No comments about Italy: A Culinary Journey.

3 comments about Quick From Scratch Italian.

1. I collect cook books, most are used for reading pleasure. This is one book that has become my constant companion in the kitchen. Each recipe has a full-page color photo with a full page instruction. Recipes are quick, easy, and come with a wine recommendation. The best part is that the recipes are superb--just like you would find in Italy. I haven't made one yet that wasn't wonderful. Everyone should know about this wonderful book. It has received the accolades of some of the top chefs in the US.



2. This cookbook has several strengths. First, the title states "quick from scratch" and this is true. Most recipes can be made from start to finish in under an hour. Second, the recipes are portioned for 4--this is perfect if you are cooking for 1 or 2 people. Third, the recipes are realistic--standard ingredients and kitchen implements are used with substitution lists included. Fourth, the full-color pictures are very helpful. Fifth, the instructions are clear and easy to follow. I own this book and the Quick from Scratch Chicken--and have yet to make a recipe that has not turned out as it was supposed to. Finally, the recipes are delicious--this cookbook is wonderful!



3. My husband and I have tried several of the recipes and every one of them was a keeper. The chicken breast with the salsa verde is our favorite.

No comments about My Tuscany: Recipes, Cuisine, Landscape.

5 comments about The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces.

1. A college friend turned me onto Diane Seed's cookbook, otherwise I might have overlooked such a slim volume, thinking that it didn't have much to offer. This little cookbook is packed full of terrific pasta recipes, all organized around the featured vegetable or ingredient: mushrooms, lemon, zucchini, walnuts, peas, spinach, etc. Most recipes are quick and simple to make, requiring only a few ingredients. One of the things I really appreciate about this cookbook is knowing that if I keep a few basic Italian cheeses and other ingredients on hand, I can whip up a really yummy dinner after stopping at the local produce market or farmers market for the fresh vegetables. Several recipes can be prepared with non-perishable items from the pantry, but don't taste like dinner came from a can.

   In addition to delicious, easy-to-follow recipes, the illustrations in "Top 100 Pasta Sauces" make it a delight to peruse.




2. wonderful intoduction to Italian pasta; worlds beyond just tomato and meat sauce, good though that may be. Highly, highly recommended: unusual, inventive sauces, many inexpensive and quick, but also several luxurious ones for special occasions or just to try. Thank God it's still in print.



3. `The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces' by Diane Seed, Illustrated by Robert Budwig, is only slightly misnamed in that it is really a book of the author's top 100 favorite pasta dishes. Every recipe is a combination of a specific shape and variety (dried or fresh) of pasta, a specific cooking method (baked or top of the stove), and a specific `finishing touch' of cheese, parsley, basal, or what have you. The best evidence that this book deals with dishes and not sauces is the concluding chapter which includes two different recipes for that ultimate pasta dish, the timballo or macaroni pie.
   
   The book does not select its top 100 from a study of other cookbooks, the author has selected these recipes from her own experiences with cooks throughout Italy from her base in Rome. That does not mean her selection of recipes is a lot different from what you get by polling 20 cookbooks of Italian recipes. Every recipe you may expect to find here is really here, even if a bit it may take a bit of looking to locate some favorites. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the book has NO INDEX! If this were not such an otherwise so thoroughly delightful book, I would certainly consider this as grounds to demote it by at least one star.
   
   But with some perserverence, you will find Pasta Puttanesca, Spaghetti Carbonara, Ragu Bolognaise, Rigatoni with four cheeses (mac and cheese), Pasta Primavera, Pasta with Pesto, Pasta and meatballs, and the aforementioned timballi recipes. The only `famous' pasta recipes I could not find were fettucini Alfredo, a Vodka sauce, or any gnocchi recipes, althought there were several cream based sauces and also many which were made with either wine or brandy. I must note that the `mac and cheese' recipe given here is unlike any recipe you will find in a book aimed specifically at American audiences, as it is made without either a custard or a bechamel sauce. I am really pleased to find this recipe, as I saw a similar one in another pasta book and thought it was something of a mistake. Turns out the mistake was mine, in not fully appreciating the import of some instructions.
   
   I am certain the author did not base her selection of sauces entirely on popularity because the book covers just about every different type of sauce you can imagine, including the whole spectrum of ingredients from green vegetables to beans and lentils to mushrooms to seafood to pork and beef and lamb to olives to squash and pumpkin to nuts to lemon. And, the book is very nicely organized by these principle ingredients, except for the last chapter of special celebratory dishes which either include many different ingredients or include relatively expensive ingredients. This wide variety makes the book a perfect source if you happen to need a recipe with which to use up some frozen peas. Luckily, the table of contents is quite good at pointing to the right page for such a need, especially as this silly book HAS NO INDEX!!!
   
   It is quite appropriate that the illustrator receive front page credit for this book, as the excellent color drawings, probably done with colored pencil or crayon, make this book a joy to browse.
   
   Aside from the lack of an index, the book is also just a bit lax in referring from one recipe to another within the book. All such references are easily misunderstood, as when we are instructed to find something in the `third' recipe, where it is not said whether it means the third recipe in the chapter or the third recipe in the book (they meant the third recipe in the chapter, not my first guess).
   
   I am very fond of the fact that almost all measurements are in both English and metric units. On the other hand, I have the feeling that the cooking procedures are aimed at someone with just a bit more a beginner's kitchen skills. Several of the typical little hints given in Italian recipes such as warnings not to cook the garlic too hard or to cut the basil at the last minute are missing.
   
   While the book covers much more than just sauces, it is not a book on pasta, as there is not a single pasta recipe anywhere to be found. That is probably why there are no gnocchi recipes, as gnocchi is one form of pasta which is almost invariably made at home.
   
   If you have no Italian cookbooks and like pasta (and you have no interest in creating a library of Italian cookbooks), then I think this should be the very next cookbook you buy. If you simply like attractive cookbooks, then you certainly cannot miss this one, as it is relatively inexpensive and will take up little room on your shelf. I have even almost forgiven it's not having an INDEX!!!



4. This book was rather amazing. All of the recipes turned out great, and many of them were very simple. The traditional pasta sauces like Pesto and Pomodoro turned out quite well, and several simple vegetable sauces also turned surprisingly good for how simple they were to prepare. Simple grocery store canned tuna was turned into something wonderful in Seed's recipes for Tonno e Limone and Tonne e Pomodoro. And my favorite recipe I've tried so far was a lemon sauce made from heavy cream, two lemons, a little grappa, and nothing else. It just provided a very silky, lemony coating to some very fortunate linguine. The best thing about these recipes is that they work in a weekday throw together meal or as the pasta course in an elegant Italian dinner. It's a really versatile book, and very nicely illustrated to boot.
   
   The only downside is that the recipes are a little imprecise for my taste. Too often, I found myself asking "do I simmer covered, or uncovered" and other various forks in the recipe road where the author provides no direction. I understand this is part of the nature of Italian cooking and if it turns out well, who cares? But a beginning cook is probably going to find this a bit confusing, and those who like precise recipes down to the letter are probably not going to like it as much as I did.



5. My husband hates pasta when we eat out, too rich. However, whenever I have cooked from this book, he's happy as a clam. I've prepared 60% of the recipes in Diane's book, and each one has been perfect. Simple ingredients with wonderful flavor. A must have!!!

1 comments about Italian Ingredients Cookbook.

1. This is the first cook-book that I've seen (I have more then 100), that in depth provides insight into the neccesary combination of ingredients and the recipes. This is extremely interesting and helpful when you're investigating food from other countries. The range of recipes is sufficient to any occasion, either summer picnic or dinner party.

   The book is highly recommended, It's a must for lovers of the Italian cuisine.

   I'm looking for similar books related to Indian, Chineese Mecican, Spanish food.Are there any in the same serie ?

3 comments about Italian Regional Cooking.

1. This book is so well set out and illustrated; it has the best recipies.

   I studied Italian in Florence in 1964, and we had wonderful food in the family I lived with.

   After I was married, in 1975, I found "Italian Regional Cooking" in a book sale in Syracuse, New York. We were on a strict budget, but we bought it, and "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare", at the same time.

   Both are still in use, with equal satisfaction, 26 years later.

   My husband has since died, but I still love this recipe book, as it afforded us so many memorable, and not expensive, feasts, and the recipies are easy to follow.

   Buy it!




2. This is my favorite Italian Cookbook. I purchased it 15 years ago and still use it all the time. I was sorry to see it was out of print, as my copy is so worn. This is the real Italian cooking, arranged by the different regions of Italy. Don't expect typical Italian-American fare (spaghetti and meat balls with gallons of tomato sauce, pizza with tons of meat and cheese, etc.). The recipes in this book are spectacular. Some of my favorites include Osso bucco Milanese (braised veal shanks) with saffron risotto, spaghetti with red clam sauce Viareggio, Manzo brasato (a beef roast, slowly braised in red wine with vegetables, served with polenta), and the Abruzzi pasta sauce made with lamb, red sweet peppers and tomatoes (d'Agnello). The recipes are easy to follow. Though the author often asks for fresh tomatoes, we've found that good canned plum tomatoes or crushed tomatoes in puree work fine for these recipes. Although occasionally, an ingredient is not readily obtainable in the U.S., you can usually find suitable substitutes. If you love authentic Old World Italian cooking, this book is well worth having.



3. Italian Regional CookingWhen I was in college in the sixties, I heard of Ada Boni as the best Italian cookbook writer. Only recently have I begun cooking in any serious way. I found a copy of Italian Regional Cooking at Powell's in Portland, Oregon several months ago. I have fallen in love with Ada Boni, though I fear she is long gone (I searched for an notice of her passing on the internet, but nothing turned up). My wife understands, after a fashion, in part because she loves the results. The recipes are so extraordinarily good - try the Ragu Bolognese, the Napolitano Sauce (with about half the oil though), the osso buco, etc. and see for yourself. Enjoy!

2 comments about More Classic Italian Cooking.

1. This is an excellent book, as everything else by Marcella. Actually, any of her books is a must have if you like cooking Italian food



2. ...it would certainly be one by Marcella Hazan, and quite possibly this particular title. This book is not only full of classic recipes, but information on the importance of using the right ingredients, care in preparation, and all of the details to make a recipe come out just right. I use this cookbook almost weekly, for these are recipes that do not require endless preparation time nor long lists of ingredients; these are practical, traditional Italian recipes that anyone can prepare with a little care and attention to the details.
   
   Some of my favorites are the Pan-Roasted Porgies with Marjoram and Lemon; Swordfish with Salmoriglio Sauce; Thin Spaghetti with Scallops; Veal Scaloppine Sauced with Anchovies and Capers. If you are looking for a good introduction to Italian cooking beyond red gravy pasta and meatballs, this book would be an excellent choice.

3 comments about Once Upon a Tuscan Table: Tales and Recipes from Trattoria Garga.

1. It's not often you'll find a cookbook which is candid and revealing as well as being filled with recipes, anecdotes, and fun characters; but here you have it all in one package: ONCE UPON A TUSCAN TABLE: TALES AND RECIPES FROM TRATTORIA GARGA holds it all. Sharon Gargani works with Rena Bulkin as she recounts her life and the importance of food. As her family restaurant changes from a tiny abode to a favored haunt set in a 14th century palazzo, winning mention from Gourmet and other international food magazines, the author/partner reveals the ups, downs and pleasures of being a cook and cooking school partner - and includes many signature dishes from her restaurant and school in the process. No color photos embellish them - but the easy dishes don't need photos to prove appealing.
   
   Diane C. Donovan, Editor
   California Bookwatch



2. What a great story to come along with this recipe book...I felt like I was living Sharons life as I read her tales of growing up....the recipes are amazing and easy to prepare....check it out...you won't be sorry!!!



3. I had the pleasure of having my copy of the book signed by the author at a bookstore in Winnipeg recently. I was very excited to have the opportunity to ask a couple of questions of the author at this book signing. Although she seemed a bit shy, she was very good with the audience at the bookstore.
   
   However, I must say I was later a bit uncomfortable after reading the book. Being about the same age as the author (about 3 years older) and having grown up in the same city she did (Winnipeg), I found her submission to her Italian family, particularly the mother-in-law, a bit puzzling. In addition, her husband's difficulties with the gambling that caused them all those financial problems--well, I don't know any of my friends of that era who would have accepted that amount of indebtedness as a result of his hidden gambling habit (although the author obviously did so). It struck me that most of us who had grown up in Winnipeg in that era would have been long gone from that that husband and mother-in-law situation--it certainly had no glamour and obviously caused the author a great deal of pain. I guess the question is whether "enduring" versus "escaping" is the thing to be done in that kind of situation, but the author's subsequent success suggests that "enduring" would the best approach to take. Is that what any of us would necessarily advise a daughter or a niece in a similar situation?
   
   What is amazing are the recipes (much less the successful restaurant) that emerged from all of that turmoil. I look forward to trying them all, inspite of the above comments!

1 comments about Best Of Gourmet 2001 (Featuring The Flavors Of Sicily).

1. ..of The Best of Gourmet (everything i have ever tried has been awesome).. My first impression was that they have included more pictures in the opening section which is always a big plus, and have included some of the 'gourmet everyday' recipes as well.

   On the downside, it does look like they have included quite a few recipes with very exotic ingredients.. Hopefully the rest will make up for those!

5 comments about From Biba's Italian Kitchen.

1. Even though I live in the country...I am Italian born and I miss the wonderful, simple cooking of my homeland. Most ingredients are close at hand.(even in Alabama!) But with the guidance of Biba, Italy is just a page away. I was sent tapes of her show on a regular basis and I have every one of her books. Her cookbooks are a tool that every Italian cook should have nearby.It is a shame that TLC stopped airing cooking shows because she was so good at teaching. I dream of the day that I can go to California to meet her and sit at her restaurant. Biba if you can hear me, you are loved all over the world.



2. I think that she has a lot of useful tips in this book. For instance, there are a lot of HARD ways of doing things that she manages to eliminate. Her gnocchi recipes are strikingly similar to that of my family's (actually from Italy). However, I would like to see a little something different. Perhaps more vegetables. And definitely more substance in the dessert section. There is so much more she could have done in there without going overbaord or worse, skipping right past things the way she did.



3. From Biba's table to yours...this excellent, uncomplicated book features dozens of formulas for easy-to-prepare soups, pastas, antipastis, gnocchi, seafood, meat and poultry dishes, vegetables, pizzas and desserts.
   
   After sampling many recipes, Biba's meat dishes were the intial attraction for me. (The osso bucco was sublime.)
   
   However, since my husband and I have become vegetarians, I've turned to Biba's soup, salad and vegetable recipes and have found her strengths to be evenly disbursed, though I wish there were more vegetable and salad recipes included. The soups are hugely satisfying, but fairly simple to make.
   
   This is one of my non-vegetarian books I still turn to a on a regular basis.



4. Recipes are easy to follow and delicious.



5. I adore this book, which I bought back when Biba first published it (at a book signing of hers!). Every recipe I've made from it is simply wonderful. I made the Rice and Spinach soup tonight, and it is so easy and so tasty. I keep going back to this cookbook when I want to make great Italian food from reliable recipes. In looking this title up so I could post a review, I noticed that Biba has several other titles--can't wait to read them.