Gusto Italiano: Quick and Simple Vegetarian Cooking [Hardcover]

Ursula Ferrigno (Author), Jason Lowe (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2001

Drawing on what the author herself cooks at home, Gusto Italiano offers a wide range of delicious meatless meals for both the vegetarian and the carnivore who wants a break from routine. The book is organized by food type: pasta, rice, beans, vegetables, salads, breads, and fruits and nuts. Each section features an informative introduction touching on everything from Italian culinary history to personal anecdotes to practical tips and tricks. Stressing the freshest ingredients, each of the 125 recipes is preceded by the author's comments about ingredients and advice on how to simplify and improve the cooking process. 130 stunning location photos complete the book.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bay Books (CA) (March 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579595138
• ISBN-13: 978-1579595135
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,425,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a fine, beautiful book, November 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Gusto Italiano: Quick and Simple Vegetarian Cooking (Hardcover)

I use this book frequently. The pictures are beautiful and the recipes delicious. I have not had anything out of this book that I did not like. A previous reviewer claims that this is not a vegetarian book because it is not vegan. That is opinion, don't go by that review! The author points out that vegetarian cheeses are available. My only issue with this book is that many of the recipes are high in fat and there is no nutritional analysis. Otherwise, when I am not counting calories, I love this book!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent cookbook - and it's vegetarian!, July 11, 2003

By 

"sarasarah7" (Boston MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gusto Italiano: Quick and Simple Vegetarian Cooking (Hardcover)

What great recipes! And the hints and suggestions at the bottom of each recipe really add to the book.

And the photography in this book is stunning - I've seen that word used too often, including in the description here on amazon.com, but it really does fit this book.

And it IS a vegetarian cookbook. The reviewer who panned it for not being vegetarian needs to make the distinction between vegetarian and vegan. I am a vegetarian, and it's hard to find recipes for such dishes as risotto (like the great ones in this book!) that don't depend on chicken stock. The risotto section in this book starts off with a recipe for the vegetable stock that is used in all the risotto recipes - perfect!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a book worth having, December 29, 2006

By 

synchrony (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gusto Italiano: Quick and Simple Vegetarian Cooking (Hardcover)

the author gives vignettes of italian life, not just italian food. the sections preceding each chapter are a great read all by themselves. the recipes by themselves are quite simple and easy to follow, and the empahsis is on the freshness and quality of ingredients.

the pictures are wonderful too. the one "turn-off" for me, if you may call it that, was the copious amounts of fat in each recipe, in the form of oil, butter, cream and cheese. that said, it doesn't claim to a low-fat book. the recipes are authentic and very satisfying to the tastebuds.