Customer Reviews

Sicilian Feasts

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

 

 

Sicilian Feasts is written just the way my mother and scores of my friends moms cooked (I obviously lived in an Italian neighborhood!) using simple fresh ingredients that are readily found in the home and garden. If you're into "supped up" complex recipes, then this book is not for you. If you're interested in real home Sicilian cooking then this is the book to buy. It's one of the most genuine Sicilian cookbooks I've seen. Buon lavoro Giovanna!!!

I bought this book a few years ago and have used it more often with each passing year. There's nothing like learning Sicilian cooking from someone who knows it so well. Giovanna Bellia La Marca's photos of Sicily and brief narratives about her family are an interesting addition to this book. If you want a healthful, truly Italian tasting sweet dish, try the recipe for sweetened wheat berries (Cuccia ri Santa Lucia). I make them all the time. This book is great for everyday meals, as well as holiday/party fare. The author includes Feast Day Menus in the back of the book, as well as a helpful appendix indicating where to buy authentic Italian cooking equipment and ingredients.

This book is terrible. I was leafing through it and looked at the caponata recipe--which includes ketchup. The author justifies this because ketchup has tomato, salt, and sugar in it. Whoa. Then, I tried making the bread (for some unknown reason). No salt. Egregious omission. And the ingredient list for the bread is incomplete--it doesn't include the water for the addition of the flour to the sponge. I only paid $16 for this book and it will cost me a lot more than that in time lost to return it, but I am going to.

The flip side is that the author appears to have a lot of experience with Sicilian cuisine, and maybe she was trying to write a very accesible book (which would explain the ketchup); but I wish she would have done a book using authentic recipes rather than this one.

I was looking for a book which had recipes that my grandmother and aunts used to make. There were a number of those in this book. I enjoyed reading the commentary that the author wrote regarding the phases of Sicilian life.

My grandparents immigrated from Ragusa, Sicily, and most of the receipes are very familiar to me,especially the Mpanata and the other pies. We had these pies for Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and Easter Eve. I just loved this book and I am ordering more for my Mom and cousins. We still make the Mpanata and the scaccias and our children are learing how to make them, the tradition continues.

Thank you Giovannia

Thanks for the book. It was used, but in excellent condition, like new. Has fun, old Italian recipes that look really good! Received order promptly. Has a nice glossary in Sicilian, Italian and English. Also a little history of the Sicilian Language.

Sicilian Feasts by Giovanna Bellia La Marca is a simply delicious cookbook offering more than 100 recipes in celebration of exquisite, ethnic Sicilian cuisine suitable for all seasons, and ranging from everyday cooking to special holiday recipes. From Green Olive Salad; Linguine with Anchovies; and Fried Pastry Shells; to Fish Soup with Rice; Chick Peas with Fennel; and Folded Parsley Bread, Sicilian Feasts offers a superbly presented collection of rich, lip-smacking treats offering a festival of taste and exploration for adventurous dining.