Lidia's Italy: 140 Simple and Delicious Recipes from the Ten Places in Italy Lidia Loves Most (Hardcover)

by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (Author), Tanya Bastianich Manuali (Author)
Key Phrases: beef braised, truffle butter, beef goulash, Recommended Equipment, Grana Padano, San Marzano (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Who better to take fans on a culinary tour of Italy, than Lidia Matticchio Bastianich? Her new cookbook, Lidia's Italy (a companion to her new public television series of the same name) covers "ten places in Italy Lidia loves most": Istria, Trieste, Friuli, Padova and Treviso, Piemonte, Maremma, Rome, Naples, Sicily, and Puglia. In addition to 140 simple and delicious recipes, Lidia's Italy also offers a short introduction to each locale, featuring cultural treasures not to be missed (as defined by Lidia's daughter and coauthor, Tanya). For the cook as well as the armchair traveler, Lidia's Italy is a rich and satisfying gastronomic journey through Italy. --Daphne Durham

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An Exclusive Video Message from Lidia

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10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Q: What new recipes, tips, and lessons do you have to share in Lidia's Italy? Did you learn anything new while creating this book and the series?
A: There is so much in the Italian culinary tradition, that it amazes me. Every time I go back to Italy and visit another corner, I learn dozens upon dozens of recipes. And today's consumer is ever more educated about food. Cookbook readers want to be challenged by a recipe, and hence recipes that were once considered too traditional, such as "Bigoli" pasta from the Veneto or "Antico Peposo" braised beef with crushed peppercorns, from Maremma, are sought out today.

Q: What was it like to collaborate with your daughter Tanya to write this book?
A: For me to share and collaborate with my children is the greatest reward as a mother and a business woman. To have my children follow my passion and build upon it with their knowledge, spirit and passion affirms to me that they understand and appreciate my art and passion and want to carry on the tradition. My daughter’s passion for and knowledge of Italian art history is a natural compliment to Italian food and life. It is Italy!

Q: How did you start cooking and when did you know it was your calling?
A: I always loved being around food. I loved preparing and cooking it, as well as growing and producing it. As a child, I helped my grandma Rosa tend her garden, feed the animals and prepare the vegetables, eggs and cheeses to sell at market. I would also stay by her side when she cooked, helping her knead bread and make pasta and gnocchi. For me, touching and preparing food always felt good. I can still recall the silkiness of the pasta dough she made and strive for that texture when I make pasta at home and at my restaurants. Being introduced to food at a very young age, and carrying these culinary traditions with me, I'm sure had a great deal to do with my chosen profession.

Q: What is your favorite dish?
A: I do not have one favorite dish. That is like asking me which is my favorite child. I love them all the same, but for different reasons, and at different times. But if I were stranded on a deserted island, give me pasta for the rest of my life and I would be happy.

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Italy with Lidia
We asked Lidia to share her favorite itineraries for a few locales from her book, including Piedmont, Friuli, and Florence. Enjoy!

Piedmont for Wine Lovers
Day 1: Journey through the magnificent rice fields, stopping to visit and have lunch with a producer in Vercelli to learn more about where the essential ingredient for risotto is grown, then slowly move into the hills of Piedmont known as the Langhe and Roero. Spend the afternoon wandering the streets of Alba. In the early evening depart for a visit to the Castle of Barolo for a tour and tasting in its dungeon cellar. Dinner is best at the nearby Locanda del Borgo Antico where the husband and wife team of Massimo and Luciana serve up top-notch Piedmontese food in their home.
Day 2: Tuesday is market day in Dogliani and affords the opportunity to experience a local Piedmontese market. Piedmont is well known for its many types of cheese. Occelli Agrinatura produces some of the best. This morning see their production and taste some of their exquisite products. Continue your morning with a visit to the cantina of a local Barolo producer. Lunch at the country restaurant Rosa dei Vini is fabulous, where locals enjoy authentic home-style meals. In the afternoon return once again to Alba for a dinner drink with the locals in its very active bars and find a good local place to delight in the capital of the truffle.
Day 3: Up at the crack of dawn, out with the dogs, embark upon a truffle hunt. Find a local trattoria and have lunch with the hunters and in the afternoon enjoy the sweeping vistas from the hill town of La Morra. Don't miss dinner at the charming La Contea. With the fire ablaze, Tonino keeps the atmosphere hopping and the food coming.
Day 4: This morning head to the city of Asti and enjoy strolling through the city. For lunch visit the local restaurant near the Braida Estate with a tasting of their production. In the afternoon sit in a piazza and enjoy the local production of Asti Spumante which has earned a bad reputation in the United States, but which has some excellent production in recent years.
Day 5: Depart this morning for the Saluzzo area outside of Torino to see one of the most magnificent fresco cycles in Italy in the Castello della Manta, where nine heroes and nine heroines await your arrival in courtly fashion in fresco. Have lunch in the charming town of Saluzzo and arrive in Torino in the early afternoon. Save the rest of the day for shopping or to experience the wonderful coffee houses that Torino is famous for.
Day 6: This morning learn about and visit the residences of the Kings of Italy: the magnificent Racconigi Castle a short distance outside of Torino and the palatial residence in the city of Torino. In the evening have your farewell dinner at La Prima Smarrita where owner and chef Moreno awaits your arrival.

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Friuli
Day 1: Arrive in Trieste and check into the Duchi d'Aosta hotel. Start a historical walk through Trieste starting in Pza. Unita and heading for the canal that ends with the Church of San Antonio. Enjoy an evening drink the Pza. Unita` as the sun sets out on the water and head to Trattoria da Giovanni for a lively dinner.
Day 2: This morning we will depart for the Friulian countryside to visit the production of the important Montasio cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele. Lunch should be at the renowned Subida in the hills near the Slovenia border. After lunch visit the star shaped city of Palmanova, walk around and stay for dinner.
Day 3: This morning wear comfortable shoes and begin your walk in Trieste by stopping at the roman amphitheater. Keep heading up hill for the Cathedral of San Giusto with the uneven façade and wonderful reliefs. Have lunch in the Carso hills at Savron and then continue towards Muggia and leave time to walk around the picturesque port and old Venetian town of Muggia followed by dinner in one of the regions best restaurants, Risorta.
Day 4: This morning depart for Grado and Aquilea, important centers for Early Christian history. Visit the Churches of S. Eufemia and S. Maria delle Grazie in Grado followed by lunch at Androna. Then continue to Aquilea where the Basilica holds some of the most important and magnificent early Christian mosaics. Return to Trieste in the late afternoon where the evening should be spent relaxing after such a busy day.
Day 5: This morning depart for Cividale del Friuli where you should visit the Museo Archeologico and the Tempietto Longobardo. Have lunch in the countryside at la Frasca before heading to the city of Udine where you should visit the Duomo and the Oratorio della Purita. Stop and see the quaint towns of Gemona and Venzone before heading back towards.
Day 6: This morning have a walking tour of Trieste famous for its pastries and coffee houses. Be sure to visit Caffe degli Specchi and La Bomboniera. In the afternoon visit the very moving site of San Saba, a concentration and refugee camp during World War II, now a museum. On the sade side outside of town, you can also visit the Illy coffee factory.

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Florence
Day 1: You should visit the religious and civic centers of 14th and 15th century Florence. The Duomo or Cathedral is crowned with an engineering masterpiece, Brunelleschi's dome. Brunelleschi devised a system of pulleys and weights, chose his building materials and constructed a double dome, all the while looking to the Pantheon for inspiration, to create what was Italy's largest dome. Inside the Cathedral one will find the tombs and frescoes that decorate the interior, from famous figures on horse back to the elevating frescoes decorating the interior of the dome by Giorgio Vasari. At the Palazzo Vecchio, there are the unfinished frescoes by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo that were to decorate the walls. Then head to the first town hall and later prison, the Bargello, a museum that now houses sculpture by some of the Renaissance's most important artists such as Donatello and Michelangelo. Donatello's courageous St. George and Michelangelo's inebriated Bacchus are the highlights. For lunch, keep it light because you should head to Fabio Picchi's Cibreo tonight for dinner!
Day 2: This morning head to Florence's central market, the San Lorenzo market where you'll see specialties of the Tuscan gastronomic repertoire. Right around the corner is the church of San Lorenzo that contains Medici masterpiece tombs by Michelangelo. Michelangelo's muscular and overbearing figures appearing to be sliding off the tombs of Dukes Giuliano and Lorenzo, in their faces shadows of deep significance, the meaning of which scholars today are still uncertain of. Next door is the jewel like family chapel by Benozzo Gozzoli in the palace. After lunch, visit one of the world's finest art collections, the Uffizi Gallery, to see works by Lippi, Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo, among others followed by a visit through the Vasari corridor which was used to connect the Uffizi gallery (or Medici offices) the their residence, the Pitti Palace.
Day 3: This morning depart for the Chianti region and stop at Tuscany's most famous butcher, Dario Checchini, who butchers while singing or reciting Dante's Inferno. Visit the vineyard and cavernous cellars of Monsanto where the Bianchi family will greet you and allow you to taste their wines. Afterwards, visit the terracotta production center of Impruneta, where terracotta has been made since medieval times, and visit an artisan production of terracotta garden pots and wares.
Day 4: Depart this morning for San Gimignano, the town of towers, and for Colle Val D'Elsa, the largest crystal production in Europe, where artisans blow one of a kind crystal in a traditional fashion, a profession that has been passed on from generation to generation. Have lunch at the acclaimed Da Arnolfo and then continue onto Siena, the financial capital of medieval Italy. Visit the Palazzo Pubblico, outside of which the Sienese perform the traditional Palio horse race, and inside of which the Madonna reigns supreme. Marvel at the famous Guidoriccio fresco with its controversial attribution to Simone Martini, the Lorenzetti Good and Bad Government frescoes, and Simone Martini's Maesta'. Then head up the hill to the religious center of Siena, the Cathedral complex, and marvel at one of the most stunningly beautiful masterpieces of the Renaissance, the Piccolomini Library. Then head to the campo square and enjoy a gelato while watching the Sienese meet and their children play.
Day 5: Enjoy your last day in Florence. Head over to the museum of Orsanmichele in the morning to see the original statues by Ghiberti and Donatello and peak into the wonderful building that used to be a marketplace but now is a church. For lunch, enjoy a bowl of ribollita or pappa al pomodoro at one of the trattorias on Borgo San Jacopo. Then head up to Fiesole-up above Florence where the rich and famous live. Have a drink on the terrace of the Villa San Michele while overlooking the Duomo by Brunelleschi. Then enjoy a light dinner inside.

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Lidia's Must-Have Cookbooks

The Fine Art of Italian Cooking

The Silver Spoon

Ultimate Pasta

Marcella's Italian Kitchen

Molto Mario

See all of Lidia's must-have cookbooks

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From Publishers Weekly
Surely one of the secrets to Lidia Bastianich's success as a television personality is the high quality of her companion books. Bastianich's never seem like mere collections of stills from the show; they impart new information and are full of dishes even dedicated Italophiles may not know, such as Gnocchi Ravioli with Sausage-Spinach Filling and Sage Pudding. However, the concept for her latest show, and as a result this eponymous book, feels slightly haphazard. While Bastianich is to be applauded for overlooking the obvious Tuscan targets like Florence to concentrate instead on the region's less well-known natural beauty in the Maremma area with its mammoth national park, her "places" are inconsistent. They include single cities (Padova and Treviso) and whole regions (Piedmont). And while Bastianich's native Istria offers alluring specialties such as Fresh Pasta Quills with Chicken Sauce, it makes an odd subject for an opening chapter, since it is no longer part of Italy. Bastianich's daughter and coauthor, who runs an Italian tourism company, suggests a handful of sites to visit in each location, be it Spaccanapoli in Naples or a Cistercian abbey 35 miles outside of Turin. Bastianich is probably incapable of creating a truly bad book—the recipes are as functional as they are tempting—but this all-over-the-boot offering is not her best. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 364 pages
• Publisher: Knopf (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400040361
• ISBN-13: 978-1400040360
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,059 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another masterpiece from Lidia, May 17, 2007

By	Toni "the bookworm" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Without a doubt, another fine labor of love and respect of Italian cooking from our Lidia. Knowing where to begin to describe this voluminous compilation of culinary joy is difficult, in that there is much to tell. Allow me to begin with its intention.

Lidia has covered 10 regions within the cultural offerings of her beloved Italy, and while she gives the reader a gastronomic tour, her lovely daughter, Tanya, gives the historical tour, which was an excellent melting of the two grand reasons to appreciate this culture. To be sure, Tanya has a Ph.D of Renaissance history from Oxford University, and you come away with a deeper appreciation of Italy and the recipes that her mother has offered.

This rather heavy book has superb photography of prepared dishes, ingredients in the raw, spectacular views of the Italian countryside, as well as some of the charming people that she has known along the way, and along the years. Perhaps this is something of a "family" album, if you will.

The regions covered are Istria, Trieste, Friuli, Padova and Treviso, Piemonte, Maremma, Rome, Naples, Sicily, and Puglia. In beginning each regional chapter, Lidia begins with a listing of the recipes contained within, then gives her own little introduction to the territory. As she presents each recipe, she gives another small introduction that will either give a sort of educational mention, or perhaps a cooking hint. At the end of the chapter, Tanya brings it to a close with "Tanya's Tour" in which she breaks down the region with specific areas of interest and notables, and gives the reader an incredible short education of history and information.

There are 140 recipes within this tome, and they are covered within the seven categories of:

APPETIZERS
SOUPS
SALADS, SIDE DISHES, and CONDIMENTS
PASTAS AND RISOTTOS
FISH AND SEAFOOD
MEAT and POULTRY
DESSERTS

It would be a much longer review if I mentioned each specific recipe, but I believe it would suffice to say that, knowing Lidia and her passion for the true art of culinary creations, they would all be delicious. Besides, I am sure that you could find someone for each dish who would be most grateful for your labor of love, courtesy of Lidia. Having purchased all of her books, I have been most pleased to serve so many of her dishes to very happy guests, and never have I been disappointed. Lidia herself has degrees in food chemistry and such, so her fountain of knowledge is backed with science as well as love of this artform.

And to add a final note, a listing of the dishes made on her new PBS series, "Lidia's Italy", is presented at the end of the book, listing the recipes made on each show and from which region they come. You are also given her sources for some of the fine foods she uses, which include stores and websites.

As our grand dame of Italian culinary creations always tell us, "tutti a tavola per mangiare". Ciao!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I just thought I was a good cook!, May 14, 2007

By	P. Thompson "Auntie Social" (Conroe, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been considered a good cook for most of my life. Mama Lidia has increased one of my best qualities, exponentially. To be watching one of her PBS shows, with the cookbook that accompanies it on my knee, is empowering. Lidia would be the ideal way for a beginner cook to get off to a spectacular start. But be warned! Once you feed people you can't get rid of them. What your Mother told you about stray puppies and kittens applies to people too.

75 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Culinary Travelogue and PBS Tie-in. Buy It., April 16, 2007

By	B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

`Lidia's Italy' by PBS Italian Cooking teacher extraordinare, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and daughter, Tanya Bastianich Manuali, is another entry in one of those `little trends' in cookbooks which swirl about in eddies running off the greater currents of national cuisines (Italian, French, Mexican, Spanish, Thai, you name it), regional cuisines (mostly Italian, Spanish, and American), fast cooking (Rachael Ray and company), grilling, low carb, and what have you.

This mini-genre deals with personal tours of culinary highlights through various venues in Italy. The two earlier heavyweights in this recent trend are `Biba's Italy' by notable restauranteur and cookbook writer, Biba Caggiano and `jamie's italy' by `The Naked Chef', Jamie Oliver. Both books impressed me, but for somewhat different reasons. Caggiano gave us the insider's catalogue of recipes for great classic Italian dishes, while the effervescent Oliver gives us the brilliant outsider's enthusiasm for seeing Italian cuisine with fresh eyes. Bastianich's book is naturally more similar to `Biba's Italy', since both are professional cooks who were born and raised in Italy. All three are great foodie books, but Bastianich's book appeals to me over Caggiano for three reasons. But before I get into these, let me give you the lay of the land in `Lidia's Italy'.

While Mama Lidia does the culinary tour of ten (10) of her favorite venues, daughter Tanya, a highly educated guide of cultural tours through Italy does verbal snapshots of historical and artistic places of interest at each of these venues. I will not address Tanya's contribution except to say that while it did add value to the book, it does not contribute much to my appreciation. It may have had a bigger impression on me if pictures of the sites were included. For me, this book is primarily about the recipes of these regions.

The ten regions are:

Istria, the peninsula east of Venice and Lidia's ancestral home, which is now part of Croatia
Trieste, the Italian city at the northern end of the Adriatic, which for centuries belonged to Austria/Hungary
Friuli, the center of the second most interesting culinary venue in Italy, after Emilia-Romagna
Padova and Treviso, inland from the city of Venice
Piedmonte, with the cities of Turia and Alba, near France, and `truffle central' for the world.
Maremma, in southern Tuscany, the site of the Bastianich' newest vineyard.
Rome, the traditional slaughterhouse of Italy, and `artichoke central'.
Naples, which needs no introduction to American lovers of Italian food.
Western Sicily, including Palermo, Trapani, and Marsala, the home of the Italian sherry.
Puglia, the Italian bread basket and a heavy olive producer. Famous for its breads.

The first thing I like about the book is that seven (7) out of ten (10) of these regions are on the fringes of Italian culinary terroir, which means they reflect more outside influences than the typical `Italian-American' fare based on Tuscan, Roman, and Neapolitan cuisines. Even better, the first four (4) of these venues are in the northeastern part of the country, where the German and Slavic influences are at their strongest. Thus, we get lots of dishes with cabbage, apples, braised pork, and delicate pastries, reflecting the relatively recent 200 plus years of rule of the region from Vienna, so they feel quite familiar to my Austro-Hungarian ancestry.

The second, less personal reason is the great mix of the familiar and the new. On the one hand, we have many great familiar pasta, risotto, polenta, and gnocchi recipes from various regions (Note that Friuli and not Rome has the greatest variety of gnocchi recipes). On the other, I find recipes for at least five (5) varieties of fresh pasta (gramigna, bigoli, makaruni, tajarin, and maltagliati) which are unfamiliar to me. Another dimension that separates this from a conventional Italian cookbook is the abundance of recipes for popular Italian ingredients such as organ meats and game.

The third reason I'm fond of this book is that I have always found Lidia's recipes to be better written and easier to follow than many other restauranteur / chef / authors such as Caggiano and Batali. Her books (and `Molto Italiano') are the first I go to when I want to try a new type of Italian dish, since I have never failed to enjoy the results of following her recipes.

A potential fourth reason (which I cannot judge, since I never saw her PBS series) is that her books, unlike all the books from the Food Network celebrity hosts, closely follows her broadcast plan. That would make it doubly valuable if you happen to like her shows.

One last personal impression is that while the book does not give an `in depth' philosophy of the craft of cooking as you get from either Marcella Hazan's `Marcella Says' or the great `Chez Jacques', you are given the sense that cooking is not about these particular recipes, it's all about what you can take away from them and do for yourself. Bastianich clearly states that you simply take what works for you, with no obligation to follow the whole recipe. This is great advice, especially since the subtitle which starts with `140 Simple ... Recipes...' is just a tad misleading, as there are some recipes here which are both labor and time intensive.

On the other hand, there is nothing here which requires much in the way of fancy equipment. And, Ms. Bastianich has cleverly told us for each recipe what size and shape of special kitchenware we may need. Even better, the list of Internet sources at the back of the book is one of the best I have seen in quite some time, as it gives good sources for items specific to individual recipes. And, it even plugs the very best `latticini' (Italian cheese maker and grocery store) in Manhattan, DiPalo's on Grand Street in Little Italy.