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Traditional Italian cooking is the emphasis here, as the author of
Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking guides viewers through a list of standard ingredients (prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, chick peas, and such) and then launches into demonstrations of a series of dishes: frittata, deep-fried artichokes, risotto, veal, and zabaione. While native Italian Giuliano Bugialli continues to be a leading authority on Italian cuisine with his own PBS series, his accent in this 1985 video is quite pronounced, making it occasionally difficult for the unfamiliar ear to decipher instructions. He also has the tendency to stop action and talk at times, which helps account for the 95-minute length. Lists of the ingredients used appear on screen following the completion of each dish, however. And serious cooks will appreciate his grasp of the history behind the food and his thorough explanations of why one method or ingredient is superior to another.
--Kimberly Heinrichs
