Customer Reviews

Nick stellino's glorious italian cooking

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book for my husband before we were married and we dipped into it now and again to experiment with some of the recipes. Every one we tried was a resounding success. We surprised ourselves with how wonderfully these dishes turned out! Many unusual and creative dishes, from antipastos through to desserts. The entrees include wine, dessert and salad/side dish recommendations for easy menu planning. Every recipe has a heartwarming story behind it's history and inclusion in the book as a favorite of Nick's. The only thing the book lacks is photographs of the foods. I almost didn't buy the book because of this, but the stories in the margins and the descriptions of the recipes seduced me. Now, the lack of photos is part of the intrigue of this book--it forces me to focus on the power of the recipe and makes trying the different dishes all the more intriguing because of the mystery behind what the dishes will look like when they're complete. Each one has been a surprise and a delight. Some are a bit labor intensive, but I love the challenge and it's fun to watch the metamorphosis of simple ingredients into art. Particular favorites: the asparagus salad, baked pasta in eggplant and the TORTA RUSTICA! My family thinks I'm a culinary genius anytime I try any of these on them for the holidays. My parents start making special requests! Usually for encore performances. And I haven't seen most of these recipes anywhere else. All are unique (including the desserts which are mostly fruit and/or nut oriented, rather than cakes and pastries as found in most cookbooks.) Great fun! My favorite cookbook to turn to when I want to play in my kitchen.

This is a great cookbook, not only Italian but some other cuisines as well, e.g. one of my favorites, Cabbage and sausage with apples. Unbelievably good! To use his recipes after seeing him on PBS is great! This guy is terrific. Hope someday to eat at his restaurant. All his cookbooks are terrific.

I actually bought this book after watching his great PBS show, and now I'm after copies to give as gifts! His life and joy for his cooking really comes through with these great recipes! It really is an exploration of food, using tasty ingredients (I had my grocier in fits looking for all of it!), and prividing recipes both easy and--more involved! A great book! I highly recommend it!

This book is excellent; I use it and other Stellino books about everyday. However, many of the recipes need to be simplified-way too many unneccessary ingredients. If you know what you can do without you're all set.

Nick Stellino's television shows and cookbooks are wonderful. His recipes don't call for any exotic ingredients and the instructions are not complicated in any way. I had the opportunity to see him in person doing a cooking demonstration and he is as entertaining in person as he is on TV. And he ended the demo saying "from my heart to your kitchen, arriva derci!" You've got to love him!

I bought this book for my husband before we were married and we dipped into it now and again to experiment with some of the recipes. Every one we tried was a resounding success. We surprised ourselves with how wonderfully these dishes turned out! Many unusual and creative dishes, from antipastos through to desserts. The entrees include wine, dessert and salad/side dish recommendations for easy menu planning. Every recipe has a heartwarming story behind it's history and inclusion in the book as a favorite of Nick's. The only thing the book lacks is photographs of the foods. I almost didn't buy the book because of this, but the stories in the margins and the descriptions of the recipes seduced me. Now, the lack of photos is part of the intrigue of this book--it forces me to focus on the power of the recipe and makes trying the different dishes all the more alluring because of the mystery behind what the dishes will look like when they're complete. Each one has been a surprise and a delight. Some are a bit labor intensive, but I love the challenge and it's fun to watch the metamorphosis of simple ingredients into art. Particular favorites: the asparagus salad, baked pasta in eggplant and the TORTA RUSTICA! My family thinks I'm a culinary genius anytime I try any of these on them for the holidays. My parents start making special requests! Usually for encore performances. And I haven't seen most of these recipes anywhere else. All are unique (including the desserts which are mostly fruit and/or nut oriented, rather than cakes and pastries as found in most cookbooks.) Great fun! My favorite cookbook to turn to when I want to play in my kitchen.

I love this cookbook, and was thrilled Nick has written another cookbook for my Italian collection. Thanks!

Whether you're a beginner or a professional, this cookbook will change the way you look at Italian cuisine. As a companion to the PBS cooking show "Cucina Amore", this cookbook will lead to your own personal rediscovery of new and old favorites. Italian food does not have to mean the same old marinara or alfredo sauce. In this cookbook you will discover a variety of recipes that will transform your pasta, rice, or meats into meals which your family will long to have again, and again. I can almost guarantee that you will not have to worry about leftovers anymore. One of the most outstanding features of this book is the fact that so many of the recipes are "one-pot" meals, which is so important when you don't have a lot of time for preparation or cleanup. You can create flavorful sauces by his stocks, without all of the fat, in some Italian cooking, and you have recipes ranging from the simple family get-together to the dinner party entertainment quality. With every entree, the author suggests wine, and a complete menu. His salad's, risotto's, pasta's, and dessert's will inspire you. After your success with these recipes you will purchase his first cookbook "Cucina Amore" for more of his family's favorites, and soon you will be creating your own recipes, . When you read this cookbook, you feel like you've been adopted by the Stellino family, and there is nothing better than the love and history behind every dish. They are really going to help you create memories of your own around your dinner table!

I love Nick Stellino and this is a worthy follow up to his first book, "Cucina Amore".

The recipes are easy to follow and allow the amateur cook to play with the recipes as they like. One of my favorites is "Pasta alla Vodka". There is no way to mess that recipe up! I've tried canned tomato sauce versus homemade sauce, dried herbs versus fresh herbs, pancetta versus bacon, etc. and it was always delicious (ideally, fresh is best andraises the meal to new heights, but as I said, even with canned ingredients, they still make a great meal)!

Another favorite recipe is Pasta Incaciata. That one is worthy of a holiday gathering if not a Sunday dinner! Pasta alla Carbonara (one of serveral versions of this dish to try!), Chicken Paprikash (and the adorable love story that goes with it!), Pollo del Cacciatore, Herbed Pork Chops, Braised Sausages & Polenta, Torta Rustica and Lamb Meatballs with Girgento Suace are among my absolute faves!

There are also a few calzone recipes and they came out just fine - and you can bake them instead of frying them. Not to mention recipes for pizza dough to make your own pizzas!

I hadn't done many of the desserts from this book since I don't eat them too often, but there's a great cookie recipe known as "Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Dipped in Chocolate" Even if you don't dip the cookies in the chocolate, they are a great alternative to the same old chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. They'll stand out on a cookie tray. The desserts are for the most part typical of the Sicilian tradition of fruit based desserts and not the heavy desserts Americans have traditionally eaten, but they are no less enjoyable. There are also several recipes for ices which you'll proudly serve during those hot summer nights dining al fresco!

And for the less adventurous, you could start off with the side dishes which I'm sure will help perk up your average meatloaf entrees, and some vegetable sides that maybe the kids could actually enjoy eating.

As with all of Nick Stellino's books there are anecdotes with every recipe which give a bit of insight into the man and his cooking.

It definitely should be part of your cookbook collection!

Well done Nick. Kudos.

I've tried many of Nick's recipes from this book (and from his website), and with just a very few exceptions, every out came out spectacularly.

All the recipes are well written and easy to follow. Even as an experienced cook, I still gain new insights from the many "Cook's Tips" through out the book. He keeps the personal asides to a minimum and short. This is a cookbook after all and not a biography.

And the "used" prices are unbelievable. From some sellers only $0.01 plus $4 shipping!

I can (and do) recommend this book.