Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style [Hardcover]

Viana La Place (Author), Ann Field (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

An inspired collection of nearly three hundred classic and original recipes, Verdura translates the Italian passion for food into an endless celebration of vegetables.

"A good salad tomato should be firm, plucked from the vine just before it is fully ripened, and heavy with the spicy scent of its foliage." With exquisite attention to the pleasures of cooking fresh food, Viana La Place introduces the basic Italian principle of cooking with herbs and vegetables. Many of these recipes pair simple vegetables with unusual preparations, transforming classic dishes into new masterpieces. Here you will discover revelatory antipasti, like Baby Artichokes Marinated in Lemon and Herbs (Carciofini al Limone e alle Erbe); innovative salads like Romaine and Gorgonzola Salad with Whole Wheat Crostini (Lattuga Romano e Gorgonzola con Crostini al Pone Integrate); and such tantalizing pastas as Butterfly Pasta with Fennel and Balsamic Vinegar (Forfalle ai Finocchi) and Tiny Pasta with Ten Herbs (Tripolini alle Dieci Erbe)--dishes characterized by their earthy, intense fragrance. Viana La Place's brilliant and original recipes will make Verdura a permanent guide to cooking vegetables the Italian way in your kitchen.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Since its 1991 publication, Viana La Place's Verdura has become a classic. And with good reason: Its 300 accessible recipes represent the best of the Italian approach to vegetable preparation, an earthy yet spirited technique that celebrates fresh ingredients simply treated. Many readers have made the book their vegetable cooking bible; those who have not yet added it to their kitchen libraries will want to do so. Contending that eating well-prepared vegetables helps us to appreciate life's natural cycles, La Place presents recipes for antipastos, salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta, risottos, pizzas, and more. The vegetables she explores run the gamut from the familiar--artichokes, eggplant, radicchio--to the more exotic, such as chayote, cardoons, and brocciflower. (La Place sautés this cauliflower-broccoli hybrid in garlic and oil, then strews it with pungent provolone.) Other recipes, such as Soup of Dried Fava Beans with Fresh Fennel, Fettucine with Peas, Green Onions, and Mint, Grilled Bread with Mushrooms and Herbs, and Baked Red Pepper Fritatta, give further evidence of La Place's original yet thoughtful way with the earth's bounty. Desserts are also included, among them Watermelon with Bittersweet Chocolate Shavings, Grilled Figs with Honey and Walnuts, and Lemon Granita and Brioche. With a vegetable and herb guide and an ingredient glossary, Verdura provides comprehensive information while exciting the mind's palate. --Arthur Boehm

Review

"The simple elegance of La Place's recipes is inspirational. All in all,Verdura is an exceptional cookbook." -- -- Vegetarian Times

"[La Place's] uncomplicated recipes are filled with really innovative ideas. She thinks carefully about the way things taste and comes up withsuggestions you have probably never considered." -- Los Angeles Times

"Verdura extols the glories of fresh produce in recipes for antipastos, salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta, risottos, pizzas, fritattas, and more." -- -- Food & Wine

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Ecco (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060195983
• ISBN-13: 978-0060195984
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,428,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just the two "sides" or a salad, December 10, 2001

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style (Hardcover)

The nice thing about Verdura is that it has everything-- Antipasti, Salads, Grilled Breads/Sandwiches, Soups, Pasta, Rice/Polenta, Main Dishes, Sides, and Desserts--featuring vegetables cooked the Italian way.

Other than the Chinese, I think the Italians have the best feel for how to bring out what's wonderful in a vegetable. I love the cauliflower with lemon dressing in particular, and the squash recipes as well.

The pizza basic recipe is really great. We made it last night and it came out so well. (We did use a pizza stone, which really makes a difference.) Next time we will try the Arugula version of the pizza. Arugula is a pungent green, looking a bit like dandelion leaves and it not only tastes great, it is really good for you.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vedura Italian Cookbook, July 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style (Paperback)

I have not only read, but constantly use this book. We have an extensive garden and I was originally attracted to it while looking for more ways to prepare all those veggies. This book has delicious and elegant recipes that are easy to prepare. Unlike many cookbooks that reach beyond the ordinary, it does not require 30 or 40 ingredients per recipe. The recipes are either light and refreshing or hearty enough to serve as a meal, as we frequently do with the risottos (try the spinach risotto recipe!). While I have purchased many other cookbooks only to abandon them as the glow wore off, this book is a solid performer. I highly recommend it.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect anytime, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style (Hardcover)

Simple, elegant, excellant and exquisite with charming illustrations: The recipes in this book are healthy for the body and mind. I find these recipes easy to follow, and I use them almost everyday now. It is fulfilling to be able to cook this way. My diet has changed considerably after I found these recipes, and the effect has been very positive on my health. I am deriving more nutrition from my meals, and am using more natural foods than I ever did before. There are a wide variety of recipes to mix and match. This book is a must buy for anyone who wants to eat healthy. Provides a refreshingly new perspective on healthy eating!