an oven-proof heavy skillet to create a lovely light brown "crust" on scallops lightly dressed with wine, rosemary and a few salty capers.Chicken Valdostana uses a whopping 7 ingredients, combining pounded chicken cutlets with Fontina cheese and sweet coppa salami in a sort of Italian chicken cordon bleu, lightly breaded and sautéed.Heaven!

Each of the main-dish recipes includes "Serving Suggestions," ideas for side dishes and desserts that will work with the entree ingredients.There are also "Variations" -- ways to change up the recipe to create a different version.

There are a few color full-page photos of some of the dishes at the beginning of the book -- 16 in all.There are no other illustrations in the book, so if you need to see a dish before you make it, you'll find that lacking here.I didn't find that a problem, since most of the dishes are very straightforward and easy to "imagine."

I've made 8 recipes from this book so far, and they were all excellent.What you'll notice is the clean bright taste of the ingredients -- no fancy complexity here, just simple bold taste.

This one will stay in my kitchen, along with my other "must keep close by" cookbooks.

Truly Sensational
I purchased this cookbook after trying one of the recipes that was printed in a magazine.It is now one of my favorite cookbooks. I have ditched my old meatball recipe for the "Meatballs in Red Sauce" which uses an unusual oven method. I have cooked the "Chicken Marsala" so many times that I have it memorized. Green Beans and Radicchio is a delicious and impressive side dish. I have purchased the other books in this series "The Simpler the Better" and they have all proven to be excellent.You won't waste your money on any of them.

Great book!
I LOVE this cookbook -- all the recipes are so easy and delicious! I love to cook, but when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen, especially in the summer. The book claims that all these recipes can be made in 30 mins or less, and so far it hasn't disappointed!

For All Who Love Italian Food
I bought this as a gift and now wish I had a copy for myself.The idea of limited ingredients, few steps and under 30 minute preparation sounds perfect for our busy lives.
The recipes sound so enticing: Sauteed Bass with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil, Baked Spinach with Garlic Bread Crumbs, Baked Apples with Mascarpone Cheese.Think of bringing the flavors of "Olive Garden" to your table at home.
After each recipe there are simple tips and variations or ways to dress the recipe up.
(I hope you find this review helpful, and if you do, please click yes.)
... Read more

Product Description

A master teacher in his own right, Giuliano Hazan learned the art of Italian cooking from the authority on Italian cooking -- his mother, Marcella Hazan. When his first bestseller The Classic Pasta Cookbook appeared, Newsday exclaimed: "What a good cook he is, and what a clear and useful book he has made. He learned his mother's lessons well."

In Every Night Italian, he writes for a new generation, addressing the concerns most often expressed by students in his cooking classes: how to make good, authentic Italian meals, with ingredients from the supermarket, when there's not much time to spend in the kitchen. With a pantry of basic Italian ingredients and detailed line drawings of the essential techniques for cutting a pepper, trimming an artichoke, sharpening a knife, and more, Giuliano Hazan teaches home cooks to prepare real Italian food like never before: quickly and easily. The 120 recipes in this book -- from appetizers to desserts -- each take less than forty-five minutes to prepare.

In his chapter on menu suggestions -- Simple Family Menus, Elegant Sit-Down Menus, Buffet and Picnic Menus -- which groups complementary dishes, Hazan also teaches home cooks how to organize their time in the kitchen and how to prepare several dishes simultaneously, making it even easier to produce a satisfying and balanced Italian meal for any occasion.

Americans love Italian food because of its genuine flavors and fresh ingredients. Now with the help of Giuliano Hazan, they will be delighted to learn that it has another wonderful virtue: it can be very simple and quick to prepare.

* 50 drawings of essential techniques
* 16 color photographs of finished dishesAmazon.com Review
In Italy there are no mothers who are bad cooks. Can this be possible? In the case of Giuliano Hazan, whose mother is Marcella Hazan,yes. Marcella is the doyenne of Italian cookbook authors published in theUnited States. And Giuliano is no slouch, either. Though his firstcookbook, The Classic PastaCookbook, is lamentably out of print, it is a laurel upon which hecould have rested. Fortunately, Giuliano Hazan appears to be a restlessman. "I learned to cook because I like to eat well," he writes in Every Night Italian. "Satisfying food does not haveto be complex or take a long time to prepare. Often the simpler it is thebetter it tastes, and simplicity is what Italian cooking is all about." Tothis end, Hazan has compiled a collection of Italian recipes any cook canserve to any family every night of the week.

He wisely opens his book with two sections: "The Italian Pantry," a list ofall the basic ingredients to have on hand, and "Some Essential Techniques," such as chopping an onion, cutting a pepper, trimming an artichoke, and boning andfilleting a chicken breast. The book is then divided by appetizers,soups, pasta and rice, fish and shellfish, meats, vegetables, salads,desserts, and menus--120 recipes total, all flavor-heightened and with aneye cocked at the clock. Chicken Braised with Porcini Mushrooms has asubstantial sound, and yet you are only looking at 20 minutes of prep timeand 60 minutes from start to finish, leaving plenty of time for a InsalataCaprese with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Hazan's version of Ribollita,the classic Tuscan soup, takes two-and-a-half hours from start to finish, but only 30minutes to prep. The Bucatini with sausage and onions is a straight shot at30 minutes, start to finish. Spend a little time with this book, master therecipes, and you will no doubt find yourself agreeing with Giuliano Hazanthat Every Night Italian is a perfectly plausible idea. --Schuyler Ingle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

The Best Cookbook I Own!
Guiliano Hazan has made a cooking classic! The author shows the cook how to expertly prepare the simplest ingredients to their full potential without hurting your wallet or taking up much space in your pantry. Recommended for every level of home cook, recipes from this gem can make even the novice home cook feel like a star!

A good grouping of Italian recipes
This book has 120 simple and delicious recipes that you can prepare in 45 minutes or less.Can I say more?I made Slow-Cooked Beef with Juniper Berries and it was tasty.Granted, it is somewhat difficult finding Juniper berries....and they are a bit pricey......but with enough salt (which one has to figure out how much is enough) it is a tasty dish.

Working family food
What this cookbook lacks in pictures, it makes up for in honesty and simplicity. The recipes are flavorful, easy to make, and nutritional.
The author also includes short paragraphs about the origin of the recipes and the Italian style of cooking.

This book helps me create fantastic, stress free dinner parties
I've had this book for about a year.In that time, I have made several recipes.Some of them I have made multiple times.Everything I have tried has been a hit.Flavors are complex, the dishes are elegant, and I get many compliments from those who eat these dishes.I am not a serious cook during the work week, but when I host a party, I like to produce gourmet meals.This book helps me do that relatively quickly and easily.The steps are simple and clearly written.The book helpfully includes the amount of time to prepare and tips for making ahead (key for dinner parties!).At the end of the book, there are suggested menus for dinner parties and picnics.

The only reason I rate this book 4 stars is the lack of pictures.There are some pictures, to be sure, but there isn't a picture for every recipe.I prefer cook books with pictures when I am looking for new recipes to try.

Some favorite recipes in this book are:
Linguine with Shrimp (p. 78)
Chicken Braised with Tomatoes and Black Olives (p. 124)
Red Snapper with Fresh Tomatoes and Black Olives (p. 93)

Fast and Tasty and Dress to Impress!!
I bought this book because I was such a fan of his mother's.At first glance I was slightly disappointed, since, compared to the Classics of Italian Cooking, it is a relatively thin volume with far fewer recipes.However, it is a great cookbook.I have tried out roughly 1/3 of the recipes, but every one of them has turned out great the first time.(His "Christmas Tree Salmon," "Lamb Shoulder Braised with Tomatoes and Red Wine," "Parmesan-Encrusted Rack of Lamb," and "Pompano Fillets with Garlic and Rosemary"--made with mahi-mahi--have become tried-and-true household staples.)He is true to his word--he gives both the prep time and the time from start-to-finish, and I have found those estimates to be right on the money, particularly once you've made them more than once and already have the procedures down pretty well.Between this book and his mother's Classics, one thing is true--pretty much every night IS Italian at my house! if for no other reason than that I have yet to find such simple yet delicious recipes anywhere else. ... Read more

Product Description
Enjoy the taste of old Italy! This one-of-a-kind cookbook from Elodia Rigante, a second generation Italian-American and a virtuoso cook of traditional Italian fare, features dozens of Rigante’s prized, time-tested recipes.She also includes personal reflections about each dish, traditional wisdom, helpful cooking shortcuts, and much more.Dive in and learn to make:

- Stuffed Calamari (Calamari Farciti)
- Italian Pasta & Bean Salad (Rotini E Ceci Primavera)
- Peaches in Red Wine Sauce (Pesche Al Vino Rosso)
- Manicotti Crepes (Manicotti)
- And more!

With mouthwatering, full-color photographs, a thoughtful introduction, space for writing notes, and more, this beautiful cookbook will delight the whole family! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

Wonderful!
We have had this book now for about 10 years. A friend recommended it and she comes from a typical Italian family in NY. We absolutely love the recipes. They are so clear and precise (and easy) that anyone can cook these recipes, from the novice to the pro. It is our favorite book. I use the Brooklyn gravy recipe (without meat) to make my homemade sauce with tomatoes from our garden. Then, I freeze it. The meatballs are the best I've ever eaten.

Excellent collection of Italian recipes!
This cookbook contains many authentic Italian recipes.Some are very simple but all are the real deal.Some of my older Italian relatives cooked in this way.The recipes are quite detailed to help the beginner.

Fine Italian recipes
This is a wonderful book, I have made about 5 of the recipes in this book, and they all turned out wonderful,My husband and I love the dishes that I made.
Can't wait to make more of these recipes.The book is also full of wonderful old photos... I love it!!!

Italian Charm
I checked this book out at a Texas library.I checked it out several times and each time it became harder to return it.I moved to CA. and went to my local library to check it out and it was not in the system.I went on line found and purchased it on Amazon.com.This is a large book with beautiful color photos of the many recipes and easy to follow directions for delicious Italian family cuisine; appetizers through desserts. Elodia has added charming photographs and warm stories of her family--- everyday, holidays, weddings, baptisms, confirmations.It was rated slightly used but it was in new condition and arrived before the projected delivery date.Pure delight and a family cookbook treasure!

Classic
Although it was quite pricey, I was willing to pay a premium for this classic cookbook that I've been searching for since way back.It's a real classic....a gem!It arrived in excellent condition, and I'm very happy I found it. ... Read more

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

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

Customer Reviews (5)

Bugialli rules !
I consider this the sourcebook for all of Giuliano's cooking.This is the second edition of this book (that I own as well).You can't go wrong with this.He provides more insights than Marcella Hazan whose two volume book is a similar compendium....ahhh, but Giuliano is a Tuscan !

history lecture
Mr. Bugialli is a great food writer, no doubt. But unless his writing here is delivered tongue in cheek the book is also a fine example of the great conceit that Tuscans like the author himself lord over all who will listen.It is the idea that Italian food is the source of all fine cooking and eating. The author takes great pains to "prove" by consulting medieval cooking texts that the northern Italian version of most classic dishes preceded the French and all others, of course. It's all great fun, but the effect is that the recipes included in the book seek to show the one "right way" to make a dish, not necessarily the most reasonable way or the one that might give the best results overall. So I would say read this great book and try as many of the dishes as you can,as I have done to my great benefit, but do not be cowed by Mr. Bugialli's high tone and warnings concerning technique and ingredients. Cook on--even if you do not have the "absolutely required" special hand-milled flour for his bread.

Highly Recommended
Quite simply, this book has done more to improve my cooking than any other I can readily call to mind. I would suggest however, that while the beginner cook will derive significant benefit from this book, it may resonate most with those of an intermediate skill level. The author convincingly and clearly shares historical perspective on techniques as well as the recipes themselves. The approach emphasizes simplicity and relies on centuries of tradition, learning, and innovation within the various styles of Italian cuisine. I have tried about ten recipes from the book and all have been winners, yet none were particularly time-consuming, difficult to prepare or relied too heavily on exotic ingredients. If you want to understand more about Italian cooking, or just cooking in general, this is a truly great book to have.

great cookbook
Northern Italian cuisine -- it's not a cookbook that's stuck on pasta! My favorite recipe is "chicken in the manner of a suckling pig."

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

Product Description
Anne Casale invites you into her kitchen to share the special secrets behind hundreds of home-style recipes that have been part of her family's heritage for years and years.

A second-generation Italian American and the head of her own cooking school, she takes you by the hand and shows you how to make her father's succulent veal roast, her Nonna Louisa's very own homemade pasta, savory soups based on her mother's perfect broth, sumptuous desserts from her pastry-chef father-in-law, and scores of her own wonderful originals. Best of all, she explains the recipes so carefully and clearly that you are sure to start your own new tradition of delicious

Italian Family Cooking
-- Clam-Stuffed Mushrooms
-- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Fried Mozzarella
-- Linguine with Tomato-Garlic Sauce
-- Penne with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
-- Delectable Five Layer Pasta Pie
-- Pan-Fried Lamb Chops with Lemon Juice
-- Chicken Legs Stuffed with Sausage and Scallions
-- Fillets of Sole Florentine
-- Mussels with Hot Tomato Sauce
-- Zucchini with Roasted Peppers
-- Fluffy Potato Pie
-- Ricotta Mousse with Raspberry Sauce
-- Espresso Cream Tart
-- Sicilian Cassata with Chocolate Frosting ...and many more!

For beginners and experts alike, here's a cookbook full of old-fashioned warmth, wisdom, and goodness -- updated for you and your kitchen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

My family's favorite recipes
I have been taking credit for some of these dishes for way too long.

It started for me as a novice cook and this book about 8 years ago.Since then I have had numerous occasions of people asking me to make "that delicious thing you made last time" and I have been called "such a great cook!"

Well it is time to give credit where credit is due.This cookbook is nothing short of a miracle for a novice, and just plain excellent for those with more experience.

The recipes are not hard and are so great they bear repeating often.In particular is the Shrimp with fettucini and lemon.It has become a family tradition for our yearly get togethers.I first used this recipe as a bachelor cooking for a date, who later became my wife.IT was SOOO easy and utterly delicious. Now I make it for 12 every summer.

I have tried to find another Italian cookbook whose recipes have the same WOW factor for my skill level and I have found none.Not a single one.

I can't recommend this book enough.

Italian Family Cooking: Like Mamma Used to Make
Truly one of the best cook books out there for the home cook or experienced chef.Easy to follow and all receipes are just terrific.(I know, I have made them all)Makes a terrific gift for any level of cook.

A great Italian cookbook for beginners and more
This was my first cookbook 18 years ago. I still have it and use it regularly.

The recipes are easy to follow and not overly complex. The dishes range from basic to solid to spectacular. Lots to choose from. The lasagna recipe has become our traditional Christmas Eve dinner and gets used many other times in the year.

Excellent choice for part of a basic cookbook set.

Magnificent for beginners
This book offers menus that have the true taste of Italy.The menus are fantastic supplying your family with several meals throughout the week; leaving you more time for other activities and less time in the kitchen.Using this cookbook and some of these delicious meals on the menu, twice a week is all that is needed to keep your family healthy, happy, and well fed! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Mama Mia Italian Cookbook
This is an excellent cookbook on traditional Italian Cuisine.The receipies are are simple and straight forward.If you are going to have any cookbook on traditional Italian cooking on your bookshelf this is it.It contains many receipes that my grandmother brought over from Italy...from antipastos to desserts (my favorite in Mrs. Bongiorno's Cannoli receipe). I've seen many Italian cookbooks on the market, but far and away this is the best of the bunch.

THE HOME OF ITALING COOKING (MAM MIA ITALIAN COOKBOOK)
My grand mother had this cook book and used it every day i thought she was the best cook around. She then gave a copy to my mother, i was so happy that she could now cook like my grand mother did. My sister and i looked for a copy of this cookbook for years with no luck. Untill someone told us to check out the net for used books.I'm so glade i did now i have a copy of my own. This book to me is the best of the best in home cooking that you'll every find!

The Best Italian Cookbook Ever!!
My mother used this cookbook and she was Italian.She taught me how to cook and this was one of her tools.I had been given a copy of this book about 20 years ago.Mine is now missing the front part of the cover.Ineed to replace it so I can hand it down to my son.The recipes are soeasy to use and very authentic.I lived in Europe for a few years.Someof my close friends are 100% Italian and I managed to get them copies ofthe book.My kitchen wouldn't be the same if I didn't have it.

It is REAL Italian cooking. Just like homemade.
I have used this book for years, as did my mother who was a first generation American. The recipes are the kind of food that Southern and Northern Italians cook at home. There is no pretense to gourmandise.Thebook is divided sensibly into chapters that correspond to the courses of ameal. There is an excellent glossary of terms and spices at the beginningof the book - again unpretentious.The recipes for holidays are identifiedsuch as St. Joseph's Cream Puffs (Sfinge di San Giuseppe) and Christmas EveCake (Torta Vigilia di Natale).The Italian name is given for may of therecipes along with the name in English and both are indexed. When I usethis cookbook I can "play with " the recipes if I wish becausethey are so much like Italian home cooking. I have always referred to thisas down home Italian -not California influenced or Chicage style or LittleItaly style but Italian. The Mama Mia Italian Cookbook has been reprintedas The Home Book of Italian Cooking. Use it, you will love it.Go for theeggplant dishes - thatsa nice ! ... Read more

Product Description

The bestselling author of Italian Grill and Molto Italiano delivers a gorgeous collection of mouthwatering recipes to bring some Italian favorites home.

Customer Reviews (30)

True local cooking
IF you are looking for recipes that Italian mothers make at home, this is the book.

great book
its a good book and some great recipes! the price is a bit steep but if you are a Batali fan, it is worth it!

Easy and Tasty!
I saw Mariio Batali on Rachel Ray preparing recipes from this book. They appeared to be easy, healthful and tasty.

With the arrival of the book last week, I have already made several of the recipes and my neighbors are getting tired of hearing me talk about the book...lol.

For the most part, the vast majority of the ingredients (or suitable substitutes such as regular kale for black kale) are relatively easy to find.One item, the can of truffles in oil has been elusive to me even after looking online, however, even Mario notes can use regular olive oil in its place.

He provides good descriptions of a variety of pastas, cured meats, cheeses as well as sources for food and cooking items.

Overall, I am very pleased with the cookbook and am looking forward to preparing more of the recipes.

I love Mario, but...
I concur with the many who have given this book low ratings.The low rating has nothing to do with Chef Batali's potential or his culinary expertise, (quite the contrary), but rather the book's lackluster recipes, dull seasonings, and pedestrian approaches.

There may be two reasons:

1.) Many of us are experienced and accomplished cooks who have graduated way past these recipes.(These are recipes for novices who have yet to dive into this type of cooking.)

2.) He has little time or interest in developing a book for wonderful home chefs--many of whom have traveled and cooked in Italy--and is more interested in mass appeal.

Next time, please let us know if this is an "Emeril-type" book (basic and fundamental) or a "Keller-type" book (for the experienced home chef).

MOLTO GUSTO
Excellent condition and timely delivery, thank you and have enjoyed Mario Batali's book very much ... Read more

Product Description

If you dream of Italy -- and who does not? -- be prepared to fall in love with this extraordinary cookbook. Written by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, author of The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food (winner of both the James Beard and Julia Child/IACP Cookbook-of-the-Year Awards), it is every bit the equal of its celebrated predecessor.

Read its exuberant pages, eat its lusty dishes, and you enter a landscape vibrant with rural life. You are one with the terrain. In some sense, you are home. That, of course, is the miracle of Italy -- no matter where we come from, we want to be a part of it. And the miracle of The Italian Country Table is its ability to take us there.

And what a journey! You will never be as impatient to get into your kitchen as when you are planning a meal from this book. Two hundred recipes, personally collected from home cooks throughout the length and breadth of Italy, will keep calling you back.

Who could resist the "Gatto" di Patate, a mashed-potato "lasagne" from the Neapolitan countryside? Or a Tuscan Mountain Supper of warm beans tossed with an herbed tomato sauce and eaten with tart greens? Or Pasta of the Grape Harvest, a Sicilian dish of grapes, red wine, orange zest, spices, pistachios and linguine? Or Chocolate Polenta Pudding Cake?

Kasper, host of Public Radio's The Splendid Table, is a master teacher who thinks about cooking in a way that is radically distinctive. Her chapter on tomatoes and tomato sauces, a treasure by itself, will change the way you think about them -- and cook them -- forever. Her guide to buying and saucing pasta contains more useful facts than many books that devote themselves to pasta exclusively.

Kasper, the grandchild of Italian immigrants, describes herself as someone with a love of lingering "in places where life changes slowly." This personal book abounds with stories of artisans, farmers and family. It is a portrait of Italian country life.

Where you read The Italian Country Table, cook from it or use it to plan a trip (there is an appendix that lists guest farms, country hotels, restaurants and museums), you have only to turn its pages to be transported to a rustic Italy that few of us know, but all of us long for.

* 16 pages of finished dishes in full color
* 50 black-and-white photographs of country lifeAmazon.com Review
Lynne Rossetto Kasper's authoritative first book, The Splendid Table,explored the food and culture of Emilia-Romagna, Italy's culinaryheartland. In The Italian Country Table, a collection of 200regional recipes gathered from farmhouse cooks, Kasper once again providescultural investigation and authentic, workable recipes. The resultingcookbook-cum-chronicle will appeal to anyone seeking delicious,down-to-earth dishes and an introduction to cherished culinarytraditions.

Covering every course of an Italian meal--from antipasti through pasta tovegetables and, of course, dessert--the book weaves recipes with vignettesexploring, for example, Puglia's ritual drying of winter tomatoes. Includedalso are notes on buying tips, special cooking techniques such as glazing,and discussions of culinary moment, like the nature of a true risotto Milanese.The immediately inviting recipes include such temptations as MushroomsStuffed with Radicchio and Asiago, Hot and Spicy Eggplant Soup, Leg of LambGlazed with Balsamic and Red Wine, and Espresso Ricotta Cream with EspressoChocolate Sauce. Kasper also offers a chapter on focaccia, pizza, andbread, as well as menus, shopping sources, and a useful discussion ofingredients. (Taste before you buy, and then pause, she advises. "Aftertastecan reveal how a food's been stored, careless production, or foods goingfrom mature to over the hill.") Concluding with a guide to Italian guestfarms, folk life museums, and places to eat and shop, the book is acomprehensive introduction to basic but inspired home cooking and thetraditions that both contain and nurture it. --Arthur Boehm ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Lynn Kasper's cookbooks
I have all Lynn Kasper's (the Splendid Table on NPR) cookbooks but this has become my favorite "go to" cookbook when I start thinking about use of certain ingredients. I love reading it (as with all her cookbooks)as well as cooking with it. The information provided is interesting reading plus gives insight into the cuisine. The recipes are RELIABLY delicious. Also I have learned about the process of cooking individual or groups of ingredients and how better depth of flavor is developed by following her detailed instructions. The spicy eggplant soup has already been made twice and put up in the Freezer to save the tastes of summer produce.

the best Italian Cookbook
I purchased this book after reading (yes, reading it - cover to cover) at a friends vacation house.I have since purchased over 20 of these books.I am a kitchen designer and this book is part of my thank you gift to my clients.Every recipe I have cooked is a winner!and the stories are wonderful to read!.

One of the Best Italian Cookbooks ever!
A friend loaned my husband The Italian Country Table: Home Cooking from Italy's Farmhouse Kitchens.He loved it so much I bought him his very own.Every recipe he has made has been great.He enjoys cookbooks that share the history of the area where the recipes originated, and told me that this book is worth at least 10 books+ by other cookbook authors.We now have about two to three Italian meals a week. I consider my husband a gourmet cook, and this book enhances both his ability and creativity in cooking.After spending three weeks in Italy several years ago, we have yearned for authentic Italian cooking, and we have found it in this cookbook.

The Italian Country Table Cookbook
Lynne Rosetto Kasper is one of my favorite "foodies".This cookbook is splendid for someone like me who would like to recreate the taste of Italy.

My Favorite Regional Italian Cookbook
The Italian Country Table has been one of my all time favorite cookbooks.I love the tender stories and information she included about Italian food, ingredients, food history, and Italian culture. The recipes are not always easy or quick to prepare.But as one who truly enjoys her time in the kitchen, I am not at all intimidated.However, the resultsare always knock out delicious.Having travelled several times in various regions of Italy, I find Ms. Kasper's knowledge of the very real distinctiveness of the foods peculiar to each region quite interesting.I have purchased this book as a gift, and would recommend it as a fine representative of regional Italian cooking as well as culture. ... Read more

Product Description
From Brooklyn's sizzling restaurant scene, the hottest cookbook of the season...

From urban singles to families with kids, local residents to the Hollywood set, everyone flocks to Frankies Spuntino—a tin-ceilinged, brick-walled restaurant in Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens—for food that is "completely satisfying" (wrote Frank Bruni in The New York Times). The two Franks, both veterans of gourmet kitchens, created a menu filled with new classics: Italian American comfort food re-imagined with great ingredients and greenmarket sides. This witty cookbook, with its gilded edges and embossed cover, may look old-fashioned, but the recipes are just we want to eat now. The entire Frankies menu is adapted here for the home cook—from small bites including Cremini Mushroom and Truffle Oil Crostini, to such salads as Escarole with Sliced Onion & Walnuts, to hearty main dishes including homemade Cavatelli with Hot Sausage & Browned Butter. With shortcuts and insider tricks gleaned from years in gourmet kitchens, easy tutorials on making fresh pasta or tying braciola, and an amusing discourse on Brooklyn-style Sunday "sauce" (ragu), The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Kitchen Manual will seduce both experienced home cooks and a younger audience that is newer to the kitchen.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

One of my favorite cooking manuals
Even if I haven't cooked a recipe by now I love this cooking manual. First of all it reminds me of a wonderful evening in summer 2008 eating at Frankies and second the recipes are so simple but so delicious it should be possible for everyone to follow the recipes. The painted pictures of every ingredient and the equipments you need are lovely. For me only one thing is missing: the estimated time to prepare the dishes.

The only thing I have to do now is to translate it in German and start cooking. I am really looking forward to it.

cooking fun
good recipes sprinkled with humor. actually made for some good reading as well as great meals.

Because I never had an Italian grandmother
(from the wife)This cookbook makes you feel as if you grew up in Little Italy!I made Freankies Spuntino's Spaghetti & Meatballs for dinner last night & felt completely at ease.The directions are clear & complete & there is a section of color photos to show exactly how golden to get the garlic.The meatballs were moist, tender, &flavorful.The sauce was light & beautifully infused with the flavors of the meatballs after a half hour's simmering.Can't wait to turn the leftovers into lasagna & watch that disappear, too.I love the attention that seasonal vegetables receive in this book & how a real effort is made to lighten the dishes without sacrificing flavor or your ability to create that feeling of abundance & celebration.Well-written, well-organized, and well-worth the price for anyone who wants to make great traditional Italian food, with a lighter touch.

Wow -- I am Impressed
I heard about this book on NPR's All Things Considered and decided to give it a try.

Every recipe I have tried out of this book has been absolutely fantastic. The ingredient list and the instructions are clear and concise. I especially like how the authors actually explain the mechanics of their meals so you can learn more about the process of cooking Italian food. This book has become my official "go to" guide for cooking on a nightly basis, and I have never been disappointed about what I have produced from it.

Just a quick note: One of the most wonderful things about this book is its discretion -- this is not a typical Italian cookbook with a thousand recipes that you have to sort through. Instead, there is a quality selection of dishes that are different enough from each other that they don't overlap.

If I haven't said it already -- buy at least two copies of this book - one for you, and a second for your friend. You're gonna want to share it.

Recipe book?
I expected more recipes than were here. I heard a review on NPR and thought it would be a good addition to my sicilian recipe background. It was but had less recipes and more methodology. But a very good choice anyway as it is well written and informative. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Grandaddy of Italian Haute Cuisine
An elegant Italian cookbook that was one of the first English publications to present Italian food as fine cuisine in league with the French.Chef Carnacina is at the top of his game here.His refined recipes are unfailingly delicious, while his clear instructions and mouth-watering illustrations make you want to aspire to the heights of Italian gastronomy.Any serious cook should own this book.

The best ever
This is the best cookbook I have ever come across. Items are clearly and concisely written with every tiny bit of information needed. The book is clearly structured with a numbering system that allows basic "building blocks " to be endlessly combined and or elaborated. My copy is from 1965 and some equipment (copper everywhere)and ingredients ("a cup of pork fat") a bit outdated but these are easily supplemented by something simpler or healthier. Results - perfect every first time.

a lost gem of a masterful cookbook
it's a pity this book is larely lost to most, it is my most favorite cookbook ever.i am no expert on cookbooks but this author was the master chef of some hotel in italy and the recipes are all just fantastic.there are such dishes that have become standards for me like "flaming carrots" and if you're feeling adventurous, "guinea hens in clay (you serve it with a hammer-- and no dishes to clean up!)many of the dishes are admittedly far too complex for the home chef, but overall this is a must have for anyone serious about real italian cooking.

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