Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy [Perfect Paperback]

Elisabeth Antoine Crawford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2010

Plump gnocchi stuffed with juicy plums and then tossed in browned butter, sugar, and cinnamon? How about pasta filled with dried figs and ricotta, or even chocolate and walnuts? Yes, Italian food is more than just spaghetti, and tiny Friuli–Venezia Giulia—hidden from tourist mobs in Italy’s northeast corner—boasts one of the country’s most distinctive regional cuisines. With influences from Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia, the Friulian people cleverly merge humble, local ingredients with exotic spices from foreign lands, resulting in a cuisine that, while often surprising in its blend of sweet and savory flavors, never ceases to delight the palate. In Flavors of Friuli, Elisabeth Antoine Crawford has compiled eighty of Friuli’s traditional recipes—including frico (Montasio cheese crisps) and gubana (dried fruit and nut spiral cake)—and presents them with clear instructions that any home cook can easily follow.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Instilled with a lifelong passion for Italy, Elisabeth Antoine Crawford chose to explore the cuisine of Friuli–Venezia Giulia after being seduced by her first Friulian dinner of frico and cjalsòns. She subsequently spent the next five years traveling, researching, writing, recipe-testing, and finally, shooting the food photographs for Flavors of Friuli. The book has thus evolved as a synthesis of her greatest passions—cooking, writing, photography, and most of all, Italy. A former modern dancer and Pilates instructor, Crawford is also the author of Balance on the Ball: Exercises Inspired by the Teachings of Joseph Pilates.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Equilibrio (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970371616
• ISBN-13: 978-0970371614
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #775,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Flavors of Friuli": Fantastico! Stupendo!, June 9, 2010

By 

Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell "OhStacy!" (CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy (Perfect Paperback)

I had never heard of Friuli; actually, I do not even know how to pronounce the word. However, after about ten minutes of perusing "Flavors of Friuli," I had an inexorable yen to take the first flight out to the northeastern region of Italy.

Before doing anything rash, though, I will probably synchronize such a trip with one of the unique events or festivals in the region, such as during the Carnevale Muggesano, (begins a week prior to Ash Wednesday) and indulge in a megafrittata, which, as the book states, may be the world's largest frittata, cooked in a giant 13-foot-wide frying pan.

Wow! "Flavors of Friuli" serves the reader a multi-course feast of history, sights, flavors, each dollop of information presented in easy to digest text and a bountiful cornucopia of colorful photographs, as appetizing as the next!

The focal point, to be sure, is food. Elizabeth Antoine Crawford provides nearly 300 pages of culinary fusion that breaks traditions with the customary, pop Italian recipes. In fact, readers will discover one of the most eclectic gastronomic experiences that has transcended from a region influenced by Roman Venetian, Austro-Hungarian and Slavic traditions. Best of all, the author's know-how and "insider's view" give the reader an intimate view of the passionate food-making process and the enchanting people behind it.

From appetizer to dessert, recipes range from simple concoctions, for instance, an asparagus and egg salad, to the more elaborate dishes of, say, a dried fruit and nut spiral cake. It seems, too, that everything is coming up gnocchi! A fact that scores a bonus, since these devilishly good quasi-pasta delights are, in actuality, quite easy to create. One thing to be sure, Ms. Crawford's recipes will surely please the most pernickety palate, and greatly inspire squelching boring fare at the table.

Reading "Flavors of Friuli" is a treasured journey that will stir the senses...get ready to buckle up for a ride to a deliciously distinct destination.

Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell, Author/Book Reviewer/Teacher

CONSUMMATE CONNECTICUT: DAY TRIPS WITH PANACHE

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book!!, May 3, 2010

By 

Dottie Randazzo "Reader of Everything" (Delaware, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy (Perfect Paperback)

Length:: 0:44 Mins

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars delicious, July 19, 2010

By 

sarah - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy (Perfect Paperback)

having just returned from a trip to friuli venezia giulia, I was very excited to do some regional cuisine. This book has fantastic recipes.