Customer Reviews

The Arthur Avenue Cookbook: Recipes and Memories from the Real Little Italy

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just like Arthur Avenue, this book is the real deal. It offers up a collection of authentic Italian-American recipes that are perfect for everyday meals and informal entertaining. It sits on my shelf between Patricia Wells and Marcella, having quickly become one of those few cookbooks that I use all the time. The recipes are well-crafted and easy to follow, the dishes unfussy and delicious. It is also a beautifully designed book that captures the flavor and history of Arthur Avenue.

"This is your world, I'm just temporary." So said the waiter at Mario's on Saturday night, misquoting the old line about Sinatra ("It's Frank's world, we're just living in it") as we settled in to a corner booth. We were with two four-and-a-half year-old girls who were capable of timing out at any moment. Not a promising group. Then we remembered: Mario's is family-friendly. And our guilt at taking up valuable table space on a Saturday night melted quickly away.

But then, we weren't in New York City.

There is a Little Italy in Manhattan, and we have been there. So have you, if you've ever been a tourist in New York and have already crossed Times Square off your list. That Little Italy is noisy and friendly and mildly amusing, and if you are lucky enough to pick a restaurant that doesn't get its red sauce from some central pipeline, you can get a decent meal there.

But it doesn't compare to Arthur Avenue.

Arthur Avenue is in the Bronx, near Fordham University and the Zoo. For a Manhattanite, it's a field trip that not many undertake. For the neighborhood's shopkeepers and restaurateurs, it's home --- probably for three generations. And that makes all the difference.

They filmed scenes from "The Godfather" on Arthur Avenue. More recently, "The Sopranos" dropped by. George Bush, Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki shared a pizza here. It's time travel to come to Arthur Avenue: waiters in tuxedos, valet parking and presents --- like "silver" bracelets --- for the kiddies.

Ann Volkwein visited the mom-and-pop shops. She ate in the restaurants. And she talked to everyone. Her book is essentially a profile of a small town in Southern Italy, where businesses stay in families and you look out for your neighbor and there's no better reason to get together than a meal.

Volkwein's profiles, accompanied by Vegar Abelsnes's evocative photgraphs, are a delight; you'll meet great characters. More to the point, you'll learn about the restaurants and the shops so, when you visit, you can have a personal exchange.

But most to the point: the recipes. This is Southern Italian cooking, It lacks the "refinement" of Northern cuisine. And although there are lovely photos of vegetables and a side order of eggplant at any restaurant here will be the size of a flying saucer, you won't find many vegetable recipes in these pages. The buzz words are "hearty" and "authentic" and "carbohydrates."

What recipe to serve up? What else than meat sauce? But imagine it served by a waiter who is not also an actor, a waiter who's going to be wearing that tuxedo for decades. Enjoy!

Having worked in the Bronx for many years, I always knew where the REAL Little Italy was located - on Arthur Avenue. The pictures and stories of the neighborhood in this delightful book bring back wonderful memories of a place that still serves the best Italian food in NYC. The book was given to me as a gift and I have begun working my way through the recipes. All are delightful and not difficult to follow although take longer than some of the trendy cookbooks that purport to share 'geniune' Italian fare. These are not always simple recipes, but always generate wonderful meals. For me taste is everything, so if I have to take a little more time and dirty a few more pots, it's worth it to have that truly geniune Arthur Avenue taste. Brava, brava, Ann!

I ordered this book after seeing it on Food TV. I have baked 3 cookie recipes and made one pasta sauce from this book and they are all superb. As somebody else said, the "real deal". I grew up next door to a lovely Sicilian woman and the pignoli cookies in the book are exactly as she made them. If you have one Italian cookbook, this should be the one.

Great memories, great recipes. Fun book to look through. A must have if you love true Italian cooking.

It's permanently on the counter right next to my WEEKEND BAKER cookbook.

PS: I have to add a negative. In my opinion, a few of the recipes leave out *just a little bit*. I noticed in the pignoli cookies, for example, I believe the instruction should say "beat the egg whites", it does not tell you to do that. I have found the same in another recipe. Just my opinion, but I think there is a little secret keeping. I still recommend this book, there are truly marvelous recipes to be enjoyed.

The Arthur Avenue Cookbook is beautifully put together in every way. The recipes, the photographs, the storyline and the quality of the book itself are absolutely first-rate. The people in this book are completely genuine - there is an honesty about their lives and their livelihoods that jumps from the pages. There are no pretenses here: the recipes do not require a lot of complex sauces or fancy ingredients and there isn't a lot of impressive talk about the celebrities who may have visited these businesses, rather it is a book about ordinary people with extraordinary attitudes about what tastes good. It is all as you would want it - cooking that is straight from the heart, straight from the soul. Bellisimo!!

This is a wonderful book with great recipes and stories. For anyone who had an Italian immigrant arrive in this country through Ellis Island, and especially if their family settled originally in the Bronx, this is a must-have book.

Excellent collection of Italian and Italian-American recipes. Very user friendly and each dish a treat.

For most of my life, a trip to Little Italy meant going to Mulberry Street. Vincent's was always the best NYC restaurant to me, with Umberto's a close second. I also loved all the shops with the Italian items and the very friendly merchants (especially friendly if they know their customer has some Italian blood). I also loved the San Gennaro feast, but could usually never even walk an inch through the thing because of so many people there.

About a year or so ago, I discovered the REAL Little Italy in the Bronx. I've been to The Bronx Zoo and being a die-hard Yankee fan, I've been to River Avenue hundreds of times. I've driven through Arthur Ave but never actually stopped to check things out. I figured, what could top Mulberry Street? I've been to Little Italy in Boston and Baltimore, both of which are not as good as Manhattan. But the Bronx section is better and I proclaim that the Bronx is the best NYC borough overall (I hope to check out City Island soon).

First of all, Manhattan Little Italy is TERRIBLE for parking. You can never find a spot and must park in an expensive garage. Second, as I said, I love San Genarro, but it has become too jammed packed with tourists. In the Bronx you will ALWAYS find a parking spot. Maybe not exactly in front of where you are going, but you will always find one nearby. Plus, it takes me about twenty minutes with no traffic to get to the Bronx by car from North Jersey and it takes well over a half hour to Manhattan. The Bronx has 3 summer feasts, all of which are far less jammed than San Gennarro and just as good. Oh, and did I mention that Umberto's Clam House has opened a second location right on Arthur Ave which is also just as good? So I now have no real reason to venture to Mulberry Street.

But now let me talk about the heart of the area, the real greatness about it, that you don't really have in Manhattan. I'm talking about the smaller neighborhood feel even though there are tons more merchants around. For every 4 social clubs and espresso caffes on Mulberry Street, there are 7 in the Bronx. For every 3 clothing shops, there are about 6 in the Bronx. Same deal with the Italian souviner stores with their movies and music, aprons, cooking stuff, and many other things. There just seems to be so much more, and everything is so much more authentic and not "touristy." But this all doesn't make it more congested at all...

It's so refreshing to enjoy the simple delight of walking up and down 187th Street and Arthur Ave and passing by the Mount Carmel Church and all the bakeries and delis. And you will not be dissapointed with any of the food, I guarantee you that, especially if you are a true goomba. Everything in every place here is special and great just like your grandmother would make. From the clams and calamari to the pasta, pizza, fresh breads and pastries, and everything else, you will love it all. The Arthur Avenue Market is a rare treasure that you don't see anymore with the "Mc Donaldization" of society and all the chain stores and eateries that overrun most of the mom and pop establishments.

I'd highly recommend Joe's Deli for the mozzarella, Full Moon Pizza for the ahbeetz, GianTina's for the chicken parmigian, Umberto's for the baked clams and calamari, Madonia Bros. for delicious baked breads and cookies, and Rigolleto's and Mario's for great food and especially the ambiance. There are so many places that I haven't mentioned. Capri Gifts, the Catholic Goods store, and on and on and on.

Words can't explain the sights, the smells, the feelings and mainly, the TASTE of all the foods. You can try to make the recipes in this book but you won't get the experience that you'd get by visiting the REAL Little Italy on your own. It's been there for a hundred years for so many generations and I hope my kids and grandkids can experience it someday.

Salud' Chindon!

The recipes were excellent but the story of the "Real Liitle Italy" was fantastic. I grew up in this neighborhood as a child and was encouraged to find out that many of the merchants and the character of the area are still in place. Great recipies and even better story. I have not been back for many years , but I will now make an effort to visit when I go back East.

This was bought as a gift. It is a wonderful cookbook and everything went very well. If I had a issue, it was only that it took extremely long for delivery, but that's the only fault I found with this transaction.