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Essentials Of Classic Italian Cooking (Hardcover)
by Marcella Hazan
| Category:
Cookbook, Original books |
| Market price: ¥ 298.00
MSL price:
¥ 288.00
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Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
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 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
The very first book you should buy on Italian cooking! |
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Author: Marcella Hazan
Publisher: Knopf
Pub. in: October, 2002
ISBN: 039458404X
Pages: 704
Measurements: 9.6 x 7.1 x 1.7 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00938
Other information: 1st edition
ISBN-13: 9780394584041
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- Awards & Credential -
A Home Style Book Club main selection and BOMC alternate. |
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- MSL Picks -
Ms. Hazan succeeds in distilling for us the essence of Italian savory cuisine based on the notions of battuto (an Italian trinity of lard, parsley, and onion, chopped fine), soffritto (battuto sautéed until onion is translucent and garlic is pale gold), and insaporire (the technique of preparing ingredient such as the battuto and additions to extract flavor from the primary ingredients and impart that flavor to other ingredients, as when the flavors of the soffritto are imparted to the rice in making a risotto). After introducing these essential concepts, she gives us a very detailed tour of the most important ingredients in Italian cooking. To the casual American reader who may not have been schooled by "Molto Mario", there are some surprises, such as the fact that garlic is not as important an ingredient as you may believe. Another culture shock is the difference between the French stock and the Italian broth, and Ms. Hazan's insistence that using the former is simply not Italian cooking. The most prominent is Bechamel sauce (Salsa Balsamella), made in exactly the same manner in Rome as it is in Paris.
Like Child's book and unlike virtually every other book on Italian cooking, this volume deals with so much more than the usual 6 chapters in that it has large, separate chapters on Soups, Pasta, Risotto, Gnocchi, Crespelle (Italian for crepes), Polenta, Frittate, Fish and Shellfish, Fowl and Rabbit, Veal, Beef, Lamb, Pork, Variety Meats, Vegetables (very large chapter), Salads, Desserts, Breads, and typical Italian menus. This volume does deal almost exclusively with traditional dishes.
This book does not replace the dozens of good books on Italian regional cooking and it does not replace good books on Italian specialities, such as Carol Field's book on Italian baking. But, it should be the very first book you buy on Italian cooking to better understand what it is these other books are saying.
- From quoting B. Marold
Target readers:
Food lovers, housewives, professional cooks, or hotel and restaurant managers.
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Marcella Hazan, the acknowledged godmother of Italian cooking in America, has written five remarkable cookbooks, including The Classic Italian Cookbook, Essentials of Italian Cooking, and Marcella Cucina. She lives with her husband, Victor, himself an authority on Italian food and wine, in Longboat Key, Florida.
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In the language of cookbooks, the word "classic" is bandied about nearly as frequently as the terms "low-fat" and "no-cholesterol." In this case, however, the estimable Hazan ( More Classic Italian Cooking ) does indeed contribute a classic to the ever-increasing literature of Italian cuisine. A revision and update of her two previous "classic" Italian cookbooks (with more than 35 completely new recipes), this one includes recipes not "in pursuit of novelty, but of taste." As Hazan puts it, the book "is meant to be used as a kitchen handbook... for cooks of every level... who want an accessible and comprehensive guide to the products, the techniques, and the dishes that constitute imperishable Italian cooking." From marinated carrot sticks to sweet-and-sour tuna steaks, Trapani style, to tortellini with fish stuffing and polenta shortcake with raisins, dried figs and pine nuts, the outstanding recipes - many of them poetically simple - are too numerous to do justice to in few words. Included is a spirited discussion of squid and the essentials of preparing fresh pasta, gnocchi (potato dumplings), authentic risotto, frittate and polenta dishes. While writing from Venice, her home for much of the year, Hazan never fails to consider the availability of ingredients in the U.S., and never assumes that all readers understand complex methods or exotic terminology. This volume is the perfect gift for a new homemaker, a seasoned chef and all lovers of good food. Illustrated. 40,000 first printing; Home Style Book Club main selection, BOMC alternate.
- From Publishers Weekly
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| View all 9 comments |
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-07 00:00>
This is an incredible book. I have read it from cover to cover, and even lugged it on vacation to read (yes, I am a bit obsessive). Everything that I have tried so far has been wonderful. Marcella's recipes are very approachable, and, best of all, they work! I am not Italian, nor have I ever been to Italy, so I can not speak to it's authenticity as Italian cuisine, but I can speak to the fact that this is wonderful food. She does insist on high quality ingredients, with which I am in total agreement, but I wish that she had included name brand names and resources in this updated edition. I have yet to be able to find anchovies in salt - even on the internet! The tomato and butter sauce is now my favorite pasta sauce, the veal marsala is delicious, and the cream and butter sauce is also wonderful. She goes into incredible detail about making pasta, as well as pairing fresh and factory products with the appropriate sauce. I would highly recommend reading the first part of the book before diving into the recipes, because she discusses several cooking techniques, as well as how to determine quality in your ingredients. If you love simple, wonderful food, you will not be disappointed with Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-07 00:00>
This book is wonderful. The recipes are easy to follow and never fail. Marcella is very opinionated about ingredients and you know, she's probably right: canned tomatoes from italy are better than canned tomatoes from America. They are better than anything but the sweetest ripest off the vine plum tomatoes you can only get a few weeks a year by growing your own. Her recipes aren't full of gimmicks, and short cuts that sacrifice flavor. They are often labor intensive or require more than twenty minutes of cooking time. But they work and are often an absolute revelation in taste. As someone else mentioned, the tomato/butter and onion sauce is to die for good and unbelievably simple.
The best thing is the way success with these recipes has built my confidence. You can start off with a simple pasta sauce and work toward making your own pasta, pizza and other more complicated recipes. After success at making homemade gnocci with a simple sauce, I was inspired to move on. I have used ingredients I never would have touched in the past and have gotten over my worry that if it took longer than 20 minutes to make that it wasn't worth the hassle. Good food is worth the hassle. And also there's the fact that so many of her recipes use staple ingredients that after you're familiar with the Essentials of Italian Cooking, you will always have around.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to cook, but is unsure of where to begin. I would also highly recommend this book for gardeners since so many of the recipes are built around seasonal veggies like zucchini, tomato, eggplant, basil and greens you'll never again give your surplus zukes to the neighbors!
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Deb Mele (MSL quote), Canada
<2007-02-07 00:00>
Marcella does a wonderful job of presenting traditional Italian recipes in a straight forward manner anyone could follow. As the Italian Cooking Host @ Bella Online, I run out immediately to buy any book Marcella writes the minute it hits the stores. I lived in Italy for 8 years myself, and her recipes back back memories of the wonderful food experiences we had. My only complaint that includes all of Marcella's books, is that she should include pictures. Her recipes are all so great, the pictures would be truly inspiring!
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-07 00:00>
I've owned this cookbook for about five years now, and have never made one of these recipes that turned out badly. I've become known among our friends and family for my homemade pasta with Bolognese sauce, and the pasta with sausage and peppers is absolutely heavenly (and easy, too!). There's nothing that impresses your guests more than homemade pasta. (Marcella also gives tips for preparing many of the recipes ahead of time, so they're great for dinner parties.)
The recipes are based on the idea of spotlighting a few fresh ingredients and using techniques that bring out the best in those ingredients. Some of the recipes are a bit involved, but many of them can be thrown together in a few minutes, once you get the hang of it.
This is not necessarily a cookbook you'll pull out every night of the week, but once you learn the concepts and techniques, I've found that you can apply the principles to whatever you have in your refrigerator.
(I also bought another Marcella Hazan cookbook, but I keep coming back to this one. It's much more basic and straightforward than "Marcella Cucina" - save that one for later, when you're ready to move on to more exotic fare.)
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