Italian cookbooks in English

[Suzanne]

Related to the thread on Italian Easter recipes:

One of my absolute favorite cookbooks -- one that I actually have cooked from A LOT over the years -- is Italian Regional Cooking by Ada Boni. My copy is from 1969, but I believe it has been re-issued in the last few years. It was originally written in Italian, and translated into English, with recipe quantities given in both US (mostly by volume) and UK style -- but the old ounces and pounds, not metric. So it is very easy for an American to cook from.

The sections of the book work their way from north to south, first with a description of the regional specialties, including lots of pictures, and then a series of recipes. I've always had great success with the recipes.

[Isa]

Of the few Italian cookbooks I have my favourites are Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan and Bugialli on Pasta.


It's such a shame that Italian pastry and baking cookbooks are so rare.

[Suzanne]

Do you think maybe that's because pastry there is not so much a homemade item, but one to be bought from a shop or cafe? Since cookbooks for general sale are geared toward home cooks, books focussing on sweets would not have that big an audience. Just guessing.

BTW: Marcella Hazan's books are also my bibles. Now THAT's a good writer!!

[Pongi]

Unfortunately I don't know Marcella Hazan...but I know very well Ada Boni, who has been a true authority in Italy. Apart from "La Cucina Regionale Italiana", her most famous book is "Il Talismano della Felicità" (and its shorter version "Il piccolo Talismano della Felicità") that has been the cooking bible for generations of Italian housewives. In fact, it's a book based more on the familiar, traditional recipes than on the sophisticated French-style dishes like the other italian bible, "La Grande Cucina" by Luigi Carnacina. These two books come after the first modern Italian cooking encyclopedia, "L'Arte del Vivere e del Mangiar Bene" di Pellegrino Artusi, which was written in the late Nineteenth century. All these books can be considered "historical" and somehow out of fashion, but are also still precious and useful! I'm also sure that English translations are available...

As for the book I mentioned in the "Italian Easter" thread, I've found out it's available on Internet although unfortunately only in Italian
In any case, probably reading something written in a foreign language is easier if the topic is familiar to you...I speak only Italian and some English, but have got cookbooks written in French, Spanish, Portuguese and even German and can use them without too much trouble! More, I could help you with unusual words if you need

Anyway, this is the reference:

GOSETTI DELLA SALDA ANNA,
"LE RICETTE REGIONALI ITALIANE"
Ed. Solares

Available at www.internetbookshop.it
The price is $ 35.24

As I said, it is strongly recommendable also for traditional Italian pastries and sweets.

I'll look more for italian pastry cookbooks available on Internet and possibly translated in English!

Pongi

[Isa]

There most be a lot of foodies in Italy. They wouldn't buy their pastry from a shop now would they? Pongi what do you say?

[monkeymay]

I have to throw a plug in for my friend's book-
"Sweet Sicily, the story of an Island and her Pastries" by Victoria Granof
It was published this past fall by ReganBooks and has a great collection of
cookies and pastries, cakes, spoon sweets (watermelon gelato - yum!)
confections and liquers. Victoria toured Sicily interviewing pastry chefs, so the recipes gathered here are authentic, along with fantastic color photos and a historical overview of how conquering cultures have left their imprint on the island's food. Included are recipes for cannoli, cassata cake, frutta di martorana (marzipan fruit) and my favorite- Trionfo di Gola - "Triumph of Gluttony" - that you just have to see to believe!