Customer Reviews

Passion for Piedmont

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

 

 

"A Passion for Piedmont" is aptly named and Matt Kramer indeed displays a thorough understanding of the region and of the Piedmontese. His book conveys a wealth of accurate information, wonderful descriptions of all things Piedmontese, and a genuine appreciation for all this region has to offer. No doubt he recognizes good food when he tastes it. But the editing of the recipes (and I hope the fault is in the editing) left me disappointed. As a teacher of Piedmontese cooking, married for 32 years to a Piedmontese husband, and a frequent visitor to my husband's hometown in Italy, I was thrilled to find a book I thought I could wholeheartedly recommend. Because I am so familiar with the dishes, it was not the recipes I needed. Most are now second nature to me and I cook by taste, feel, eye... the way the Piedmontese themselves do. I would also venture to guess that Matt Kramer cooks these dishes the same way, and probably with good results. But how does one explain a recipe for a 3-ounce serving of tajarin starting with over a cup of flour, (which he calculates to be 3-1/2 ounces) plus one large egg and 2 egg yolks? It just doesn't add up. And the recipe for capon with honey-hazelnut sauce calls for 1/2 pound shelled hazelnuts, 1 cup of honey, and 2 tablespoons dry mustard mixed with 2 tablespoons chicken stock... according to the author this is what it takes to prepare 1 cup of sauce. I cannot figure out how such inconsistencies could escape an editor's notice and I am left wondering if the other recipes work well enough to rely on. To be fair, many other readers seem to have enjoyed the recipes they've tried and most read as if they'll work out fine, although I have seen better recipes for gnocchi di patate (too much flour in proportion to the potatoes... they are bound to be heavy, though perhaps easier to work with). I would recommend though that the recipes be tested and that necessary revisions and corrections be made in future editions.

Matt Kramer is an expert in wine as well as food. His dicussions on the outstanding wines of the Piedmont--barlo and barbaresco--alone are worth the price of the book. The recipes are well written and easy to follow. The cuisine of the Piedmont is an interesting cross between Italian and French styles. My favorite is sformato parmaseano, a fantastic cheese flan. Good reading!

The Piedmont is without doubt the finest table in Italy. Laying in northwest Italy bounded by both mountains and rivers, it offers the ability to combine both the French and Italian cuisines to prepare and present food. The area is rich in history and has been for centuries the home of kings and peasant stock. The Piedmontese are known for their antipasti, dishes that prepare you for a meal like no other. Bounded in the south by the Liguarian area, rich in oils that are the world's finest, they are used in virtually all dishes. Truffles, for which the Piedmont is known add a wonderful taste unknown elsewhere. The sauces are unlike the rest of Italy, using little heavy tomato, but a taste of wonderful vegetables accented by spices, especially Basil.

The book is replete with recipes that will overwhelm the palate and provide months of expermentation. There are excellent tips on preparation, vocabulary and the ability of even the novice to prepare a wonderful first offering. Matt Kramer has indeed provided us with an excellent collection of both recipes and history that is rich even for the reading.

In my library of regional cookbooks this one ranks at or near the top. It combines recipes with information about the food, the people, the geography, etc. to give you a "feel" for the region. The only thing that could have made it better would have been some full-color photos of Piedmont.

The recipes are excellent. I have tried many of them with great success. My table guests have been very pleased with the results. The book does give a generous treatment to white truffles (I'm sure I will buy one some day), but there is a wealth of other Piedmontese treasure unearthed in this book. There is a wonderful variety in the recipes for antipasti, pasta, risotti, meat, and poultry. Also, I will certainly be braver in my selection of Italian, especially Piedmontese, wines because of this book. I have had several parties where the menu was just the antipasti from this book, and my guests loved the results.

Great recipes which are easy to follow and use easy-to-find ingredients (with a few truffly exceptions). A great glimpse of a great culture and a great cuisine.

Matt Kramer has a Passion for Piedmont. I have a Passion for Piedmont too, because of his book!

This author began his career as a wine writer. He not only has many recipes which we have used repeatedly, but also tells wonderful stories about the food of the Piedmont. Best of all, he has introduced us to the wonders of white truffle oil. Plus, he gives great tips on wine.

As reviewers hav already pointed out, this is a good book. It has useful information on what makes the food of the Piedmont region of Italy unique and is easy to follow. It has emphsized many of the key ingredients of the region such as anchovies, truffles, polenta, porcini mushrooms and a few well known dishes, such as bagna caoda sauce but has also omitted a few staple recipes such as Brasato al Barolo.

As reviewer David has pointed out there is generous information on truffles but unfortunately no local recipes that call for them. Having said that, truffles are in a sense like parmesan cheese; you can shave a bit over many dishes regardless if the recipe calls for them or not but I do think that some actual recipe ideas would have been helpful.

Reviewer Emily is also correct in pointing out that there are inconsistencies in many of the recipes and it is fair to say that a poor editing job was done here. I higly recommend that you completely read all recipes and make sure that they make sense before attempting to make any of the dishes. In further support of reviewer Emily's comments, she is absolutely accurate in her observation of the potatoe Gnocchi flour to potato analogy.

For me the book has been useful in helping me to come up with some ideas for a Piedmont influenced dinner table in lieu of the winter Olympics and also to gain some in depth knowledge on key Piedmontese ingredients, but to the amatuer chef, a word of caution.

Also as another reviewer has pointed out that given the books' title, more information on the region and it's people along with photography would have been useful.

This is the only cookbook I use. After a trip to Turin, having had possibly the best meal of my life there, I had the great good luck to find this book. I've tried about 1/4 of the recipes now and all have been easy to follow and deliver great results. Highly recommended!

There are too many books about Italian regional cuisine. We get a too short section on Piedmont cooking. Then the author moves into rather specific recipes. Interspersed we get stories about people that make cheese, find truffles, etc. A couple of pages in the middle of the book contains all the colour pictures of the book. The book is from 1997 which might explain this sad and conventional format. I don't learn anything really about the region by reading the book. The recipes seems pretty original (and not Americanised which often is the case)

Unless you're really devoted to regional Italian cuisine you can safely stay away from this book. If you want a book specifically on the Piedmont area, this is probably the one to get.

Book has very nice and solid binding. Good paper. Some things were better back in 1997 :)