Cucina Piemontese: Cooking from Italy's Piedmont [Hardcover]

Maria Grazia Asselle (Author), Brian Yarvin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2005

Cucina Piemontese includes recipes for more than 95 Piedmontese dishes, many of them from the author's family in Piedmont. These classic recipes, accompanied by historical and cultural information, as well as a chapter on regional wines, provide an opportunity to explore this fascinating and increasingly renowned cuisine from an insider's perspective. The simple recipes made with readily available ingredients bring the cucina piemontese home.

Located in the northwest corner of Italy, the Piedmont region is surrounded by the Alps on three sides (the name means "at the foot of the mountains"). For years, it was known more for industry than cuisine, but more recently, it has become recognized for wonderful food and wine. Piedmontese cooking is marked by a reverence for beef, butter, cream, and truffles, as well as humbler ingredients, such as pasta, polenta, and root vegetables. These foods are showcased in this collection of traditional recipes. Beginning with antipasti of Cipolline in Agro Dolce (Sweet-and_sour Onions) or Acciunghe al Verde (Anchovies in Green Sauce), journey throught he region with Tajarin con Sugo Burro e Salvia (Egg Pasta with Butter and Sage Sauce) and Brasato al Vino Rosso (Beef Cooked in Red Wine). Conclude with one of Piedmont's famous desserts, such as Budino delle Langhe (Panna Cotta) and Zuppa Inglese (Ladyfinger Cake). B/W and color photography underscore the beauty and flavor of this cuisine.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Maria Grazia Asselle and Brian Yarvin make their home in Edison, New Jersey and Entraque in Piedmont. A native of Piedmont, Asselle moved to the United States at the age of twenty-five. She hold a PhD in sociology and now works in the business world. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens and on Long Island, Yarvin is a professional photographer and food writer. He is also the author of Hippocrene's Farms and Foods of the Garden State: A New Jersey Cookbook.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 159 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books; illustrated edition edition (December 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781811236
• ISBN-13: 978-0781811231
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Foods from a Lessor Know Region, March 3, 2006

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cucina Piemontese: Cooking from Italy's Piedmont (Hardcover)

It used to be that Italian cooking came in two modes -- pasta with tomato sauce, and pizza (which of course isn't really Italian at all). On my first visit to Milan, I was astounded to find a wide variety of foods that didn't include pasta and tomato sauce. And these new foods were wonderful.

Only in the past twenty years or so have I started to notice that nearly every Italian restaurant has been branching out into the foods of other regions. First, there was just a choice of northern or southern Italian cooking. Now we are beginning to see foods from lesser known regions of Italy coming to the fore.

A good summary of this book comes from the recipie for Sugo di Carne or Meat Sauce. The book says 'If your idea of 'meat sauce' is lots of tomatoes with a little meat, you're not thinking of the Piedmontese version. This sauce has tomato, but it's really about meat.'

This is just one of the ninety five or so recipies included in this little book. They feature more beef, eggs, butter and cream than the more common (in America) Italian foods. This book brings a whole new range of Italian foods to your kitchen.

4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's not a Barbaresco, but ..., May 6, 2006

By 

Eric J. Lyman (Roma, Lazio Italy) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cucina Piemontese: Cooking from Italy's Piedmont (Hardcover)

It's always been puzzling to me why the region I think produces Italy's best wines -- the Piedmont -- was so ordinary (at least by Italy's high standards) when it came to its food. The region does give the world the wonderful gift of delicate and precious white truffles, but aside from that it seemed to be an exercise in heavy beef and stew dishes, unexceptional pastas with butter-based sauces, loads of melted cheese, and a dependence on potatoes and other root vegetables.

I picked up Cucina Piemontese on a recent trip to the Piedmont and while I doubt it will ever make me favor the ristoranti of Turin over the unforgettable osterie of Naples for eating well, it did give me a new appreciation for the cuisine of the Piedmont.

The weak point of the book is that it is short on seductive images for the regions rolling landscape. It could also be cross referenced better, meaning it should be easier to find specific recipes in more different ways -- by the course, by the matching with wine, by the main ingredients, etc. Also, there appears to be a flaw in the binding of the edition I have, though this may be a one-off problem.

In its favor, the recipes seem to be well thought out for preparation at home, and the translation from Italian is not flawless but it appears better than most. The book's real strong point is the context it gives to the region's maligned cuisine. It won't change the way the food tastes, but knowing that a recipe dates back to the royal House of Savoy, or that the cooks in Garibaldi's army favored it does create a new level of appreciation.