Customer Reviews

Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World: Rome: Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods of the World

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This review is written from the perspective of someone that has been studying cooking for 25 years, and concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years. I have more than 100 cookbooks on Italian cooking and have traveled to Italy many times. I am a tough critic on Italian cookbooks.

This book begins with a little history of Italian cooking, the outdoor markets in Rome, and the distinct differences in the neighborhoods. Then the book discusses the following topics from a Roman perspective:
Coffee
Pasta
Greens
Pizza
Cucina Ebraica (Jewish Cooking)
Wine
Dolci (dessert)

The recipe section is subdivided as follows:
Antipasti
Primi (first course: soup, pasta, pizza)
Secondi (second course: meat and fish
Contorni (side dishes: vegetables)
Dolci (sweets)

The photography in this book is fabulous. They did a wonderful job of capturing what it is like to walk down the streets in Rome. As you turn the pages each new photo is another little peak into Roman life and food.

The recipes are very authentic. I was pleased to see that the recipe for Carbonara did not include the Americanized version which adds cream. This recipe is for the Carbonara that you would find in Rome. Of the recipes that I have prepared (approximately 50% of the book) all have turned out exactly as I expected them. A few of the recipes are time consuming. But, making homemade stuffed pasta is not something that happens in a flash.

If you are looking for a nice authentic cookbook on the cooking of Rome, written for Americans, you will love this book. My only complaint is that the book left me wanting more photographs and more recipes. Overall, this is an excellent book for those that love Italian cooking.

I bought this cookbook in order to prepare a romantic multi-course meal for my husband and we were not disappointed. The recipes were easy to follow and the food tasted fantastic! This book is defintely only for those who love to cook because the recipes do take quite a bit of time to prepare. The four course menu I chose took roughly three hours to complete, but the time was well worth it for the incredible food!

This is my favorite cookbook. The recipes are terrific and the pictures bring back wonderful memories!

I lived in Rome for more than 18 years and return frequently to visit family there. This book beautifully captures the Romans' love affair with food in it's simple deliciousness. Meat and produce markets have always been the bloodline of Italian cuisine. They're one of the things I miss most about life in the eternal city. I love that the rich photographs in this volume and the accompanying narrative transport you to the city streets. Beware they will make you want to visit. The recipes are authentic and the ones I've tried are delicious. And they're relatively simple too. I've given this book as a gift to several people now. If you love Rome or food, or both, I recommend this book!

I purchased this book since I had scheduled a cooking session with the author, Maureen Fant, to learn more about Roman cuisine. When it was delivered, I was blown away by not only the recipes but the beautiful pictures. I could hardly wait to get there.

I met Maureen in an area of Rome called Testaccio, a working class neighborhood yet largely undiscovered by tourists. We toured their fresh market and several specialty shops, then went to her apartment to cook what we had bought. It was a memorable meal, simple yet elegant.

Now that I am home, I often pick up the book and the pictures bring back such memories of my whole Roman stay. But this is no coffee table book! The recipes are delicious and easy to follow. She does an excellent job of providing you with the background as well as the steps, so you can understand what make the Roman cuisine unique among Italian styles of cooking.

If you purchase this book, and try the recipes, chances are you may be booking that flight to Rome in the near future. (Maureen offers her courses through ContextRome.com)

For me, this is what I like in a cookbook. Wonderful pictures, great recipes, both easy and more involved. The beginning of the book brought back wonderful memories of an amazing trip. I purchased this book "used" and it came in acceptable condition.

As a Roman now living in the States, I found the recipes surprisingly authentic, the photos beautiful, and the accompanying text accurate. I'm missing those "Carciofi alla Giudia!" I highly recommend this book.

Not only do I get a tour of Rome in this book but a culinary trip also. I love Rome and this was an excellent way to renew my love affair with Rome and it's cuisine. Thanks again William Sonoma.

This is one of my fav. WS cookbooks, besides the Paris destination cookbook. We cook quite often from this book. Most fav. recipes, pasta al forno, torta di nonna, soupli. Everyone loves the pasta al forno dish when my husband cooks it. Romans love to use a lot of peas and carrots in their recipes. This dish is a baked pasta as the name suggests - with prociutto, cremini mushrooms, peas and cream. My other favorite is the appetizer, Soupli. I luv this one. In Rome at any lil food shop they will typically sell this, obviously our cheese is different so its not completely the same but it is a crocoquette with rice, tomatoes and mozarella inside. Its really delicious. They don't even have it in most so-called italian rest. here!!!! Personally we don't even go out to eat italian at any rest. here anymore, we just make it at home. Torta di nonna is a very typical dessert in Italy. The cooking is very distinct in each region/city. Its a very good cake with pine nits and a nice hint of lemon in every bite, perfect with an espresso [lavazza/crema di gusto]! I know that the birthplace of pizza is Napoli, but I think Roman pizza is just better, my fav. pizza margherite. Why go out and get t.v dinner americanized-italian food at a rest. when you can have close to the real thing at home. You will never eat pasta al forno at a restaurant ever again if you make this recipe. My friend taught us how to make authentic Roman lasagna, not in the book, can I just say its way better!!! They put eggs, peas, carrots, mixture of ground beef/veal/chicken and mozzarella, they never use RICOTTA cheese!!!! Oh, and if you make lasagna, go to a special store and use double zero flour its really better that way. Instead of feeling like you ate a brick - it will just feel like a reg. meal.