Lidia's Italy
140 simple and delicious recipes from the ten places in Italy Lidia loves most: A Cookbook
1 of 1 copy available
For the home cook and the armchair traveler alike, Lidia's Italy offers a short introduction to ten regions of Italy—from Piemonte to Puglia—with commentary on nearby cultural treasures by Lidia's daughter Tanya, an art historian.
· In Istria, now part of Croatia, where Lidia grew up, she forages again for wild asparagus, using it in a delicious soup and a frittata; Sauerkraut with Pork and Roast Goose with Mlinzi reflect the region’s Middle European influences; and buzara, an old mariner’s stew, draws on fish from the nearby sea.
· From Trieste, Lidia gives seafood from the Adriatic, Viennese-style breaded veal cutlets and Beef Goulash, and Sacher Torte and Apple Strudel.
· From Friuli, where cows graze on the rich tableland, comes Montasio cheese to make fricos; the corn fields yield polenta for Velvety Cornmeal-Spinach Soup.
· In Padova and Treviso rice reigns supreme, and Lidia discovers hearty soups and risottos that highlight local flavors.
· In Piemonte, the robust Barolo wine distinguishes a fork-tender stufato of beef; local white truffles with scrambled eggs is “heaven on a plate”; and a bagna cauda serves as a dip for local vegetables, including prized cardoons.
· In Maremma, where hunting and foraging are a way of life, earthy foods are mainstays, such as slow-cooked rabbit sauce for pasta or gnocchi and boar tenderloin with prune-apple Sauce, with Galloping Figs for dessert.
· In Rome Lidia revels in the fresh artichokes and fennel she finds in the Campo dei Fiori and brings back nine different ways of preparing them.
· In Naples she gathers unusual seafood recipes and a special way of making limoncello-soaked cakes.
· From Sicily’s Palermo she brings back panelle, the delicious fried chickpea snack; a caponata of stewed summer vegetables; and the elegant Cannoli Napoleon.
· In Puglia, at Italy’s heel, where durum wheat grows at its best, she makes some of the region’s glorious pasta dishes and re-creates a splendid focaccia from Altamura.
There’s something for everyone in this rich and satisfying book that will open up new horizons even to the most seasoned lover of Italy.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 18, 2010 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780307767561
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780307767561
- File size: 29015 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 5, 2007
Surely one of the secrets to Lidia Bastianich's success as a television personality is the high quality of her companion books. Bastianich's never seem like mere collections of stills from the show; they impart new information and are full of dishes even dedicated Italophiles may not know, such as Gnocchi Ravioli with Sausage-Spinach Filling and Sage Pudding. However, the concept for her latest show, and as a result this eponymous book, feels slightly haphazard. While Bastianich is to be applauded for overlooking the obvious Tuscan targets like Florence to concentrate instead on the region's less well-known natural beauty in the Maremma area with its mammoth national park, her "places" are inconsistent. They include single cities (Padova and Treviso) and whole regions (Piedmont). And while Bastianich's native Istria offers alluring specialties such as Fresh Pasta Quills with Chicken Sauce, it makes an odd subject for an opening chapter, since it is no longer part of Italy. Bastianich's daughter and coauthor, who runs an Italian tourism company, suggests a handful of sites to visit in each location, be it Spaccanapoli in Naples or a Cistercian abbey 35 miles outside of Turin. Bastianich is probably incapable of creating a truly bad book—the recipes are as functional as they are tempting—but this all-over-the-boot offering is not her best. -
Starred review from April 15, 2007
Bastianich is the owner of Felidia's in New York City and of Lidia's restaurants in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, as well as the author of four previous cookbooks. Her latest title, the companion to her new PBS series, focuses on her favorite Italian regions, from Istria (now part of Croatia), where she was born, to Puglia, the "heel" of Italy's "boot." Recipes are organized by course within each region (there is a separate episode listing, as well as a master list by course), and while there are some sophisticated restaurant creations here, Bastianich has a fondness for rustic, traditional favorites, such as Alma's Cooked Water Soup or Sicilian Chicken Cacciatora with Eggplant. Her daughter Tanya is an art historian, and each chapter includes a bonus section called "Tanya's Tour" on not-to-be-missed cultural highlights. Highly recommended.Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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March 15, 2007
America's appetite for Italian food knows no bounds, and it hungers more and more for the fresh flavors and simple preparations that characterize Italian cuisine in its native setting. Through her restaurants, her books, and her television shows, Bastianich has brilliantly advanced the cause of regional Italian cooking. Her new television series debuts in April, this one organized around 10 different regions on the peninsula. From each region, Bastianich draws representative recipes, featuring the most typical foods of the region. Rome contributes its artichokes, Trieste its pork, Piemonte its polenta, Naples its pasta, Sicily its seafood. Through intelligent selection, Bastianich's recipes reflect their native origins and are easily reproducible in American kitchens. After each region's recipes, Manuali presents for the tourist some significant, yet not-always-familiar sites, capturing some of the area's art and architectural history. Together, this mother-daughter team feeds both stomach and soul with Italy's best.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)
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