Foods of Sicily and Sardinia and the Smaller Islands [Paperback]

Giuliano Bugialli (Author), John Dominis (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2002

In paperback for the first time, this gloriously illustrated culinary tour through the islands of Southern Italy is a real delight. The extraordinarily talented Giuliano Bugialli delights us with recipes, anecdotes and history of the food of this storied region. With direct lineage from ancient times, the food of Sicily and Sardinia, and their small neighbors Elba, Giglio, Capri, and Ischia is a study of history itself. Beautifully photographed on location, delicious regional dishes are framed with a rich visual background of ancient ruins, old cities, and rugged landscapes. Special picture stories highlight the culture of the islands: the Vucciria, Palermo's raucous food market, tuna fishermen plying the Sicilian coast, baking of Carta da Musica, a bread enjoyed over the centuries, and the traditional brick oven.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Charting watery frontiers of authentic Italian cuisine, Bugialli (The Foods of Tuscany) island-hops to observe ancient Roman culinary traditions steeped in encounters with Greek, Phoenician, French, Spanish and other historic trespassers. The galvanic flavors retrieved justify his every stopover. Claiming that Sicily and Sardinia boast Italy's most varied antipasti, Bugialli offers Swordfish or Tuna Marinated in Aromatic Herbs (lemon verbena, mint, basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano and capers) and Grilled Eggplant in Salmoriglio, a sauce of anchovies, garlic, rosemary and sage. Sicilian Pesto fuses tomatoes, almonds, garlic, basil, parsley and mint. On the tiny island of Favignana, he finds Pasta Baked in a Squid. Some dishes specify homemade pasta, which may scare off many home cooks; Polenta with Sausages, Sardinian Style, asks for 55 minutes of pot-stirring, a long stretch even for old polenta hands. But simple recipes, like Fava Bean Soup with spinach and pancetta or prosciutto, are also offered. Lemon-Flavored Ossobuco with Cannellini Beans from Elba is particularly seductive, as is Chicken with Hot Green Peppers. Expectedly, seafood dishes excel with dishes like Shrimp in Tomato/Caper Sauce and Fresh Tuna in Savory Vinegar Sauce. So too do vegetables (String Beans in Garlic Sauce; Savory Squash Torte). Breads include Sardinia's classic Carta da Musica (Music Paper Bread). Dominis's lush photos portray the islands, their marketplaces and traditions with remarkable immediacy.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Although the cooking of Sicily has been well documented, the cuisine of Sardinia and the other islands belonging to Italy hasn't received equal attention. Bugialli helps rectify that situation in his newest book. Lavishly illustrated, as one expects from a product of the house of Rizzoli, the book may be too beautiful to take into a working kitchen, but Bugialli's careful attention to the recipes makes that less likely. All island cooking spotlights coastal seafood, and these isles are no exception. Bugialli emphasizes commonly available fish, such as tuna and swordfish, making the recipes more accessible to those outside Italy. Pasta and meat dishes also abound here. For the bibulous, Bugialli offers instructions for producing lemoncello, the currently fashionable liqueur. An appendix contains a useful table of ingredient names rendered in English, standard Italian, Sardinian, and Sicilian. Mark Knoblauch --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (October 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847825027
• ISBN-13: 978-0847825028
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.9 x 12 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense, clean, honest flavors - and almost dairy-free!, September 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Foods of Sicily & Sardinia and the Smaller Islands (Hardcover)

My household is full of eaters who are allergic to dairy products - but are Italian and love Italian food. Bugialli's book on Sardinian cooking saved the day. This book lets US-based cooks, using common (or easy to find) ingredients, create authentic Italian dishes that taste wonderful and are virtually dairy-free. The desserts section, of course, relies fairly heavily on dairy products. But the flavors provided by the main courses are so intense and clean, you can skip dessert and still be completely satisfied. Grazie, Signor Bugialli

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous Cookbook with Wonderful Recipes, August 9, 2005

By 

Kyra_Athena "Kyra_Athena" (Georgia USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Foods of Sicily & Sardinia and the Smaller Islands (Hardcover)

This cookbook is stunning. It is done in the oversized format with lots of pictures and details. Mr. Bugialli gives information about the food and the people. I think I went through this book 2-3 times just looking at it and reading it before I even looked at the recipes. Good stuff in here, especially if you like seafood. (What else would people on an island eat?)Some of the items may be difficult, if not impossible to find, but he gives easy substitutions for most of them.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible!, July 30, 2002

By 

Toshiaki Okuma (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Foods of Sicily & Sardinia and the Smaller Islands (Hardcover)

If you are familiar with the Sardinian area and the food of the land, you will LOVE this book. It is beautifully written and the pictures will astound you. Take the time to buy and enjoy this book, you'll have it for a long time.