Favorite Italian Cookbook?

[KathyJ]

I've been going through my cookbooks trying to decide which ones to keep.

I have a "few" Italian cookbooks....


365 Ways to Cook Pasta – Marie Simmons
Betty Crocker’s Italian Cooking – Antonio Cecconi
Cooking by Hand – Paul Bertolli
Everyday Italian – Giada De Laurentiis
Italian – Carla Capalbo
Italian Classics– Cook’s Illustrated
Italy the Beautiful Cookbook
Leone’s Italian Cookbook – Gene Leone
The Book of Pasta – Lesley Mackley
The Frugal Gourmet Cooks 3 Ancient Cuisines (Rome) – Jeff Smith
Tuscany the Beautiful Cookbook
We Called It Macaroni – Nancy Verde Barr
Time Life Foods of the World - The Cooking of Italy
Northern Italian Cooking - Biba Caggiano
The Recipes of the Five Brothers Vol I

any of these I should keep for sure?
also, feel free to share your favorites, as I'm always looking for new ones.

Thanks!!

 

[ChefJune]

Kathy, no one can tell you that, it all depends upon which ones YOU like and use the most!

I have so many Italian books, and don't intend to get rid of any of them... I love them all for different reasons, and some of them just to read!

I'm not familiar with many of the books on your list, but I don't have to be. I would be hard put to name only one favorite Italian Cookbook!

 

[Walt Bulander]

Italian Cookbooks

My favorite is The Splendid Table, by Lynn Rosetto Kasper.

 

[Robo410]

Lydia's (Bastianich) Italian Table
Molto Italiana (Batali's)

 

[ChefJune]

My favorite is The Splendid Table, by Lynn Rosetto Kasper.

imo one of the best books on Italian food.... based on
1. great recipes
2. authenticity of recipes and info about Emilia-Romagna
3. well organized and well written.

Just my 2-cents....

ps, have you ever made the chocolate cake? If not, you should!!!

 

[Ishbel]

I love the Silver Spoon.
Also Antonio Carluccio's books
The River Cafe cookery books
Jamie Oliver's Italy is a newer favourite
Valentina Harris' books

 

[suzyQ3]

All of Marcella Hazan's books. I even bought her latest one, which didn't receive quite the acclaim as her others.

 

[VeraBlue]

I love the Silver Spoon.
Also Antonio Carluccio's books
The River Cafe cookery books
Jamie Oliver's Italy is a newer favourite
Valentina Harris' books

My boyfriend recently gave me The Silver Spoon as a gift. He knows I love cooking books and this is considered the bible in Italy. He got me the english version...

The thing I like so much about this book is that most recipes have 4-8 ingredients and very very few steps. It's real home cooking.

 

[suzyQ3]

My boyfriend recently gave me The Silver Spoon as a gift. He knows I love cooking books and this is considered the bible in Italy. He got me the english version...

The thing I like so much about this book is that most recipes have 4-8 ingredients and very very few steps. It's real home cooking.

It's their Joy of Cooking. It is amazing how simple the recipes look, isn't it?

We bought it last year, and I hate to say this, but we've overlooked it: I think we made maybe only one or two recipes. We collect cookbooks (mostly older ones) with a passion -- okay, obsession, and unfortunately, a downside to such acquisition mania is that we tend to forget about them once they're on the shelf.

So thanks for the reminder.

 

[Seven S]

My boyfriend recently gave me The Silver Spoon as a gift. He knows I love cooking books and this is considered the bible in Italy. He got me the english version...

The thing I like so much about this book is that most recipes have 4-8 ingredients and very very few steps. It's real home cooking.

Verablue,

i also got the silver spoon as a gift, but there are so many things in that book that are not italian that i am not quite pleased about... i believe there is even a chapter on crepes if i remember correctly

 

[Seven S]

i like ada boni's regional italian cookbook, giuliano bugiallis fine art of italian cooking, marcella hazan's marcella cucina (although i differ w her on the issue of bread at the table), mario batalis molto italiano, claudia piras culinaria italy, michael chiarellos casual cooking... dont care much for giada delaurentis' book, i read it last weekend

 

[VeraBlue]

Verablue,

i also got the silver spoon as a gift, but there are so many things in that book that are not italian that i am not quite pleased about... i believe there is even a chapter on crepes if i remember correctly

Crepes are the 'manicotti'....The Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed a woman who is first generation Italian recently. She loved the book but disagreed with the term 'crepe', as well.

 

[TexanFrench]

When I want to clear out cookbooks (Italian or otherwise) I try to figure out which I use the most. If I've had it for years and it's still not had any notes or page markers put into it and the cover is pristine, I probably haven't used it much and never will.

I suggest that you sort the books into 2 piles (toss & keep) and then put the "toss" pile away somewhere and see if you actually miss those books. If you do miss some of them, say before Christmas, you can put them back and get rid of the others.

 

[jennyema]

All of Marcella Hazan's books. I even bought her latest one, which didn't receive quite the acclaim as her others.

Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking wins in my book, hands down.

Though I do enjoy Lydia's books, the River Cafe book and The Splendid Table. And Marcella Cuisina, which isn't as good as the others.

 

[buckytom]

my fave italian american cookbooks are "lidia's italian american kitchen", and dom delouise's "eat this: it'll make you feel better".

 

[ChefJune]

I have all of Marcella's books, all of Lorenza de'Medici's books, and all of Giuliano Bugialli's books, and both of Lynne Rossetto Kaspers excellent books... but my all time favorite Italian cookbooks are those by Anna Teresa Callen. Her most recent, "Food and Memories of Abruzzo" includes stories from her childhood as well as recipes from this lesser-known region of Italy. And NO! she doesn't pay me to say this!

 

[KathyJ]

thanks everyone....
sounds like I'll just have to buy some more!!

 

[suzyQ3]

Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking wins in my book, hands down.

Though I do enjoy Lydia's books, the River Cafe book and The Splendid Table. And Marcella Cuisina, which isn't as good as the others.

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

 

[urmaniac13]

If you are interested in real authentic, traditional Italian cooking, you can't go wrong with Pellegrino Artusi.
There are, as far as I know two editions available in English,

The Art of Eating Well: An Italian Cookbook

Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well

He is true legend of "la cucina Italiana" and I reach for his book whenever in doubt!!

 

[ChefJune]

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

That's interesting, Suzy. I have the two originals, and never bothered to get the combo version. I have more than 35 Italian cookbooks, as it is!