Favorite Italian Cookbook?

[jennyema]

There's an interesting thread on Chowhound regarding Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Seems you just can never please everyone.

That IS interesting. I don't have the first 2 books so I can't compare. But it would be fun to do so if I could find them. Do you have those first 2?

I do know that recipes from there and from Lydia's Italian American Table end up tasting more like what I enjoyed eating in Italy than other books.

And (I forgot to say this before) I never throw out cookbooks unless they were really unwanted gifts or something. Then I'll donate them to the library. I love to collect cookbooks.

 

[buckytom]

jenny, just curious. are you trumpeting "lidia's italian american kitchen", or "lidia's family table"?

or is there a combo version also? (j/k)

i have the "kitchen", was wondering if you preferred the "family table".

 

[jennyema]

jenny, just curious. are you trumpeting "lidia's italian american kitchen", or "lidia's family table"?

or is there a combo version also? (j/k)

i have the "kitchen", was wondering if you preferred the "family table".

Her "Kitchen Table" book is the best. Hee hee. Just kidding.

Confused as usual -- it's the Italian American Kitchen that I like. Her second book. Just to confuse, her first book was "Lydia's Italian Table."

 

[suzyQ3]

That IS interesting. I don't have the first 2 books so I can't compare. But it would be fun to do so if I could find them. Do you have those first 2?

I do know that recipes from there and from Lydia's Italian American Table end up tasting more like what I enjoyed eating in Italy than other books.

And (I forgot to say this before) I never throw out cookbooks unless they were really unwanted gifts or something. Then I'll donate them to the library. I love to collect cookbooks.

Oh, jennyema, so glad to meet another collector.

Yes, I do have her other two books. As I said, I have all of them. When I like an author, I become what one bookseller calls a "completist." I try to limit that practice, though, because I would go broke very fast.

It is true that Essentials, which is a compilation of the earlier two books, includes some revisions that acknowledge the change in our approach to eating and cooking in the intervening years. Hazan makes that very clear in the introduction. When I get a chance later today, I'll try to find an example or two.

As for ever getting rid of cookbooks, perish the thought! The only time I did that was years ago: I used to keep a few cookbooks on my kitchen counter. One day the sink overflowed, and the cookbooks sustained a good deal of water damage. When we were packing to move a couple years ago, I'm ashamed to admit that I dumped those books. A few others I gave away. My husband, who loves to collect cookbooks as much if not more than I, was not happy.

 

[Snoop Puss]

Odd about the Silver Spoon, isn't it? I looked through it and was surprised how simple many of the recipes are. And then you get to the chefs' recipes at the end and they're mostly extremely complex. I haven't made that many recipes out of it at all. And I found it odd to find scones and Yorkshire puddings in the book too! Tell you what though, the jam tart on p. 1008 (shortcrust pastry 2 recipe) is a total winner with kids and adults alike.

 

[jennyema]

I'd love to see an example!

I've only thrown out a few cookbooks that were duds. I'd have thrown away your damaged books reluctantly, too.

My mother keeps a first edition Batty Crocker cookbook held together by rubberbands. She really won't throw hers out. I found a first edition -- brand new -- at an estate sale for a few dollars.

Not many Italian recipes in it, though.

 

[buckytom]

i just searched, and lidia needs new titles for her future books.

"lidia's italian table" was the name of her tv show, and had a companion cookbook of the same name.

then there's "lidia's family table", "lidia's italian american kitchen", and "la cucina di lidia" (translated: the kitchen of lidia. who did she think she was fooling with the italian...?)

 

[suzyQ3]

Odd about the Silver Spoon, isn't it? I looked through it and was surprised how simple many of the recipes are. And then you get to the chefs' recipes at the end and they're mostly extremely complex. I haven't made that many recipes out of it at all. And I found it odd to find scones and Yorkshire puddings in the book too! Tell you what though, the jam tart on p. 1008 (shortcrust pastry 2 recipe) is a total winner with kids and adults alike.

If you do consider, though, that the book really is to Italy what The Joy of Cooking is to the U.S., the simplicity of most recipes and the astonishing breadth (I found a recipe in it for Irish stew) makes sense.

 

[shpj4]

Kathy

You are the only one to decide as to which Italian Cookbooks you want to keep. If you have room for all of them - then keep them. If you do not have room for them then decide which ones to get rid of.

 

[Snoop Puss]

I agree. I bought it off Amazon though, so didn't get to see a copy before purchasing it, and was completely taken aback. Not at all what I'd expected from all the pre-publication hooplah.

Edited: a response to suzyQ3's post above.

 

[BreezyCooking]

KathyJ, out of the ones you listed, I also have:


365 Ways to Cook Pasta – Marie Simmons
Italy the Beautiful Cookbook
The Frugal Gourmet Cooks 3 Ancient Cuisines (Rome) – Jeff Smith
Tuscany the Beautiful Cookbook
Time Life Foods of the World - The Cooking of Italy

and wouldn't get rid of any of them. In addition, I have several other favorites, many names of which escape me, except for:

Italy, The New Beautiful Cookbook (all new recipes, but lightened up) - this is a great book, & still coffee-table worthy like the rest of them

Jeff Smith Cooks Italian - regardless of how you feel personally about "The Frugal Gourmet", this is a great book. Lots of terrific recipes that come out looking like you spent a lot more time making them than you did, just like all his books.

The Classic Pasta Cookbook, by Giuliano Hazan. Absoluitely the most fabulous book for pasta & sauces - especially sauces. My copy is a mess from constant use.

I have many others, but these are the ones that stick out most in my mind.

 

[suzyQ3]

I'd love to see an example!

I've only thrown out a few cookbooks that were duds. I'd have thrown away your damaged books reluctantly, too.

My mother keeps a first edition Batty Crocker cookbook held together by rubberbands. She really won't throw hers out. I found a first edition -- brand new -- at an estate sale for a few dollars.

Not many Italian recipes in it, though.

No wonder she's "Batty," what with all those rubberbands cutting off her oxygen.

But seriously: I have a book like that too, inherited from my mom. It's a late 1930's edition of The Settlement Cookbook given to her by her soon-to-be SIL. It's in such sorry shape, but I display it proudly next to the one given to me when I got married ( lest you think I'm more ancient than I am, she married late, and I married early.)

 

[FraidKnot]

I love and cook frequently from La Cuchina, which is an older cookbook that rates the recipe difficulty by using little chefs hats. Lots of hands-on photos and step by step instructions. When I figure out where to post a recipe separately on this forum I will do so. There's a recipe for gruyere cheese "pies" called Tortini della Clara - little Clara's pies - that is to die for. At any rate, it's an excellent cookbook.

 

[FraidKnot]

Italian Cookbooks

KathyJ, out of the ones you listed, I also have:


365 Ways to Cook Pasta – Marie Simmons
Italy the Beautiful Cookbook
The Frugal Gourmet Cooks 3 Ancient Cuisines (Rome) – Jeff Smith
Tuscany the Beautiful Cookbook
Time Life Foods of the World - The Cooking of Italy

and wouldn't get rid of any of them. In addition, I have several other favorites, many names of which escape me, except for:

Italy, The New Beautiful Cookbook (all new recipes, but lightened up) - this is a great book, & still coffee-table worthy like the rest of them

Jeff Smith Cooks Italian - regardless of how you feel personally about "The Frugal Gourmet", this is a great book. Lots of terrific recipes that come out looking like you spent a lot more time making them than you did, just like all his books.

The Classic Pasta Cookbook, by Giuliano Hazan. Absoluitely the most fabulous book for pasta & sauces - especially sauces. My copy is a mess from constant use.

I have many others, but these are the ones that stick out most in my mind.

I have a letter from Jeff Smith, written to me after the "scandal" and shortly before he died. I have it tucked in the first of his cookbooks, simply titled "The Frugal Gourmet".

I was a young adult when The Frug's show aired on PBS. My brother and I were roommates. I knew how to cook; my brother didn't. I got him hooked on watching PBS cooking shows. Up to that point my slightly older brother knew how to bake a potato and grill a steak After I introduced him to The Frug he started looking over my shoulder in the kitchen - yes, I was doing most of the cooking. At first it was annoying having him ask "What are you doing? Why did you add that?" Then it was flattering. Next thing I knew, he was subscribing to Food & Wine.

I digress. I've made a number of recipes by the Frug and the first one I remember is sort of Italian - cheese stuffed cannelloni. He prepared crepes rather than trying to stuff tube pasta. I made the dish several times and it's wonderful. If anyone wants the recipe, well, when I figure out how to post a recipe here rather than just reply to people, I'll be happy to post it

Fraidy