Little Italy Cookbook [Hardcover]

David Ruggerio (Author), Melanie Acevedo (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 1997

In Little Italy Cookbook, three-time three-star chef David Ruggerio, owner of several of New York's finest restaurants, returned to his Italian roots for his first cookbook. Ruggerio tours New York's Little Italy, exploring and celebrating traditional Italian-American family recipes. The delicious offerings include such dishes as Grilled Vegetable Pizza, Fusilli with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Sausage, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Orecchiette with Peas and Prosciutto, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Polenta with Ragu of Wild Mushrooms and Amaretto-Chocolate Cheesecake--dishes that are easy to cook and fun to eat. The book also includes illustrated features on the bakeries, pastry shops, and pizza restaurants unique to Little Italy.

With evocative photographs of the people and places that represent Little Italy for Ruggerio--from Mulberry Street to Coney Island--Little Italy Cookbook invites us to enjoy the culture and cuisine he loves.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

PBS viewers will recognize David Ruggerio from his series Little Italy with David Ruggerio, in which the gourmet chef and owner of several fine restaurants in New York returns to his roots in that city's famous Italian neighborhood. Little Italy Cookbook is a companion to the series, a compendium of the delectable traditional family recipes Ruggerio grew up with. Divided into chapters with names such as "Nonna" (grandmother), "Mulberry Street" (the heart of New York's Little Italy), and "Amici" (friends), Ruggerio's theme becomes clear: these recipes are culled from real people and real places, many of whom are immortalized in the evocative photographs that liberally punctuate the text. Polenta with a Ragu of Wild Mushrooms, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Duck with Lentils--these dishes range from the homey to the sublime, and every one will make you feel like you've just stepped out of your own kitchen and into Little Italy.

From Library Journal

Ruggiero is chef/owner of New York City's three-star Le Chantilly, but, as he says, this is not his "gourmet" cookbook. The companion volume to a new PBS series, it is a nostalgic exploration of his Italian heritage, with lots of recipes from family and friends?the first chapter, in fact, is devoted to the grandmother who raised him. This is simple Italian home cooking, along with favorite dishes served in neighborhood cafes and classic sweets, sometimes slightly refined by Ruggiero but still true to the original. Recommended for New York City libraries and for most other cookbook collections as well.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Artisan; First Edition edition (January 10, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885183542
• ISBN-13: 978-1885183545
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars for those who love to read as much as cook, February 2, 2000

By 

www.virtualitalia.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Italy Cookbook (Hardcover)

David Ruggerio's "Little Italy Cookbook" is an exploration of not only fine Italian American cuisine (not true Italian as defined by the author, but rather adaptations based upon the Italian immigrant experience once in America) but also of the soul of what it is to be Italian. He journeys back to New York's Little Italy and spends a great amount of effort in trying to create for the reader a sense of desire to be in the locales he is. Many of the recipes he puts forth are amazing. Some of my favorites: "Brisket of Beef with Genoese Sauce", "Collari - Crispy Fried Stuffed Bread", "Penne alla San Giovanni - Pasta with Sage, Walnuts, and Prosciutto", and "Chestnut and Ricotta Semifreddo". One of my favorite essays is about the Royal Crown Bakery and the "revival of a great tradition". The book is loaded with photos, both color and black and white, all of which convey an image of Italian American life. This is not just another Italian cookbook - it is an Italian American story. I highly recommend this to those who love to read while stirring the pot waiting for the pasta to finish.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Italian American Treasure, November 23, 2000

By 

Deb Mele - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Italy Cookbook (Hardcover)

If you have ever been to Little Italy, or have something similar in your hometown, you will enjoy this book, apart from the fact it is packed full of wonderful Italian recipes that are shared in all their glory in some terrifically appealing photos. I found most recipes seemed to have a southern Italian flair, and recognized many that my own Mother In Law traditionally makes. I was thrilled to see the recipe for Pasta, Ricotta and Dandelion Pie as I had tried something very similar years ago while living in Italy and had seen nothing like it since. The recipes are easy to follow, the ingredients readily available, and every recipe I have tried to date has been worth repeating. A must have book for anyone who enjoys Italian food.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars there is nothing better., March 4, 2003

By 

colin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Italy Cookbook (Hardcover)

this cookbook has provided me MANY recipies which I've been after for years. I bought this book for the cover price of 29.95 and I have no regrets. This cookbook is the best you will find anywhere, short of having a 80 year old italian grandmother from northern New Jersey ( and even then it will have classics you do not have)

I cannot recommend this cookbook highly enough. The recipies inside will amaze your northern New Jersey mafia families...it's that good.

10 out of 10 stars.

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