No comments about The Pasta Machine Cook Book.

No comments about Just Like Mama Used to Make: Recipes and Traditions from an Italian Kitchen.

2 comments about Contorni: Authentic Italian Side Dishes for All Seasons.

1. This book should be scattered throughout the entire bookstore. It belongs in the travel, photography, history and cookbook sections. Every single page drips with sensuous photographs of gorgeous places and beautiful food. The recipes are accessible and easy to prepare. The way Ms Simon describes the food, preparation and suggestions for serving it are mouth watering. My partner made the vegetable tart the other night and it was fantastic. He wasn't crazy about peeling the asparagus, but admitted that it was certainly worth it. Coming up with inventive, delicious side dishes is always a challenge. Finally, that challenge has been met. I can't wait to try everything in the book, even the eggplant.



2. Sometimes a main dish can be very intimidating, especially when using ingrediants and techniques you aren't used to. This book is perfect for an introduction to authentic Italian cuisine.
   
   The dishes are divided by season (the author states that vegetables are best when in season). Each offers a few different recipes with each vegetable, ranging from bell peppers to leeks. All of them look amazing, can't wait to try them all. The best is that they are vesatile enough to work for everyday dinners or special occasions.
   
   Another thing worth mentioning: the photography in this book is worth the purchase price alone (as of now, the purchase price is around $6, you can't beat that with a stick). Beautiful rustic dishes, sprawling landscapes. Absolutely beautiful.
   
   Worth every penny and then some!

1 comments about Sophia Loren's Recipes Memories.

1. Wonderful book---great recipes and photos of her family with a bit of her family stories included...I love it. Also in great condition from seller as advertised.

No comments about The Classico Pasta Sauce Cookbook: Tempting Home Cooked Meals Using Authentic Italian Pasta Sauces.

No comments about Finger Food (by Heinz Beck).

No comments about Italian Cooking Made Easy.

No comments about Italian Cooking Class Cookbook.

1 comments about Feast of a Lifetime: Sara's Story.

1. As a professional amateur chef, I can tell you that the recipes alone are worth the price of the book. There are interesting recipes that I have not seen in any other Italian or Mediterranean cookbook, and interesting tips on cooking. The first part of the book is riveting, and the second sad and happy both. Do not be surprised to see it made into a movie.

2 comments about From the Tables of Tuscan Women.

1. It really works to read this book before visiting Italy. After reading this book, I had a good idea of what I was after in my visit to Italy, of the authenticity of the people, of the places I had to go to in order to find what I wanted. It's a great read, and the recipes are good, really good. Pretty easy, too, a lot of them. It's an odd mix, this book--literary and hands on. I liked it, and it really made my trip (and my cooking!) complete. I think this woman writes books for people who really know how to love food and cooking.



2. What greets the arrival of colder weather better than Italian food - the comfort of pasta, and long-simmered meats? "From the Tables of Tuscan Women" focuses on the province of Lucca in west Tuscany, and nine women who have spent long, productive lives turning out dishes like potato or chestnut croquettes, stuffed mussels, poached fish with parsley sauce or oven-roasted stuffed rabbit.

   Chapters center around ingredients and courses from mushrooms and chestnuts through pasta, fish, game, meat and dessert. Each chapter opens with a visit to one of the chefs who shares Tuscan anecdotes, good-natured arrogance and cooking tips

   Bianchi's unabashed admiration gives the book an intimate feel which is borne out through simple recipes like fried polenta or pork sausage with white beans and fennel or more complex dishes like tacconi alla Lucchese which tops homemade pasta squares with a thick herb-flavored sauce of rabbit, beef and red wine. Basil, sage and rosemary are staple herbs, prosciutto is a frequent accent, mushrooms and chestnuts are gathered wild, everything seems infused with the sunshine of the Mediterranean. Bianchi also offers variations and optional ingredients to suit the American kitchen.