Dolci: Italy's Sweets [Hardcover]

Francine Segan (Author), Ellen Silverman (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2011

Join Francine Segan on a virtual tour of Italy with more than 125 recipes for cookies, cakes, pastries, frozen confections, and more. Favorites such as Cannoli and Zuppa Inglese are featured along with unusual regional specialties such as Licorice Granita and Chocolate Eggplant. In addition to beloved classics and traditional holiday fare, readers will find contemporary sweets enjoyed by Italians today—including a light and luscious “updated” Tiramisù that does not use raw eggs. Segan brings each recipe to life, introducing the countless cooks from whom she learned them: Italian grandmothers and young foodies, pastry chefs and bakery owners, food writers and internationally renowned sweets manufacturers. A chapter on after-dinner drinks rounds out this ultimate, comprehensive guide.

Praise for Dolci:

“Italian home cooks seem to have a savant-like talent for elevating humble staples such as fresh fruit, nuts and cocoa to elegant heights. Their gift: knowing when an ingredient is at its peak and being unafraid to let its singular virtues shine. Evidence of that talent is on every page of Dolci: Italy’s Sweets, a new cookbook by food historian Francine Segan that brings together a canon of authentic recipes collected from the people who really use them”

—The Wall Street Journal

“Full-page color photos and an elegant design make this a great contender for a gift book. A swoon-worthy title for those with a sweet tooth and open to expanding their dessert repertoire.”
 —Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Francine Segan is a food historian and the author of four cookbooks, including The Opera Lover’s Cookbook, a James Beard and IACP award finalist. She is Food and Home editor for bettyconfidential.com. Segan lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang; 1 edition (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158479898X
• ISBN-13: 978-1584798989
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Guide to Italian Sweets September 24, 2011

By V. Gravina

Format:Hardcover

Francine Segan's DOLCI: ITALY'S SWEETS is a beautiful, illustrated collection of authentic Italian dessert recipes. With this book as a guide, Segan takes you on a tour of Italy with recipes for cookies, cakes, pastries, pudding, frozen confections and more from all regions of Italy.

An added bonus of this book is the added facts, history and anecdotes from the author's travels that go along with each recipe. When I researched Segan more, I found that she is a food historian who lectures across the country on dining through different time periods and cultures. For this book, she collected recipes from the people who really use them - homemakers, chefs, bloggers and even grandmas in villages so remote that they didn't even have Internet!

The recipes are simple and easy to follow, with most ingredients available at major grocery stores in the United States. On page 203 there is an "online source for ingredients" that lists a wide range of sources for all sorts of Italian products, chocolates, cookies and more.

Some of my favorite recipes for fall: Rustic Tuscan Apple Cake (I made this two nights ago and it was a fan favorite in my house), Winter Fruit Salad, Instant Chocolate Cake and Hazelnut Chocolate Kiss Cookies.

The final chapter, "Basics" is ideal for the at home cook who seeks instructions on making dessert sauces, jams and even pie crusts. Although not a tradition in my home, there is also a chapter dedicated to "After Dinner Beverages" if you are looking for coffee liqueur drinks and espresso.

This is a great cookbook to give as a holiday gift. I plan to make some of the desserts from the "holiday chapter" at my own dinner, especially the Pandoro Christmas Tree Cake. Ciao!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yummy deserts for the weight conscious September 24, 2011

By Adrianne Lobel

Format:Hardcover

Francine Segan is a guru of good and interesting cooking especially from Italy. She is also an outspoken member of weight watchers and has combined her love of food with an awareness of healthy living. In " Dolci" she has found easy and healthful recipes that won't add too much to your girth but will satisfy any gourmand's sweet tooth. Can't wait to dig in. Adrianne

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ...dal sempliche al fantastico..... October 14, 2011

By Theresa M. Cunningham

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

"From the simple to the fantastic"

I received my copy of this wonderful book by Francine Segan about a week ago and have been baking up a storm, much to my family's delight. There are so MANY recipes in here that I remember from huge family dinners around the tables of cherished Zia's and my Nona. These recipes have the authentic flavors that I remember from my childhood, some of which which I thought were lost to me forever!

There is real artistry in the way these recipes are presented, with quirky/fun Italian quotes sprinkled liberally throughout the pages. This book is a wonderful journey of Italian kitchens from north to south. The author not only describes what regions of Italy that the recipe is from, but often gives a description of the meaning behind the name of the recipe, and/or how the recipe was traditionally used.

There is something for everyone in here, from the most simple breakfast breads, cakes and biscotti, to the wonderfully complex "peaches" which I remember from family weddings. There are also recipes included for ingredients which MAY be a little more difficult to find, check the international food section in your grocery store, or your local Italian spec. shop; or make it with the recipe in the book like Nona would have! ie..alchermes which is a spiced liquor required for a few recipes. There is no reason NOT to try something wonderful and new.

If you love to create wonderful desserts for your family dinner table, and you love the flavors of traditional Italian sweets, this book is an absolute must for your collection!