Sophia Loren's Recipes and Memories (Hardcover)

~ Alison Harris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sophia Loren is more than a beloved movie star--she's a cook. The author of two personal cookbooks, she's been recognized by the Italian government for her culinary prowess. In Sophia Loren's Recipes & Memories, she offers a hundred or so recipes arranged by course--antipasti through desserts. With a like number of photos, most in color, and all sorts of Sophia memorabilia--a shot of the 16-year-old Sophia shows us just how early Sophia was Sophia--the large-format book is also filled with reminiscences of family, home, and work. Cooks shouldn't be disappointed, though. Sophia's recipes, taken from all over Italy as well as her table, include pizzas and risottos, hearty soups, savory fish dishes, and simple but satisfying sweets. The repertoire is basic but tempting; Sophia's Saltimbocca, for example, is the familiar dish yet again, but there are a few original and "undiscovered" dishes, such as Eggplant Cooked in the Manner of Mushrooms. Standout dishes include a lovely herb-perfumed lamb stew from Naples and a sweet-savory rice dish made with turkey, chestnuts, and dried fruit. The recipes are models of clarity, and Sophia's introductory notes and other asides leave no doubt that the author is a serious, passionate cook. Reading her book and trying her recipes, we come to applaud the star in her apron as well as on the screen. --Arthur Boehm

From Library Journal

The international film star and Italian icon mixes personal anecdotes with a plethora of ethnic recipes to create a handsome cookbook-cum-memoir. The recipes are a sampling of classic dishes from all over Italy: e.g., risotto dishes from the northern provinces and stuffed sardines from the coast of Sicily. Best of all, though, are the plentiful regional dishes Loren grew up eating while living in the outskirts of war-torn Naples. The stories she relates here are food-based, from the smells and tastes she remembers from her grandmother's southern Italian kitchen to the caviar dishes she discovered while recently filming in Russia. Many of the recipes are basic, found in the repertoire of most Italian cooks. Although the minestrone and ragout are rounded out with a handful of specialty dishes and the occasional addition of exotic ingredients, such as freshly caught squid, the real attraction is Loren's endorsement of the simpler country-style dishes now familiar to Italian food lovers. Personal vintage photos are mixed with current, instructional ones. Expect some demand.ADavid Nudo, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: GT Publishing Corporation; illustrated edition edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577193679
• ISBN-13: 978-1577193678
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 10.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,944 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars La Cucina "Sfiziosa" della Sophia Loren!, February 16, 2001

By	Michela (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Beauty is the theme that runs through "Sophia Loren's Recipes & Memories." The beauty of Italy, whether it be Genoa or Naples, and the beauty of Ms. Loren, and her family, and friends, shine in this wonderful cookbook. It is a Latin custom to share food, recipes, memories, stories, and smiles when one is in la cucina. Ms. Loren is a very down-to-earth cook, and she invites you into her kitchen to share her recipes and memories. She wants to confide the "piccoli secreti" ("little secrets") of her table, her cooking, and her kitchen. She shows treasured photos and her famous zest for life; to her, "family is sacred."

These recipes are authentic. I have tested several of them and find them to be excellent. The recipes are minimalist and leave plenty of room for improvisation, so you can substitute seasonal fresh ingredients or add your own version of a dish to hers. Although this cookbook has meat and meatless recipes, I have found that many of the traditional meat-based recipes may be adapted for a vegetarian without much fuss. Most of the recipes have full-color pictures, with beautiful food styling.

Many of the recipes reflect Ms. Loren's Neapolitan heritage. She offers "Ragù alla Napoletana" (Neapolitan Stuffed Beef Rolls and Sauce), which is a classic meal for Sunday family dinners. The making of the ragù, or sauce, is a ritual in the Italian kitchen. For vegetarians, there are two wonderful recipes: "Spaghetti con Salsa al Pomodoro Semplice" (Spaghetti with Basic Tomato Sauce) and "Spaghetti con Pomodoro Crudo" (Spaghetti with Uncooked Tomato Sauce.)

This cookbook offers recipes and guidelines for preparing everything from Antipasti to Dolci. One can use this book to make an authentic Italian dinner, with all the courses, from start-to-finish. Here is one of my favorite meals for casual entertaining, with recipes taken from Ms. Loren's book: Antipasti ("Melone e Prosciutto" e "Bruschetta"); Zuppa ("Il Minestrone"); Il primo ("Linguine con Salsa Sophia"); Il secondo ("Agnello Bella Napoli"); Dolce ("Torte di Ricotta.")

While Ms. Loren's cookbook does favor Neapolitan specialities, such as pizza, baccalà, and tirami-sù, she also offers classic recipes from Rome, Genoa, and Sicily.

"La cucina sfiziosa" is "the whimsy kitchen." "Sfizioso, -a" is a colorful Neapolitan word that Ms. Loren defines on page 178 as ". . . that little extra touch that takes a dish beyond its traditional form and adds a hint of fancy, sparking the curiosity and satisfying the most difficult palate."

I enjoy the spirit, imagination, creativity, and love that I find in these recipes and memories. Grazie Sophia Loren, la belleza della cucina e del cinema!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally-a cookbook that has it all !!!, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

The book is filled with loads of recipes for the novice as well as a seasoned cook. I am a vegetarian and I found many recipes that meet my requirements. There is a large variety of recipes, most of which you could serve to your family or to company. The pictures and info on Sophia over the years is a bonus. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys Italian cuisinne

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sophia Loren' receipes & Memories, January 13, 2002

By	Marilyn Ann Ulrich "marjen777" (SI, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I loved the book and the receipes are easy to follow and they are good to eat too. I love to cook and since I am Italian and my grandparents came from Naples I really enjoyed this cook book