5 comments about Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy.

1. If you are at all a sensualist, particularly with regard to food, this is a must read. There are other enjoyable aspects to the book - the relationship between Mr. Tucker and his wife, reflections on friendship and celebrity, with a nod to learning to become "unfamous".
   
   But the core of the book is an epicurean approach to life. The story serves, really, as illustration of a way of seeing food, wine and even love.
   
   Nice work. I can't wait for the next book.



2. Basically this book is a diary of Michael Tucker's time in Umbria and the things they ate while they were there. While it is midly entertaining - it's definately not the best travelogue I've ever read. Also I thought author came off as condesending which was a real turn off to read.



3. Michael Tucker is a great story teller and this story will make you want to pack your bag. As with most TV actors you feel you know Tucker and his wife Jill Eikenberry (LA Law). The story of finding and remodeling an italian farm house is every traveler's dream. Tucker's description of the house, the village, and becoming part of the community is engaging. The only problem is the story ends too soon!



4. This is a fun escape into a new venture. The author takes the reader along to the new life he and his wife are experiencing as they share the beauty and excitement of living among the Italian olive groves and fig trees with a few sips of wine and great pasta! Learning the language as they live it is as delightful as it is challenging.



5. I have not yet been fortunate to physically travel to Italy but I can say with certainty that while reading Mr. Tucker's book, I made an intellectual journey to Italy. What a read! I felt as if I was seeing, smelling, touching, tasting every bit that Italy has to offer through the words of Mr. Tucker. Thank you, Mr. Tucker, for taking me along with you. I hope that in the near future my family and I will have the privilege of experiencing this wonderful country.

3 comments about The New Italy: A Complete Guide to Contemporary Italian Wine.

1. This book gives a very comprehensive and up to date overview of what is produced today in Italy. A must have for all Italian wine lovers!



2. As difficult as it was for me to believe this, I really thought that this book would have been much more comprehensive, not just a vehicle to flatter a handfull of producers that must be current Gambero Rosso "Favoriti". I get as much, if not more, out of my quarterly subscription to the magazine. Ordinarily, I really like Daniele Cernilli's writing along with his willingness to take chances and "Tell it like it is". I wish he had done so here. The regions could have been probed much more in-depth and the producers expanded to mirror the magazine. 3 GENEROUS stars.



3. Wonderfully written and a must have for all wine lovers. I have traveled the Italian wine regions and am an enologist and this book was very well written.

   Also teaching wine educational classes, I was very impressed with the accuracy and details of the Italian wines and regions especially Tuscany and Piedmont! I will be in Italy in 2 weeks and feel like I was in Italy reading this book.

   Buy, read and sip Italian wines!!

   Thanks you Marco Sabellico and Daniele Cernilli!

   Enologist, consultant & wine educator,

   Tony Carlucci

5 comments about Italian Classics (The Best Recipe Series).

1. This is a great book for anyone interested in cooking italian. It provides very in depth discussions of many classic italian dishes and many possible variants. I agree with a previous reviewer that this book is not perfect and some dishes miss essential ingredients. But I still think it is a great book. Most of the recipes are excellent and, most importantly, this books provides a lot of information on why and how: once you will digest this type of information you'll be able to even get creative a make your own italian style dishes.



2. Would you like to learn all the tips and tricks about Italian Cooking? How about learning what is the best perfoming spaguetti brand, or different types of eggplant and how to work with it? Best garlic crusher, best pans, best everything - look no further: this is the book to get all the information you need.
   
   The guys at Cooking Illustrated did an outstanding job researching for this book, I was very pleased and impressed. This is my first "The Best Recipe Series" cookbook! (and now I that I know the format of these books I want to buy the other ones too.!!)
   
   This is a book you want to take to bed and read - recommended for both the amateur cook and for the professional - lots and lots of interesting facts and information about ingredients, techniques, products, equipment, utensils, you name it.
   
   If you are a cookbook lover like myself, you will see the difference between this one and all the rest of the books you have read.



3. 'Italian Classics' is a 'Cooks Illustrated' treatment of well known Italian recipes. I have reviewed a number of similar 'Cooks Illustrated' books and a fabulous number of Italian cookbooks, and I believe that this volume is both better than the average 'Cooks Illustrated' volume AND better than the average Italian cookbook.
   
   Part of the value of this book is not due to the efforts of the 'Cooks Illustrated' staff, it is due to their applying their usual approach to a body of recipes which are well established and about which there is a great body of writing already available in English.
   
   That means that when they evaluate a pasta Puttanesca recipe, there is little chance they will be going wrong, as they have the writings of Marcella Hazan, Lydia Bastianich, Mario Batalli, Giuliano Bugialli, and Michelle Scicolone to proof their researches against.
   
   This is not to say that they sometimes go off the deep end of fussiness, as when they suggest parboiling the garlic in the pan before adding the oil and other ingredients so as to not burn the garlic when starting out on their Puttanesca.
   
   Still, I am always guaranteed of seeing a highly reliable recipe for the Italian standards in this volume and while I have multiple volumes written by all those other authors, I still refer to this book first every time I want to do meatballs or lasagna or gnocchi or osso bucco.
   
   Recommended for people who like to cook Italian.



4. Cooks Illustrated did an excellent job with this book. It is an invaluable reference to me because my knowledge of Italian fare is limited. True to form, CI takes the guesswork out of making the recipes and provides valid reasons why not to stray. If you are unfamiliar with CI methodology, each recipe comes with a background information regarding the failed tests that lead to the creation of the recipe. If you are not interested in this type of background, the recipes are still great so just skip the added info.
   
   I really enjoy the tasting and equipment ratings that have been incorporated into the book. This is not an all-day recipe type of book. CI balances time with flavor. Many of the recipes can be used for weeknight meals and certainly for weekends.
   
   My favorite pasta sauce recipes are from this book. They turn out perfectly every time.



5. A passionate home cook that has been honing her cooking skills for the last 25 years, concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years, writes this review. My favorite cookbooks are "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute and "Culinary Artistry". With more than 500 cookbooks in my collection I am usually disappointed in my recent cookbook acquisitions. I am also very tough on Italian cookbooks in particular.
   
   The "Italian Classics" by the editors of Cooks Illustrated Magazine pleasantly surprised me. I expected the typical Italian American recipes that I dislike. This book is much more authentic that I expected it to be. Even as an experienced Italian cook I find it difficult to criticize this book to any large extent.
   
   The editors of Cook's Illustrated write this book in the same manner as their other books. The writers tell you what they tried that didn't work, before they get to the ingredients and techniques that did work. There are very few pictures in this book. The paper is not the glossy stock that you find in my cookbooks today. I would have appreciated if the book had included the Italian names for the recipes. Sometimes they include the Italian name of the recipes in the narrative about the recipe, and sometimes they do not. But, the recipes themselves more make up for these minor disappointments.
   
   The book is outlines as follows:
   1. Antipasti
   2. Salads
   3. Vegetables
   4. Soups
   5. Pasta
   6. Risotto, Polenta, and Bean
   7. Poultry
   8. Meat
   9. Fish and Shellfish
   10. Bread and Pizza
   11. Eggs and Savory Tarts
   12. Fruit Desserts
   13. Chilled and Frozen Desserts
   14. Biscotti, Crostate, and Cakes
   
   The first recipe that I check out in any Italian cookbook to gauge its authenticity is Spaghetti Carbonara. If this recipe has cream included the book is immediately put back on the shelf. Unexpectedly, the recipe is this book does not add the cream, as American books tend to do. As I looked further, I realized that the authors tried to make each recipe as authentic as possible. The reason for the qualifier is that it is always not possible to make a recipe 100% authentic. I for one have never found an American supplier of Guanciale (cured pig's cheek), and Farro is also tough to come by. The writers did a very nice job substituting products that are easier to locate in the US.
   
   If you are in need of comprehensive and reasonably authentic Italian cookbook, this will make a nice addition to your cookbook collection.

No comments about Gelato!: Italian Ice Creams, Sorbetti, & Granite.

5 comments about The Best 50 Biscotti Recipes (Best 50).

1. Both my Mom and I bought a copy of this book, because I love biscotti's. I've made them before and have always had great luck. But I made two recipes from this book. Both were so bad tasting that I threw the biscotti's and the book out. Then I called my Mom and told her she might want to throw out her book too, before she wasted her time and money making any of these recipes. I didn't even try to sell the book online because I would have felt guilty.



2. I am a great lover of biscotti, especially since I have to watch my sugar intake. Because biscotti can be expensive, I decided to make this simple cookie and have quite successfully. However, this book is not the book to buy if one wants biscotti of good texture and taste. I remade one recipe (Almond Biscotti) and tried two others (Coconut Biscotti and Milk Chocolate & Honey) to see if I made a mistake or preferred another flavor, but none of them were worth the effort. They were dry and too hard. The recipes I found on-line and in magazines were much better. I'll try another book.



3. It is so nice to have a variety of recipes available to me. I have tried some of these cookie recipe and they have been really good....



4. I love biscotti, and found this book to have the best variety of recipes. This was the book I chose to give as a gift to two fellow biscotti lovers. The recipes are easy, and the end product is delicious.



5. The recipes are simple and no photos. I recomend this book for people who enjoy baking cookies. Can't beat the price and yes you have to enjoy sugar.

5 comments about Biscotti.

1. This a great book. The recipes are easy and the results are great. The cookies are not hard like the store bought ones. You can actually eat them without dunking them in coffee. I make them every Christmas as gifts and everyone loves them.



2. After trying several recipes from the book, The 50 Best Biscotti Recipes, and not liking them, I purchased this book and am in biscotti heaven! I just ate a slice of Biscotti Nocciole-Cioccolato, and it is excellent. I could dip this in melted chocolate, too! I baked Biscotti Toscani and Double Chocolate Decadence (with expresso coffee,) and both were mouth watering. Some of the prep time is lengthy, for I like quick and easy. But grating the zest of an orange, toasting the nuts, or making a little expresso is well worth the time.



3. Biscotti by Lou Seibert Pappas and biscotti from the recipe book were a gift from a cousin. The delicious recipes and the ease of making them, inspired me to send both biscotti and the book, Biscotti, as Christmas gifts this year. All the recipents declared the gift the best ever; not one crumb was left. I highly reccommend the book.



4. If you're looking for biscotti recipes, this is the very best collection around. As usual Lou Pappas does not disappoint. I've seen other collections, both in books and online, and they don't even come close to these.
   
   I've tried virtually all the recipes and they've all turned out to be authentic tasty little morsels! When I bring them to work or to a party or as a gift, people are amazed. For some strange reason, everyone begs me to give them the recipe for the Orange Chocolate Nut biscotti. I guess it's the vote winner.
   
   This book costs so little (especially the used editions) that there's no reason to deny yourself this little gem. Just remember, don't skimp on the vanilla, citrus zest, etc. and DO NOT use rancid nuts. I always use a good quality chocolate when I make mine, and I always bake with unbleached flower but that does not affect these recipes luckily. So, go ahead and bake...you seriously cant buy biscotti this good.
   
   FYI: Biscotti is Italian for "twice baked" and is a plural word. If you just order one of them, then the proper word is "biscotto" (single, masculine). No such thing as "have a biscotti".



5. This is a wonderful small cook book of only biscotti recipes. I have one for myself and have given three as gifts. My Sicilian mom always asks me to bring the "Tuscan" biscotti (from page 13) to holiday dinners at her house. I tried one of the chocolate versions made by my neighbor who also owns the book and they were outstanding. For ten dollars you get a great varitey of recipes which are easy, and don't call for ingredients which are too fancy or hard to find.

5 comments about Food To Die For: Secrets From Kay Scarpetta's Kitchen.

1. This is a great cook book and really does make my mouth water just thinking about it. I really enjoyed the Crab cakes and would recommend them to anyone. Most of her recipies are pretty simple and they are all delicious. I say... Dive in!



2. I checked the book out from the library because I am a huge Dr. Scarpetta fan. I was hesitant to make the recipies due to the lengthy list of ingredients in most of them, but the 4 recipies I have tried were amazing! I just made one of them tonight and I am still drooling over it. The fresh pasta is the BEST recipie I have tried (and I have tried a lot), and it makes a HUGE difference! The stew was soooo good, granted, it took a while, but it was worth it!!! I love this book, I plan to buy it. Worth the investment for the cook who loves great recipies!



3. Anything Patricia Cornwell writes is excellent. I have tried most of the recipes in this book and all are fantastic.



4. Havving read all the Patricia Cornwell 'Scarpetta' novels, I was intrigued to find a related cook book. I was delighted to be able to find a copy at Amazon, and with the usual prompt service, it wasn't long before my book arrived.
   I must admit, the food sounded very tempting even though the cases involved in the novels are horrendous!
   The recipes are relatively simple, the only drawback being that in England,some ingredients are unavailable. Improvisation doesn't spoil the end results though and my husband and son are thoroughly enjoying the new menus!
   If you enjoy having fun cooking, I recommend Food To Die For.
   By the way, the Jack Daniels Chocolate Pecan Pie nearly started a riot on New Years Eve...I had to bake two more!



5. This cookbook is great for the Kay Scarpetta fan or even your everyday Italian foodie. Beautiful pictures and amazing receipes.

4 comments about Panini.

1. Jo McAuley's PANINI surveys the grilled Italian sandwich which is becoming so popular in bistros and delis in North America. You'd think panini sounds too exotic to produce at home, but quite the opposite: McAuley demonstrates it's the perfect sanwich for producing in a home kitchen and packs her cookbook with recipes for vegetarian, meat, and even dessert sandwiches to prove it. Color photos face nearly every page and encourage cooks to sample.



2. I searched for a good panani cookbook to compliment a Christmas gift of a panini press/maker. While it's a small paperback, it has great recipes and it's all panini recipes. I looked at several books in the brick-and-mortar book stores and most gave panani sandwiches a passing glance and moved on to other recipes. At least McAuley stayed with the title of her book and didn't go astray. You'll also find a good mix of breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings and even some tasty all-veggie recipes. It's the best all-panani book I've found so far and well worth the small price.



3. I was a bit disappointed. "Simple Italian Sandwiches" costs more but has a better selection and more information.



4. Am very disappointed in this book - I only marked 3 or 4 that I even wanted to try.

5 comments about Entertaining with the Sopranos.

1. What a great concept! This book, along with its counterpart The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco are two of my favorite resources for Italian-American recipes, party ideas, and pure entertainment. Any time I tell family and friends that I'm going to be cooking recipes out of one of these cookbooks they all want to come over. "Entertaining with the Sopranos" offers party planning ideas and menus for every event from birth to death. Outstanding! Highly recommended.



2. This was an ideal present for a Sopranos fan who is difficult to buy for; a great mix of recipes with input from the characters.



3. ordered 3 copies from Amazon ... the box they came in was ripped apart--damaged-- but no damage to the three books luckily.. hand delivered to me at my door by our mailman
   
   suggest Amazon do a better job of packing... box they came in was kind of flimsy...
   
   good content.. great home style recipes like we used growing up in Brooklyn in our Italian family... pretty close to our original recipes..
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



4. I have throughly enjoyed reading this book.
   
   It has all the characters in the Sopranos giving out advice on what to do at certain social gatherings and Carmela is the star because it is told from her viewpoint.
   
   It is a fun read and informative. I tried one of the recipes tonight and it was delicious.
   
   If you are a fan of The Sopranos or a lover of cookbooks it has something for you. It has a lot of articles and pictures from the show.
   
   It is worth a read.



5. The first artie b. book was better if you are looking for italian recipes. If you are looking for information on entertaining then you will like this book. Otherwise, you will find less recipes and be less impressed.

1 comments about Cooking Light Italian (Cooking Light).

1. 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.