Customer Reviews

The Geometry of Pasta

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the full title states, "The Perfect Shape + The Perfect Sauce = THE GEOMETRY OF PASTA," so the talents of book designer Caz Hildebrand + London chef Jacob Kenedy = this terrific book.

Part history-of-pasta and part cookbook, it begins with an overview of pastas (southern Italian peasants' plain semolina to wealthy northerners' incorporation of egg and different starches) and tomato sauces (also varying from light to rich), and the concept of matching the delicacy/sturdiness of a pasta to that of a sauce. And then comes that geometry -- the actual pairings of those shapes and sauces via a 270-page alphabetic encyclopedia of dozens and dozens of pasta shapes, including:

* A short history of each pasta (referencing climate, culture and politics/economics), for example that intricate pastas were made "when housewives had to fill long winter evenings," and the delicate and haughty pastas of the Renaissance, which "specialist nuns would make in their convents";
* A b/w graphic of its shape (see page samples near the book's cover image, above);
* In some cases, recipes for making that shape of pasta at home;
* In all cases, recipes for sauces/fillings suited to that shape;
* Suggestions for other sauces (an Index makes it easy to locate sauce recipes).

I'd expected this book to be glossy and slightly oversized, so was surprised to find it the size and construction of a hardcover novel. While that doesn't sound like a book to be taken into the kitchen and later wiped down, you'll want to do so -- it contains recipes for every level of cook, from quick sauces with a few common ingredients, to sauces involving a dozen ingredients and progressive steps that are mini-tutorials in cooking technique. They include olive oil and/or butter and a wide range of fish, fowl and meat. Most serve 2-4 people as a main course; some serve 6-8 and a few feed a crowd. But even if you're an armchair foodie with little intention of preparing the recipes, this book's design and interesting (even amusing) discussion make it a delightful read.

I have never seen a book like "The Geometry of Pasta" before. A graphic design inspired book about pasta? Black and white, no photographs and yet illustrated artistically and accurately. This book was clearly created by people who care deeply about pasta, who have studied it from all angles and perhaps obsess about it, just a little? Which is not a bad thing!

I tested several of the recipes and for the most part, were wonderful and delicious. I still wonder why recipes like the medium tomato sauce, which clearly the author is not a fan of, were included in the book. Yet it is that honesty and casual approach to the writing I enjoyed immensely.

Although the book may appear clinical, I assure you, it is not. There is personality throughout. I for one will treasure my copy. I have been looking for a book on pasta dishes that range from the simple to the complex. It has the beautiful simple pasta recipe you associate with genius of Italian cooking, yet there are also recipes that use oxtail and rabbit for the more adventurous and bold cook. Either way, there is a lot for everyone to explore and enjoy.

I had an abundance of ripe tomatoes, which I wasn't sure what to do with. After making loads of salsa this summer, I thought I'd try to make my very own fresh tomato sauce, and this book came in very handy for that! I looked for a fresh, simple sauce and decided on the Penne All'arrabbiata (Spicy Tomato Sauce). It was very simple, and had no canned ingredients whatsoever, which was exactly what I wanted. And it was delicious! I can't wait to try another sauce to go with the random types of pasta I have in the cabinet. And I love the funny comments by the author, such as "Best served without cheese in my opinion, rather a drizzle of oil. Some would disagree (they should use pecorino Romano, but given their dubious taste are probably sprinkling Parmesan)."

There is no need for the slick photos most cookbooks are using these days. I think it's very easy to just pick the type of pasta you want, and then there are several recipes for the sauces that will go perfectly with them. Or the other way around. Its design is, likewise, simple and cool-looking. It makes me feel like I look like a serious cook, when I'm really only an amateur.

The book is beautifully presented, however sometimes the illustrations don't work for me as well as a picture would have. The tone is unbelievably snobbish rather than the scholarly one I suspect they were going for. The attitude that you cannot possibly make great pasta from semolina that you get here in the states is just one example. I forged ahead and made cavatelli with cannellini beans according to the recipe and it was delicious. However, I wasn't sure of how thick the cavatelli should be and that's exactly where the illustrations and instructions fail. I found a Youtube clip of an Italian American grandma making them and got the idea. Mine were still a bit too thick, but delicious just the same.

Who knows how many pasta cookbooks have been published- far too many, really. This one is a fresh take, part cookbook, part encyclopedia, with authentic and delicious recipes.

Major types of pastas are listed alphabetically, with a description of , a graphic , some history, and variations and alternate names of the shape. Then, ideal sauce pairings based on the structure of the pasta are suggested.

This is a beautiful cookbook with bold black and white graphics. I very rarely completely recommend a cookbook that does not have full color photos of the completed recipes, but in this case the content is strong enough and the design so eye catching that I do not consider it a drawback .

The book is in black and while, exclusively. There are no photos of the food you are reading about, nor of the recipes you are cooking from. The book DOES, however have an extraordinary WEALTH in information on the forms and kinds of pasta available (or not) to you. The information was easy to read, clear and amazing.

What I loved about reading this was how GREAT and KNOWLEDGEABLE if made me feel at every cocktail and dinner part I have attended this holiday season. Food is very popular talk at these functions and knowing these small and obscure facts made me the "go to", almost the "Martha Stewart" of the soiree.

I also thought the dishes presented have been very good, although I have only cooked maybe 5 so far. But don't think this is the throw-all-you-other-cookbooks-away book. The recipes are PART of this book, not really the focus.

The best take-away from the book is the information you can fall back on when you are standing in front of an obnoxiously-large array of pasta choices at your grocers. Now I don't just stand there and "eaney, meaney, miney, moe" with my eyes closed. I can actually make a decision and it will be delicious.

Patricia

I'm married to an Italian and lived in Italy but my husband claims I still get the wrong shape pasta with the wrong sauce. So I received this book for Christmas.

It is an interesting book in that you always expect these full-color photos of mouthwatering food and here you get all black-and-white and all drawings. Not good or bad, just different.

The recipes are mostly fairly simple but sound great. They give a basic guidance and history on pasta shapes.

My two complaints, through, are 1) the drawings were hard to figure out because they were trying to show you the pasta shape from a couple of angles. I just couldn't figure it out. I did not find it helpful in the least. Here's where a simple drawing the pasta would have helped. If you are not familiar at all with these shapes, it could be a real challenge.

And 2) the authors didn't explain a few basics upfront about pasta shape usage like ridged pasta is created to catch more of the sauce, pasta with curve and cups were created to catch ragu-type sauces (catching the meat, veggies, etc) and why Italian cooks tend to like linguine more than spaghetti for their dishes that call for long pasta (like pesto) because wider pasta has more space for the sauce to cling to (versus the roundness of spaghetti).

A good but not great cookbook.

This cookbook is amazing, especially the lasagne we now have pasta once a week with family and i always cook a new recipe from the book

I find this to be one of the most beautiful food related books that I own or have seen. As a few have noted, this is not for beginners or those who need photographs. Personally, I had no trouble with the lovely black & white pasta renderings. The pasta descriptions are spot on. The recipes are delicious and easy to follow.

This is a good history book and a GREAT cookbook. The premise is simple: the authors artistically cover a great variety of pasta shapes (in alphabetical order for easily finding the one you want) and give a short history of each shape and the region of Italy it comes from.

More importantly, for the shapes that can easily be handmade, there are instructions on how to do so as well as at least one sauce or other plate including the pasta. The authors give suggestions for which sauces pair with which shapes and vice versa, allowing you to experiment with your favorite pasta shape or sauce type as you prefer.

I've had experience making fresh pasta before, so I found the recipes easy to follow (and delicious!). If you've never made pasta before, you'll want to experiment with the more basic recipes first before tackling some of the complex recipes.

Overall this book is a must have if you love pasta. There are a ton of recipes from all over Italy, spanning from soups and broths to lasagne and other main courses.

As an added bonus, the book looks outstanding and can function as a coffee table piece when you're not using it to whip up a nice meal.