A Casa: Seasonal Italian Home Cooking [Hardcover]

Anna Del Conte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

A seasonal guide to Italian home cooking includes fifty complete menus with recipes for 165 authentic Italian meals. By the author of The Italian Pantry. National ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This guide to entertaining by Del Conte ( The Italian Pantry ) outlines, by season and occasion, a number of Italian menus, distinguished by the relaxed attitude and fresh and flavorful dishes of characteristically Italian cooking. While herself a native of the north (Milan), the author skillfully interweaves much of the best of Italy's regions into the book, ending up with a happy balance of interesting--and unusual--recipes, cooking techniques and personal recollections. Some of the outstanding recipes include caponata with chocolate; fish lasagne; tomato, cucumber and pepper salad (for which the onions are marinated in lemon juice and sugar); potato and almond cake; and Christmas "crackers" with ginger custard. Included as well are lighthearted suggestions for theme dinners (e.g., a basil-flavored dinner, a balsamic-vinegar-flavored dinner and a lemon-flavored dinner). Solid directions for from-scratch pasta preparation and polenta, rice and pasta cookery make much of this volume very handy. Unfortunately, while many of the ingredients may be available in Great Britain (where Del Conte now resides), American cooks will be frustrated to find that not all can be had here; the inclusion of truffle paste, for example, demands explanations, substitutions and the recommendation for a U.S. mail-order source.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Del Conte, author of the authoritative Gastronomy of Italy ( LJ 2/15/89) and, more recently, The Italian Pantry ( LJ 3/15/90), offers yet another immensely appealing exploration of the cooking of her homeland, this time concentrating on the food likely to be served by the best home cooks to their families and their guests. This is a menu cookbook, organized by season, for such events as an Alfresco Lunch for Ten or a New Year's Eve Supper. Though Del Conte emphasizes that the dishes are based in tradition and intended to be served family style, many of the recipes are unusual and have their own sophistication; the dishes she includes in a special section of favorite menus are particularly intriguing. Del Conte's style is personal but informed; a welcome counterpoint to the many recent books on Italian novella cucina . Strongly recommended.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 357 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060165243
• ISBN-13: 978-0060165246
• Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 1.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #450,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Italian food is all about, December 26, 2009

By 

Jardiniere (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Casa: Seasonal Italian Home Cooking (Hardcover)

At first glance, you will realize this is no ordinary cookbook. The recipes are arranged by seasonal menus, and there are no pictures of any of the completed dishes. One actually needs to sit down and read this book to get the full scope of its genius. Anna Del Conte gives an essay on each menu and additionally includes tips on advance preparation for each dish. Each dish I have tried is truly sensational. The menus are so very well thought out, that you will be wanting to have guests over to partake this authentic Italian cuisine.

My favorites include Chicken Liver Canapes, Pasta with Chickpeas, Fish Lasagne, Leek and Rice Torta, Baked Ziti with Eggplant, Beet Salad with Grapefruit and Watercress, Eggplant Canneloni, Roast Stuffed Turkey, Venison Stew with Onions . . . I could go on and on. I've had this book for over 10 years, and it is invaluable. There are, no doubt, flashier Italian cookbooks on the market, but this one is the only one you will need.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Italian Home Cooking, March 23, 2011

By 

Kate Runyan "katethecook" (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Casa: Seasonal Italian Home Cooking (Hardcover)

Some wonderful recipes, I made and really enjoyed the tomato and Carrot Soup. This book is really worth having on serious cook's bookshelf, as it's loaded with good recipes.