Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Without a doubt, another fine labor of love and respect of Italian cooking from our Lidia. Knowing where to begin to describe this voluminous compilation of culinary joy is difficult, in that there is much to tell. Allow me to begin with its intention.
Lidia has covered 10 regions within the cultural offerings of her beloved Italy, and while she gives the reader a gastronomic tour, her lovely daughter, Tanya, gives the historical tour, which was an excellent melting of the two grand reasons to appreciate this culture. To be sure, Tanya has a Ph.D of Renaissance history from Oxford University, and you come away with a deeper appreciation of Italy and the recipes that her mother has offered.
This rather heavy book has superb photography of prepared dishes, ingredients in the raw, spectacular views of the Italian countryside, as well as some of the charming people that she has known along the way, and along the years. Perhaps this is something of a "family" album, if you will.
The regions covered are Istria, Trieste, Friuli, Padova and Treviso, Piemonte, Maremma, Rome, Naples, Sicily, and Puglia. In beginning each regional chapter, Lidia begins with a listing of the recipes contained within, then gives her own little introduction to the territory. As she presents each recipe, she gives another small introduction that will either give a sort of educational mention, or perhaps a cooking hint. At the end of the chapter, Tanya brings it to a close with "Tanya's Tour" in which she breaks down the region with specific areas of interest and notables, and gives the reader an incredible short education of history and information.
There are 140 recipes within this tome, and they are covered within the seven categories of:
APPETIZERS
SOUPS
SALADS, SIDE DISHES, and CONDIMENTS
PASTAS AND RISOTTOS
FISH AND SEAFOOD
MEAT and POULTRY
DESSERTS
It would be a much longer review if I mentioned each specific recipe, but I believe it would suffice to say that, knowing Lidia and her passion for the true art of culinary creations, they would all be delicious. Besides, I am sure that you could find someone for each dish who would be most grateful for your labor of love, courtesy of Lidia. Having purchased all of her books, I have been most pleased to serve so many of her dishes to very happy guests, and never have I been disappointed. Lidia herself has degrees in food chemistry and such, so her fountain of knowledge is backed with science as well as love of this artform.
And to add a final note, a listing of the dishes made on her new PBS series, "Lidia's Italy", is presented at the end of the book, listing the recipes made on each show and from which region they come. You are also given her sources for some of the fine foods she uses, which include stores and websites.
As our grand dame of Italian culinary creations always tell us, "tutti a tavola per mangiare". Ciao!
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