Books : Culinaria Italy: Italian Specialties

Rating: - `Attractive to look at, stimulating to the senses, and decidedly fiery.....
....on the tongue - that's the red chili pepper or `peperoncino', known affectionately by the people of Abruzzo and Molise as 'diavolino' - 'little devil'............ `

`Where the art of cooking and the art of living meet.......

`Culinaria Italy', with 1294 illustrations, shows us not only the food and drink of Italy, but the country and its people - from its Alpine crest in the north, to the tip of its heel in the south.
368 tried and tested recipes from the various regions visited ensure that a treat for the taste buds follows a pleasurable read......

The Italian table presents us with a veritable feast. The regional variation, the high quality of produce and a sense of tradition are its mainstays. Yet these alone are not enough: perhaps the true foundation on which this richly laden table rests is the Italian attitude to food and drink.
Food in Italy means enjoyment, daily celebrated as a feast for the senses, in the company of family or friends, at home or in a good restaurant.
But now it is time to set out together on a journey of discovery. It will take us through 19 regions of this enchanting country that never loses it magic.
Take a look inside the cooking pots, taste the wines, and meet interesting people. Listen to tales about our daily bread, tales from the earnest to the amazing.......'


Large tome of 496 pages, split over those 19 regions:-

(1) Friuli
(2) Venice and the Veneto
(3) Trentino/Alto Adige
(4) Lombardy
(5) Aosta Valley
(6) Piedmont
(7) Liguria
(8) Emilia-Romagna
(9) Tuscany
(10) Umbria
(11) Marche
(12) Lazio - Rome
(13) Abruzzo - Molise
(14) Campania
(15) Puglia
(16) Basilicata
(17) Calabria
(18) Sicily
(19) Sardinia

with a preface, a glossary and a recipe index (bold entries include an illustration) and a full, general index.

Packed full of information, including maps and step-by-step methods of preparation, this is a very useful reference to have on your kitchen bookshelf.

`How does the blue mold get into Gorgonzola?
Where did ice cream come from, in the days before refrigerators?
What is there to tell about the wines of Piedmont?
How are tomato preserves made?
How does one recognise a genuine balsamic vinegar?
What are the marks of quality that help to distinguish genuine products form imitations?
What food was eaten in ancient Rome?
Which specialities were served at court during the Middle Ages?
What culinary innovations accompanied the Renaissance?

`Culinaria Italy' takes a look behind the scenes and answers these and many other questions of interest to lovers of Italian cuisine.'

It contains all sorts of facts, from those one might not be so aware of, e.g. :-

`Montasio'
`Montasio Cheese has a long tradition reaching back to around the year 1200 when the Benedictine monks began making this cow's milk cheese in Giulia and the Alpine valleys of Carnia.........'

`Frico'
`Frico is a cheese dish, fried like a pancake until hardened and crisp......'

`Prosecco'
`Prosecco is in fact the name of a grape variety rather than that of a wine or wine-producing region.......'

`Jewish Cuisine in Ferrara'
The fate and history of the city of Ferrara have often been influenced by its large Jewish community and the same is true of its cuisine........'

`Spelt'
`Spelt was used long ago by the ancient Romans as an ingredient in their `Puls Latina', a dish comprising a mixture of cereal and legumes cooked in water. Every family possessed a special mill to separate the grain from the hard, bearded husks........'

to those that are more familiar, e.g.:-

`Panini', with two pages of mouth-watering examples, `Chianti', `Rice Growing', `Grissini' and `Pasta'.

A tiny taste of the recipes contained within:-

Cheese and Potato Fry
Pumpkin Risotto
Basic Pasta
Marinated Sardines
Pasta with Beans
Spinach Dumplings
Apple Fritters
Asparagus with Fried Egg
Tripe
Bread Soup
Polenta with Cheese
Beef Stew
Panna Cotta
Chicken Marengo
Vegetable Fondue
Zabaglione
Vegetables in Vinegar
Fish Soup
Easter Cake
Walnut Sauce
Pulse Stew
Oven-baked Lasagne
Lamb Stew
Ice-Cold Layer Cake
Osso Buco Tuscan-style
Spelt Soup
Stuffed Olives
Almond Macaroons
Ring Cake
Pear Patina
Oxtail Ragout
Tiramisù - which, literally translated means `pick-me-up' - the most superb step-by-step recipe on page 313 with another mouth-watering photograph!

Each chapter has a quick-view list of contents, followed by text about the particular region.
Pictured recipes are indicated as such in the recipe instructions, and are boldly indicated in the recipe index.
Each recipe is well laid out with the Italian title and an English translation, (if applicable) along with the number of servings, the list of ingredients and clear method.


`The land at the foot of the mountains' which is how `Piedmont' translates, is at its most magical in Autumn, when the leaves change colour and thick swathes of mist drift over valleys and hills. This is the time to look out for truffles and other delicious fungi in the woods, to collect nuts, gather cardoons, go hunting or admire the selection of fresh game in the shops.
In the evening people sit around the fire, hold long conversations and open a bottle of wine.
The Piedmont cuisine may have certain refinements, but it is deeply rooted in a tradition of simple wholesome cooking, which relies on first class, very tasty ingredients...........'

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Rating: - Magnifico
The contents of this book are simply divine! You salivate when reading it, and I couldn't wait to get started on the recipes. The more you read, the more you actually wonder why you're not living in Italy, as the whole thing conjures up images of good food, good wine and long sunny days.

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Rating: - A gastronomic tour of Italy
A book for all those who are interested in knowing all about the delicacies of Italy This book is full of flavours and aromas of Italy. I have met all regions of Italy through this fascinating book. Good food, excellent wines and delicious sweets. This book is what I was looking for