Tastes from a Tuscan Kitchen (Hippocrene Cookbook Library) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the newest additions to the simply outstanding roster of ethnic cookbooks from Hippocrene, "Tastes From A Tuscan Kitchen" is the collaborative effort of Italian culinary experts Diane Nocentrini and Madeline Armilotta who first met in a small village about 16 miles outside of Florence, Tuscany. They decided to co-author a Tuscan cookbook with recipes specifically designed for the American kitchen cook and which would reflect the culinary traditions, flavors, and dishes of the Mediterranean countryside of Tuscany. Showcasing more than 150 recipes that are easy to prepare on short notice, wholesome, nutritious, delicious and particularly suited to daily cooking schedules, the recipes range from appetizers, to soups and salads, to entrees and desserts. Of special note are the chapter of recipes devoted to the use of Eggs and section devoted to Tuscan wines. The recipes feature such tempting fare as Lasagne con Ragu (Meat Lasagne), Costolette di Maiale con Salvia e Chianti (Pork Chops with Sage and Chianti), Frittata di Patate e Verdure (Potato and Vegetable Omelet), Pomodori Ripieni con Riso (Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice), and Semifreddo al Caffe (Coffee Parfait). With the added inclusion of a chart of metric conversions, "Tastes From A Tuscan Kitchen" is a welcome and core addition to any family or community library ethnic cookbook collection.

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Tuscany evokes visions of sunflower fields, clear blue skies, and delicious aromas floating through the warm breeze--central Italy at its most beautiful. The Tuscan cuisine is filled with nature's treasures. Fragrant olive oil, fresh herbs, fresh fish and vegetables, and warm creamy cheeses abound. Over the years, the authors have collected many recipes from friends and relatives living in the Tuscan region and throughout Italy; here, they present over 150 of the best. In Tastes from a Tuscan Kitchen, you will find a wide variety of recipes, ranging from such staples as Pasta e Lenticchie (Pasta and Lentils), Cacciucco (Fish Soup), L'Impasto (two perfect pizza doughs), to Castoletti di Maiale con Salvia e Chianti (Pork Chops with Sage and Chianti), Scaloppine al Limone (Veal Scallops with Lemon Sauce) and Polpette di Macinato (Tuscan Meatballs). Delicate crêpes are stuffed with a variety of savory fillings and covered with the perfect topping--a creamy, rich Béchamel Sauce. Then there are the sweet crêpes and charmingly named Bongo (Chocolate Profiteroles) that easily melt in your mouth. Tuscan sauces, crostini toppings fragrant with herbs, creamy risottos, even delightful ways to use leftovers--try Polpette di Patate (Italian Potato Cakes)--will have you turning again and again to this charming compilation of recipes. And the suggestions for Tuscan wines will keep your mouth watering for more.

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Umberto's Kitchen: The Flavours of Tuscany Review

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(More customer reviews)Good delivery - good condition - right price - everything was great. Thank you.

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Just as Menghi's restaurants are known for their warmth, so this book is wonderfully lush to look at and enjoy.

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Tuscan-American Kitchen, A Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was first published in 1993 under the name of IMMIGRANTS KITCHEN: ITALIANThe authors made changes. They updated the ingredients and methods. A distinction has been made between Tuscan cooking and cooking in other Italian regions.The introduction written was helpful in understanding the various regions of Italy and the different cultures in methods and foods used in cooking.The authors wrote a detailed history of their family. You will find it not only interesting but maybe your ancestors had similar stories to tell.My grandparents were immigrants from Sicily, Italy. I have heard stories about the family get togethers, food cooked and customs.This book was a look back into a time in the authors' past and made me eager to try the recipes. They are recipes that are still alive not only in American but in Tuscany too.
Here are a few of the recipes I used:
The first one I made was the Boiled Potato with Parsley Salad. Variations to the recipe included adding garlic, fresh vegetables like tomato, cucumber, peppers, beans or olives. I made the salad for our family church picnic. The bowl was empty when I left. I loved the vinegar and oil dressing on the salad. It added to the freshness of the vegetables I used.
The second recipe I was the polenta. I made the polenta and let it harden in a rectangular pan in the refrigerator overnight. I made the meat sauce in the book which I used the next day on the warmed up polenta which had been cut into rectangles. This was another delicious combination and a nice change from pasta and meat sauce.
The recipe choices range from appetizers through vegetables ( in alphabetical order). You will not be disappointed in this story book and cook book. The ingredients can be easily found in your grocery store. All you need to do is add your time and your love!
BUON APPETITO!!!
[...]

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This definitive Italian cookbook presents more than 250 kitchen-tested recipes, along with five essays and illustrated, step-by-step instructions for the essentials of Italian cooking, such as stuffing an artichoke, making cannelloni, identifying dozens of types of pasta, and more. In addition to the well-known pastas, breads, and meats, the recipes include canapes, sweets, baccalà, chicken galatine, soups, vegetables, porchetta, sausage, salami, and other cured meats. Indexes and recipe listings in both Italian and English and a complete chapter devoted to the gran fritto misto (the Italian method for frying meats and vegetables) complete this wholesome and hearty celebration of homemade Tuscan cooking.

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Francesca's Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)I have never had the chance to read any of Peter Pezzelli's other books but an article about Francesca's Kitchen intrigued me. I rarely read this type of book..I am more into mysteries and suspense. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a warm, enjoyable read. I could relate as my children have recently moved out and I, too, am an empty nester. Most of the story centered around the kitchen with Francesca's love and caring being expressed in her food and caring nature. I could just smell the garlic and tomatoes simmering. I highly recommend.

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No one writes about Italian-American families with the humor, warmth, and heart of Peter Pezzelli. Now, with Francesca's Kitchen, he delivers another winning novel about how much we need the closeness of family--even if we don't know it.Where There's Food, There's FamilyFor years, Francesca Campanile was the queen of her home. Standing in her Rhode Island kitchen, making sauce from sun-ripened tomatoes, dropping in basil from her garden, and adding fresh onion, Francesca dispensed advice as liberally as she did the garlic, arguing nonstop with her son and two daughters. It was wonderful. But now, her children and their children have moved away. And for the widowed Francesca, no longer having a family around to pester, annoy, guide, love, harangue and, of course, cook for, makes her feel useless. Who is she without them? What she needs is another family that needs her, and when she sees Loretta Simmons's ad in the Providence paper for a part-time nanny, she's sure she's found it. All the single mom wants is someone to fill in for a few hours a day. But it's obvious to Francesca that Loretta and her kids need more--a lot more. Loretta's struggling to make ends meet. Every man she brings home is a disaster. And her kids could definitely use some guidance--and a little lasagna, frankly. In these frazzled, disconnected people, Francesca senses a hunger and loneliness as deep as her own. It's time for Francesca to work her magic--if she can--and the best place to start is the kitchen...Funny and moving, with a heroine to adore, Francesca's Kitchen is a delicious story about sharing love, life, advice, and, above all, food. Peter Pezzelli was born and raised in Rhode Island. A graduate of Wesleyan University, he lives with his wife, two children and their dog in Rhode Island where, most days, he is busy at work on his next novel. Every Sunday, however, if he's not riding his bike, you'll find him and his family at the dinner table, enjoying a plate of rabes and sausage, or a nice fritatta, or some other favorite Italian dish cooked up by his wife.Praise for the Novels of Peter PezzelliEvery Sunday"A sweet, brave, and funny novel--with a heart as big as the entire state of Rhode Island."--Claire Cook, author of Must Love DogsHome To ItalyA BookSense Pick! "A beautiful novel...Peter Pezzelli captures the warmth of Italy--family, friendships, and food--invites us into the world of his wonderful characters, and takes us full circle on a journey of life and love."--Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author"Bighearted and wise, Home to Italy is a charming ode to the romance of new beginnings and the Italian gusto for life. Peter Pezzelli's tale of a widower who returns to his childhood town in Abruzzo to rebuild his life, only to be struck by the legendary thunderbolt of love, is a continuous delight."--Louisa Ermelino, author of Joey Dee Gets Wise"With heartwarming touches of humor, Home to Italy reaffirms that life can always be renewed. This is a wonderfully satisfying romance that brings to life the sights, sounds and tastes of Italy."--Romantic Times"A warmhearted novel, perfect for an autumn evening in front of the fire."--Litchfield Enquirer--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Food from Many Greek Kitchens Review

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(More customer reviews)Having just returned from three glorious months in Greece I was keen to be able to reproduce some of the wonderful dishes I tried while I was there. This book is a feast both visually and inspirationally. The recipes are straightforward and use recognisable ingredient names. There are sensible suggestions throughout the recipes like, "add more water if it looks like it needs it" or "cook until the garlic and onion smell good".
The photos are truly beautiful and make you want to just sit down and browse through this book for the sheer pleasure of it.
What I like most of all is that the name of the dishes are first written in Greeklish (using the Anglo alphabet) then in English and finally, in smaller print, using the Greek alphabet.
I have bought a number of Greek cook books, but I have found this one the most accessible and true to my experience of Greece and Greek cooking. Congratulations!

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Food, culture, celebration, and memory are inexorably tied together inside Tessa Kiros's Food from Many Greek Kitchens. As the follow-up to her best-selling Venezia and Falling Cloudberries, Food from Many Greek Kitchens explores Kiros's Greek-Cypriot heritage and takes readers on a colorful journey into the Greek kitchens of her friends and family as she catalogs the traditional foods for fasting, festivals, and feast days.Recipes like Vassilopitta New Year Wish Cake, Lamb in a Flowerpot with Dill and Red Wine, Yamopilafo Wedding Rice, and Easter Soup are accompanied by short introductions that explain each dish's cultural significance. In addition, lavish full-color photographs take readers on a tour from the local Mediterranean fishmongers and markets into Greek family homes and kitchens to experience the best in authentic Greek cooking.With a glossary and more than 200 classically prepared Greek recipes, Food from Many Greek Kitchens adds a greater depth of flavor to each dish through Kiros's warm anecdotal introductions like the following passage for Vassilopitta:"In Greece, everyone has a vassilopitta (cake) at New Year. The wonderful thing about this cake is that a flouri (coin) is added before baking. If you're lucky to get the piece with the coin, you'll be blessed for the year. Don't you love that sense of celebration the Greeks have?" --Food from Many Greek Kitchens

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