Customer Reviews

Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My wife worked for Pino Luongo for years and years.

Mark Strausman cooked our wedding dinner.

And now, burdened by this long collaboration and friendship, I'm going to try to convince you of a proposition you may find extremely unlikely: This is the most practical --- and certainly the most fun --- Italian cookbook out there.

Let's start with the fun. These guys, as the title almost suggests, are goofballs who will fight with one another over just about anything. Start with meatballs. Luongo insists they should be pan-fried in olive oil, "only occasionally served with tomato sauce and never on the same plate as spaghetti." Strausman wouldn't dream of cooking them that way. For him, meatballs are to be simmered in tomato sauce and invariably to be served over pasta.

And they have their reasons --- just ask them. In one of the dialogues that launch each section, Luongo and Strausman explore the philosophical depths of their disagreement. Here's a highly abridged version:

Strausman: I like the sense of abundance you get with a big, juicy meatball.

Luongo: But the proportion is all off.

Strausman: Is the dish too humble for you? Oh, I forgot: You were born in northern Italy, wearing an ascot.

Luongo: What you're talking about has no basis in Italian tradition.

Strausman: Meatballs are all about the meat. Italian-Americans came to this country with nothing, and as soon as they could afford to buy meat, however inexpensive, they created big, juicy meatballs.

Luongo: Yes, you put raw balls of meat into tomato sauce and cook them long enough to suck all the juices out of the meat.

Who wins? You do. "A cook-off is in order --- let the reader decide," Strausman proclaims. And so you can. And you can also go on to cook Mark's mom's meat loaf, Pino's meat loaf, Pino's fresh pasta with meatballs and mushrooms, Mark's turkey meatballs in spicy tomato sauce and Pino's meatballs with amaretti.

In short, two books in one.

Well, one, actually, for Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman are really brothers separated at birth. Luongo may be one of New York's most successful restaurateurs --- his establishments have included Le Madri, Coco Pazzo, Tuscan Square and Centolire --- but he remains the son of a loving Italian mother. Strausman may have been at the helm of some of Manhattan's most satisfying restaurant's --- he now is chef of Fred's at Barneys New York and Coco Pazzo --- but he too is a kid from the old neighborhood. It's just that Luongo's from Tuscany and Strausman's from a working-class neighborhood in Queens. One's tall, one's short. One's Catholic, one's Jewish. Otherwise, no difference.

What Luongo and Strausman agree on is all that ultimately matters: "The simplest food is best." That's why more than a third of this book is given over to pasta recipes --- hey, it's what you like. Fish? A few recipes, mostly for the grill. Meat? A hearty Tuscan pot roast, ribs (no baby back for Strausman!), even pork chops. There's an entire section on --- gasp! --- Italian-American cooking: veal and chicken parmigiana, sausage and peppers, the dishes you find on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Because Sunday is for family, there's a section on hearty meals. As a sop to modernity, there are nine vegetable recipes. And in the short dessert section, the range goes from "ugly but good" cookies to pears in vin santo with sweet polenta.

This is not, the authors emphasize, a book for readers. It's for daily cooks, people who need to set dinner on the table for their families. Old-fashioned? Try this: They see nothing wrong with serving chicken every Tuesday, pasta every Wednesday, just as it was when the authors were kids.

So okay, these are boys who never grew up. But they're hardly prisoners of their childhoods. They're keepers of the flame, protectors of the idea that "sometimes the best dish for the moment is the one that makes you forget about your problems and brings back happy memories of times past." Amen.

This is the best kind of cookbook -- one that combines amazing, delicious recipes, easy to follow instructions and lots of helpful hints with amusing anecdotes and fascinating back-stories. Of course you'll find new versions of Italian classics, but I was interested to see that they included really fabulous-sounding grilling recipes too.
I have already tried Pino's Baked Penne and Mark's Spaghetti which I've had at Barneys and I'm happy to duplicate at home. I think it might be fun to do a meatball cookoff to see which of these chef's meatball recipes my own family prefers.
I definitely recommend this cookbook!

This is such a great cookbook, even if you don't make the recipes! It's a fun and interesting read for anyone interested in Italian food. I made the Farro and Bean Soup Lucca-style this weekend, and it was easy and delicious. Next weekend I'll tackle the meatballs, if I can decide which recipe to try first!

I've been eating in these guys' restaurants for years, so it's great to get a peek into their dynamic. Highly recommended!

I was so excited to receive this cookbook in the mail as its cover truly sets the stage for what's inside. You get two perpectives with a little light-hearted competiton thrown in. Fred's Spaghetti was the perfect, quick meal to throw together when I noticed some late green beans in the garden. I'm definitely looking forward to my next pick from this book, it's sure to be equally as delicious. Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen has become a coffee table centerpiece so I can flip through and enjoy the beautiful photos and entertaining words. It's highly recommended for all skill levels!

I've already made a week's worth of wonderful meals from Two Meatballs! I love Italian food because if its simplicity and this is Italian at its best. The ingredients lists are short - most of the recipes need just a well-stocked pantry - not a trip to the market. The instructions are clear and simple. The conversations at the chapter intros about the how and why of food preparation are lively and informative. As I child, I recall my best friend's grandmother spending the day in the kitchen to make Spaghetti and Meatballs, but last night I made the "Pasta with Meatballs with Mushrooms" within 30 minutes. The fresh pasta recipe is fun and delicious.

We bought "Two Meatballs..." for our daughter-in-law to be, who is of Italian heritage and quite the young cook. She loves it! The day after Christmas my sister and I went to her apartment to make pasta from scratch. We had a rollicking good time and a wonderful bonding experience. "Two Meatballs ..." was our guide to creating the most luscious pasta I have ever eaten. We are looking forward to more cooking fun together, creating the dishes showcased in this terrific cookbook.

I borrow cookbooks from the library and buy a very select few that really appeal to me. This book is already on my wishlist for my next Amazon order!

Mark's Spaghetti and Meatballs are amazing and were easy for a meatball novice like me. My family raved, and even my picky 4-year-old wanted seconds. I'm recommending the book on the strength of this recipe alone. It was so good that I'm looking forward to trying many more of the rest.

However, beware the meatloaf! I tried Mark's Mom's Meatloaf, and that recipe was written with mistakes. It calls for 2 tablespoons of salt for a meatloaf made with 2 pounds of ground round. I knew that wasn't right. I cut it down to 2 teaspoons, but I really should've cut it to 1. Some of the seasonings look correct and some don't (like the 1/2 cup horseradish). I wish the recipe had been written correctly. I couldn't find an email for the authors or their restaurant or I'd include the right proportions here.

I'd give this book five stars if I'd just tried the meatball recipe. I have to take off a star for the meatloaf recipe that wasn't properly cut down from restaurant size. I hope there aren't any more like that.

(review by Mrs. Scott)

Two meatballs is a very delicious cookbook. I have made four or five recipes. My family loved all of them. It is also very nicely illustrated.
I'm going to make the tuscan pot roast the next time I have friends over.

I've made the different pot roast recipes from this, my husband some meatloaf dishes - we both love this cookbook. I look through and find good ideas and inspiration for dinner, my husband enjoys the back and forth commentary on food preperation and tastes. The recipes are clear, all our dishes have turned out delicious - none have been difficult or terrible time consuming.

I bought this book a few months ago and I have made 4 or 5 recipes out of it so far. I am very pleased. I have been a fan of Mark for years, ever since I saw him on the martha stewart show, and I have been using his tomato sauce recipe ever since.

Great book, highly recommend it.