Product Description
Provides an updated combination of two best-selling cookbooks--The Classic Italian Cookbook and More Classic Italian Cooking--with thirty-five new recipes, revised cooking instructions, and new menus. 40,000 first printing.
|
Amazon.com Review
Perhaps more than any other person, Marcella Hazan is responsible for bringing Italian cuisine into the homes of American cooks. We're not talking spaghetti and meatballs here--Hazan's cuisine consists of polenta, risotto, squid braised with tomatoes and white wine, sautéed swiss chard with olive oil and garlic.... Twenty years ago, when Hazan first exploded into the American consciousness with The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, such recipes were revolutionary. With time, however, these classic dishes have become much-beloved family favorites. Now a new generation is ready to be introduced to Marcella Hazan's way with food, and in Essentials of Italian Cooking Hazan combines her two earlier works into one update and expanded volume. In addition to the delicious collection of recipes, this book serves as a basic manual for cooks of every skill level. Recipes have been revised to reduce fat content, and a whole new chapter full of fundamental information about herbs, spices, and cheeses used in Italian kitchens--as well as details on how to select specific ingredients--has been added. New chapters, new recipes--who could ask for more than Essentials of Italian Cooking?
|
|
 Not at all what I expected ( bling_bob )
From the rave reviews this cook book has gotten both here and elsewhere I had thought that I was buying the best Italian cookbook on Earth. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This book may be wonderful to some, but it's certainly not what I was looking for. Out of the whole book I found maybe 2 or 3 recipes that I MAY try and that's about it. This book was a bigger disappointment than the yellow rose cookbook.
If you're looking for recipes as basic as what this cookbook offers, just do a couple searches on google.
|
 My all-time favorite cookbook...
This is definitely my favorite cookbook ever. I use it all the time, and still haven't even tried about 3/4 of the recipes...there are just so many! It is true that some of the recipes require ingredients that are hard to find here (though I was able to make some of the recipes I can't make here while i lived in Italy). Still, there are plenty to choose from that are relatively fast, very easy, and use ingredients that are readily available in the U.S. Some of my favorite meat dishes, vegetable dishes and pasta sauces come from this book. Two thumbs up!
|
The Best Italian cookbook ever
Marcella Hazan's cookbooks are all great. This is the BEST. The characteristic that sets her book apart from all others is not the ingredients and not lucious looking pictures (there are no photos), but rather the important processes she describes in clear detail. I bought this as a gift for someone but have owned this version for five years and its earlier edition for 25 years and have never been disappointed. She is the best. Period. You'll never need another Italian cookbook.
|
 It's like a text book ( dinamet7 )
This is a hefty book - lots of detail, lots of instruction and pretty strict about how things need to be done. As someone who hasn't ventured outside of my comfort zone for cooking, this structure can be very helpful - but it can also complicate things as I have to prepare everything in advance and rarely can pull off a recipe in this book with a low stocked pantry.
Still, I can't fault the book for my need to prepare - overall it's great and when I do have the time to make a special trip for all the right ingredients I know I'll have everything spelled out for me. The thing is huge so it's not easy to move around a kitchen counter with a couple of fingers in the middle of cooking, but like my title indicates, it's like a text book. There's more than just recipes, there's reference information, instruction on preparation and history. A very well rounded book.
|
 Watch the cooking times! ( cameron2067 )
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the depth of her knowledge of Italian cookery is amazing, on the other, the lack of specifics and inaccurate cooking times can be quite frustrating. This caveat should suffice: when making use of these recipes, make constant use of your tasting spoon!
I made Pasta e fagioli with fresh cranberry beans according to Ms. Hazan's recipe, and, because of Ms. Hazan's widely-acknowledged eminence, I followed her recipe precisely, something I rarely do, as I am an experienced cook. Her time for cooking the beans (45 minutes), left me with undercooked beans; they should have cooked for at least an hour and fifteen minutes, if not an hour and a half. No big deal, except I added the pasta at the point Ms. Hazan recommended.
I am sure that this book will be an invaluable resource to anyone who wants to learn Italian cooking, just make sure to test and modify these recipes as necessary ahead of time; following them as is can result in flubbed meals.
|
|
View Larger
Add to Cart 
