Member Reviews: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Chef Stuart Cameron of Trocadero in Chicago,IL recently sent me a list of books he would want if he were stranded on a desert island. One of those books is the Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. This is considered a standard / classic cooking text, which is precisely why many chefs find it so valuable. This book is a combination of two books (both by Marcella Hazen): The Classic Italian Cook Book (first published in 1973) and More Classic Italian Cooking (published in 1976). It covers in detail all the pillars of Italian food such as fresh pasta, risotto, gnocchi, scaloppini, bollito misto, and polenta. Be sure to try the recipe for baked polenta with meat sauce! But Italian food is...