Italian Family Cooking: Unlocking A Treasury Of Recipes and Stories [Hardcover]

Father Giuseppe Orsini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2000

Father Joseph Orsini, a retired Catholic priest, has found his second calling in the kitchen. In this book, he shares his love of food and family with delicious recipes and delightful anecdotes.

With chapters arranged to coincide with the courses of a formal Italian dinner- antipasti (appetizers), ministre (soups), pasta with an astounding variety of sauces, risotti (rice dishes), secondi piatti (main courses), and desserts-- this book is a rare combination of Old and New World recipes for such exciting and mouth-watering dishes as portobello mushrooms in garlic and wine sauce, linguine with mussels Calabrian style, pasta pizza, Roman roast leg of lamb, genuine eggplant parmigiana, and the ever popular roast stuffed turkey. In addition, because of the hurried and harried lives that most of us lead today, Father Orsini has included snappy, delicious, and practical recipes that make good use of the microwave oven.

This cookbook is designed to be read as one would read a short story-- from beginning to end. The reader can skip the recipes and gain enjoyable historic and cultural facts about Italy. For example, Father Orsini gives a brief account of the development of Italian cuisine after the voyages of Columbus, as well as delightful histories of common vegetables and popular foods, such as tomatoes, potatoes, beans, corn, turkey, and chocolate. He also includes tips for cooking the perfect pasta, general hints for the Italian kitchen, and a list of common ingredients and terms used in Italian cooking.

Once again, Father Orsini has written a charming book that will feed your mind as well as your body. You will enjoy reading this book, and your family and friends will appreciate the delicious meals you prepare by following these recipes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Asserting that food must nurture both body and soul, retired Catholic priest Orsini (Father Orsini's Italian Kitchen) celebrates the family values inherent in food by prefacing each of his delicious recipes with a short, food-related anecdote about his family and friends. He says he first tried Chicken Breasts Venetian Style, for example, after he almost lost his mother in an Italian train station, and that his friend has turned Pork Crown Roast Italian Style into a New Year's tradition. Most of the recipes here are for pasta dishes, including more than a dozen easily made in the microwave, such as Egg Noodles in Tuna Sauce and Spaghetti with Stuffed Chicken Rolls. Among Orsini's more unusual offerings are a Simple Pesto for Pasta, Fish and Eggs that uses neither garlic nor pine nuts and a substantial Pasta Pizza with rotelle as one of the toppings. Although Regis Philbin, here serving as an American Heart Association spokesperson, provides the foreword and Orsini suggests substitutions to reduce fat and cholesterol content, many dishes are seriously laden with cream and cheese. Orazio's Pasta in Vodka Sauce contains a quart of heavy cream, while Mashed Potato Pie calls for six tablespoons of butter and two cups of Parmesan cheese. (Among the healthier ingredients the author recommends are the canned tomatoes and pasta made by his own company, Father Joe's Italian Specialties.) Nonetheless, Orsini's combination of big-hearted stories and hearty fare should please fans of traditional Italian cooking. (May)

Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Orsini is a retired Catholic priest who has found a second career as a cookbook author. His third book offers a collection of homestyle Italian recipes, many of them form his family and friends; the pasta chapter, in fact, is devoted to recipes he gathered from members of his extended family. Italian cookbooks abound, and most of these recipes are for familiar dishes. For libraries where the author's earlier books have been popular.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (July 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312242255
• ISBN-13: 978-0312242251
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #737,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring real Italian cooking into the American kitchen, April 2, 2000

By 

Robert L. Dobson "BobTheAirbrushStudent" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Italian Family Cooking: Unlocking A Treasury Of Recipes and Stories (Hardcover)

Father Joseph Orsini brings the true flavor of traditional Italian cooking into the American kitchen with this work. This book is unquestionably for anyone and everyone, especially those who think Italian dining means just spaghetti and meatballs. And don't believe that the recipes contained herein are difficult to duplicate. He even gives low fat alternatives for those who are cautious of their fat intake (without sacrificing flavor, I might add). This book would be a bargain at twice the price.

20 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REAL Italian cooking here, April 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Italian Family Cooking: Unlocking A Treasury Of Recipes and Stories (Hardcover)

The Orsini's have captured the reality of Italian cooking that few others can master.

What some of the more glamorous books on the market neglect to impress upon their readers is the purpose of good cooking, be that Italian or otherwise. Such purpose is the pride that can only come from serving others. And who could know that better than Father Orsini?

That is shown with the style of this book's writing alone. The writing and detail of process show what purpose great cooking can give others.

There is a bit of a renaissance in Italian culture of late, and especially in its cooking. (Although it has never left us in order to be _reborn_!) Too many authors seem to be observers of the craft, and they present what they have seen in such a way that one could duplicate such efforts. But what most professional cooks and authors fail to observe and document is the mood - the feel, of great cultural cooking. And that mood is family, whether they be blood relatives or close friends. Italian cooking is about showing love to friends and family. And the Orsini's know this.