Granita Magic: 55 Ices for Every Reason and Every Season--Always the Perfect Thing to Serve [Hardcover]

Nadia Roden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2003

Light, easy, flavor-intense granitas are a great way to begin, refresh, or end any meal. Here's the first book of recipes for this glittering icy treat.

Granita Magic is a collection of innovative sweet and savory sensations that can be made with just a fork, a saucepan, and a little spare space in the freezer. And they can be served at any time of the day. Sauternes granita spooned over fresh peaches is a grand dessert, while cucumber and mint makes an unexpected appetizer. Between courses, red pepper or lemon can refresh the palate. Coffee granita spooned onto a warm brioche is a classic Italian breakfast, while strawberry and champagne is a lovely apertif before brunch.

Accompanying each sparkling recipe are lively and playful designs created by Nadia Roden—an award-winning painter and textile designer as well as an accomplished cook—and inspired by 1950s wallpaper and textile designs and by the ingredients themselves. This charming and original book is a delight to all the senses.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With this adorable if slight book, Roden attempts to make icy granitas the fifth food group. While it's unlikely that they'll earn their own block on the USDA food pyramid, these refreshing concoctions are surprisingly versatile. Flavors include fruits, such as Classic Lemon and exotic Litchi & Lime; there are also vegetable options like Balsamic Red Pepper and Horseradish. Further intriguing combinations include Pistachio & Rose, and Saffron & Honey; alcoholic offerings like a Tequila & Lime granita sound like slushy cocktails. Recipes are simple and somewhat repetitive-many require creating an infusion or syrup before proceeding to the freezing stage. A cunningly designed two-page spread suggests the many ways a granita can be served: chocolate granita as a midnight snack or cucumber & mint granita as an appetizer. Roden (a painter and textile designer, and daughter of Mideastern food expert Claudia Roden) also drew the delightful 1950s wallpaper-inspired illustrations. Her prose is equally winning: "a granita looks and feels like icy snow, it is beautifully colored like glittering sequins, and it can be eaten any time of day" starts off the brief introduction.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

At summer's height, few people crave heavy desserts, but dinner guests always enjoy something fresh and seasonal. Simple granitas, frozen desserts with an appealing icy texture and crunch, fill the bill. As Nadia Roden points out in Granita Magic , there's almost no limit to the combinations of fruits, berries, and other flavorings in these uncomplicated frozen confections. Simple granitas start with fresh fruit or berries, sugar, and water. These are then frozen to a crystalline state, stirred only a few times, not beaten constantly as is ice cream. Beyond the expected raspberry, lemon, orange, and melon granitas lies a world of herb-infused, savory granitas such as horseradish, chile, cucumber, and mint varieties generally meant to be consumed much earlier in a meal's sequence. Other granitas are frozen infusions of herbs such as tea, lavender, and rose petal. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Artisan (May 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579652239
• ISBN-13: 978-1579652234
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,325,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING, EASY TO DO and MADE ME FEEL EXOTIC!, June 22, 2003

By 

duckandgoosemom "drcfrb2" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Granita Magic: 55 Ices for Every Reason and Every Season--Always the Perfect Thing to Serve (Hardcover)

To start, I want to just bathe in or wear this BEAUTIFUL art.
And, the Granitas are astonishing. My friend told me about the book, I didn't think I could do it (I can't take ice cubes out of a tray), but this is simple, festive, makes me feel absolutely fabulous. You can be healthy or add alcohol and still be healthy! Perfect gift - perfect for a weekend with a lover - or perfect for everyday treating-yourself. I'm so impressed and happy with this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Art for life and food for taste, June 4, 2003

By 

B&J "Julian" (Newport, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Granita Magic: 55 Ices for Every Reason and Every Season--Always the Perfect Thing to Serve (Hardcover)

Not only are the recipes in this book imaginative and easy to follow, but the colors and vibrancy of the pictures make it a sheer pleasure to browse through, cook from, have on the coffee table or give as a gift. The vividness of the oranges alone is enough to warm up a room. I look forward to more books from Roden who is obviously someone to watch.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All-Delicious, May 21, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Granita Magic: 55 Ices for Every Reason and Every Season--Always the Perfect Thing to Serve (Hardcover)

An amazing book everything is superb about it, from the fantastic illustrations to the mouth-watering recipes! Everything about this book makes me smile even the vegetables; all the recipes work and are all-delicious. This book appeals to both adults and children, it makes everybody in the family happy and fun.

It is a great book.

Peter