Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian: Savoring the Recipes and Traditions of the World's Favorite Cuisine [Paperback]

editors of Saveur magazine (Author)

Book Description

Series: Saveur Cooks | Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Continuing the highly acclaimed cookbook series, Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian explores the world's most popular and beloved cuisine. Authentic Italian food is inspired by local traditions and relies on the freshest of ingredients. It's real food--unpretentious and casual--the ultimate in home-cooking. The renowned culinary experts at Saveur go straight to the source with recipes for perfectly prepared pasta and risotto, hearty meat and game, and irresistibly delicious desserts. Each colorful page is an invitation: share a seafood feast with a Venetian fishmonger, take a private lasagna-making lesson in Bologna, or discover the secrets for pesto buono in Genoa. Featuring award-winning writing, hundreds of stunning color photographs, and more than 120 recipes, Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian is a timeless celebration of the world's best-loved cuisine.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this beautifully designed and printed volume, the editors of Saveur magazine bring to the American kitchen the flavors and liveliness of Italy's food and wine, as well as its people. Colman Andrews, editor-in-chief of Saveur, has compiled contributions from such noted authorities as Marcella Hazan, Lidia Bastianich and Vincent Schiavelli, as well as many regional cooks, who provide not only recipes but also insights into the Italian way of life. From antipasti and salads to pasta and risotto, and from poultry and meats to desserts, the recipes make use of seasonal, local and often simple ingredients. Many are robust examples of home cooking, from the straightforward Tonno e Fagioli (Tuna and White Bean Salad) to the intensely flavored Crostini with Porcini Pƒt‚. The Pollo alla Cacciatora (Hunter's Wife's Chicken) is another example of these full-bodied tastes; text accompanying the recipe explains that the dish should be called the feminine cacciatora, rather than the masculine cacciatore, because the hunter's wife would have cooked it "on the eve of the hunt as fuel for the chase." Sidebars throughout provide explanations and enlightenment about the ingredients, as well as about Italian customs and people. With explorations of salt cod and oregano, pasta sizes and Missouri's Little Italy, this book is a fascinating read, as well as a fine culinary resource.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This gorgeous book is the latest in a series that also includes titles on American and French cooking. Because Italian food is undeniably America's favorite cuisine (whether or not it's the "world's favorite"), this one is likely to be even more popular than the earlier titles. Much of the material is drawn from Saveur, but it has been reorganized and mostly rewritten to make a cohesive cookbook rather than just a collection of previously published articles and recipes. Contributors include such authorities as Marcella Hazan and Lidia Bastianich (see above), as well as Italian chefs, home cooks, purveyors, and others. The more than 120 recipes are illustrated by stunning color photographs, many of them by Christopher Hirsheimer, the talented former executive editor of the magazine, as well as by black-and-white period photos. There are also dozens of informative sidebars on topics ranging from "Regional Herbs" to "Harry [Cipriani] the American." Highly recommended.
- the American." Highly recommended.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811832678
• ISBN-13: 978-0811832670
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Of Italian Cuisine!, March 19, 2002

By 

Deb Mele - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian: Savoring the Recipes and Traditions of the World's Favorite Cuisine (Paperback)

This is a wonderful reference book for anyone interested in traditional Italian cuisine. Saveur magazine captures the best of Italian food, by taking you into real Italian kitchens, both personal and professional to sample over 120 recipes made in the true Italian manner.

As well as stunning photographs of every dish, there are little sidebars of information on Italian history, regional differences, particulars about a recipes ingredients, and much more on almost every page. Even if you were someone who didn't like to cook, I think you'd find this book an interesting read. For anyone with a passion for good food however, particularly tradional Italian cuisine, this book will definitely be on your shelf of favorites.

I have tried many recipes from this book, and every one has gotten rave reviews from family and friends alike. I even made homemade trofie (Trofie al Pesto)for the first time after being inspired to attempt it when I came across the instructions in this book, and it was every bit as good as the dish I had sampled in Liguria many years ago.

Definitely a book I would encourage anyone with a love of Italian food to buy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Italian, buy this book, December 1, 2007

By 

David Marc Dimston (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian: Savoring the Recipes and Traditions of the World's Favorite Cuisine (Hardcover)

I have lots of cookbooks, but this leaves them all on the shelves. This book sits on my counter, ready to be opened and used. I love the recipes, they are simple, capture the true essence of Italian cooking in all its diversity. If I were to have one single cookbook for Italian this would be the one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pucker up!, October 24, 2007

By 

Olga Loinfeisk "Olga" (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian: Savoring the Recipes and Traditions of the World's Favorite Cuisine (Paperback)

All of the Saveur cookbooks are beyond just good cookbooks. I have all of them and I would hate to part with any of them. They all have a vast collection of basic and/or not so basic recipes that you'd imagine any type of person cooking, from a peasant to a pro at an expensive restaurant. Each recipe has a picture, which I personally really like, and side notes explaining something more about the recipe.
Excellent cookbooks, whether you're considering the Italian, French or American one, all are highly recommended.