The Wine Lover Cooks Italian: Pairing Great Recipes with the Perfect Glass of WIne [Paperback]

Brian St. Pierre (Author), Minh + Wass (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When the topic is wine, writers often lapse into pompous wordiness or, in an effort to connect with a younger, hipper audience, groove up their language to the point where they could be describing anything from rock music to sneakers. The author of this volume, a noted wine writer who has published several books on the subject (The Perfect Match; A Perfect Glass of Wine), mercifully does neither. Instead, he uses simple, engaging language to describe the many wines of Italy, explaining their provenance, their taste and how they should be served. He pairs his discussion of wines with a compilation of traditional Italian recipes, and while none of his picks are ground-breaking, most are appetizing and easy to prepare. From the Northeast, he offers a simple and enticing Pear Salad with Walnuts and Cheese, suggesting a Pinot Grigio as an accompaniment. From the Adriatic, he presents a seductive recipe for Epicures' Macaroni and Cheese with Truffle Oil, which goes nicely with a Rosso Conero. Southern Italy is represented by Grilled Fish Steaks on Peperonata, to be drunk with a Negroamaro. Truth be told, anyone with an Italian cookbook probably already has the recipes for these dishes, as well as a few more inventive ones, but what makes this volume useful is its dignified and intelligent discussion of Italian wines and the foods they best accompany.
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Product Description

Glass in one hand, fork in the other, Brian St. Pierre explores the regional wines and cuisines of Italy in this dream of a cookbook. As you'd expect from the author of A Perfect Glass of Wine, St. Pierre brings to the table fabulous recipes and inspired wine pairings. Whether it's a hearty barolo from Piedmont in the northwest that complements a pan-roasted veal tenderloin, a refreshing pinot grigio from the shores of the Adriatic paired with succulent risotto di frutti di mare, or a glass of easy-going Apulia primitivo from the southern reaches to enjoy with the rosemary and oregano notes of slow-baked lamb, each wine suggestion is designed to enhance the flavor of the recipe. The sweeter side of the wine spectrum is also represented with such treats as zuppa inglese with strawberries served alongside a glass of sparkling prosecco—a finish with flourish to a remarkable meal. With a glossary of wine terms and gorgeous photographs of both the wine and the food, this stylish cookbook is as beautiful as it is informative.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811841006
• ISBN-13: 978-0811841009
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,012,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book about Italian Wine and Food!, July 10, 2006

By	Amalfi Coast Girl (Mid-Atlantic, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Wine Lover Cooks Italian: Pairing Great Recipes with the Perfect Glass of WIne (Paperback)

A passionate home cook that has been honing her cooking skills for the last 25 years, concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years, writes this review. My favorite cookbooks are "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute and "Culinary Artistry". With more than 500 cookbooks in my collection I am usually disappointed in my recent cookbook acquisitions. However, I feel that this book is a nice addition to any cookbook library.

The book is subdivided as follows:
Introduction
.....Italian Wine: The New Renaissance
.....Matching Italian Wine and Food
.....About this Book
.....Glossary of Italian Wine Terms

Italian Wine and Food
.....Northwest: Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria, Lombardy
.....Northeast: Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
.....Central: Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio
.....Adriatic: Emilia-Romagna, Marches, Abruzzo, Molise
.....South: Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania
.....Islands: Sicily, Sardinia, Lipari, Pantelleria
.....Desserts

Foundations
.....Building Blocks
.....Olive Oil
.....Italian Cheese

If you love Italian wine and good food this is a nice book to add to your library. The information on Italian wine alone is worth the price of the book. I thought that I was very familiar with Italian wine and I learned quite a bit from this book. The book covers all the major Italian wines in reasonable detail. Many of the minor Italian wines are also covered, a few I had not yet discovered.

For each major wine the author spells out the following information:
1. Narrative regarding a history of the wine
2. Typical aromas and Flavors of the wine
3. Tips to Successful Matches for that particular wine.

For each recipe that is included in the book the author offers two wine selections. The recipes are solid, mostly classics but some with a spin. Many of the recipes are simple Italian fare, but some of them have more of a gourmet twist. There are dishes in this book for carnivores and vegetarians a like. There are even a few vegan dishes in the book. The recipe for Polenta, Pesto and Red Pepper Terrine was excellent even without the goat cheese, which I omitted to make the dish vegan. Most of the recipes have a corresponding full color photograph of the finished dish. The recipe directions are clearly written and easy to follow.

If you love Italian wine and good food I think you will enjoy this book, I know I do.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful, beautiful cookbook and reference guide, December 28, 2006

By	Nicole N. Pellegrini "sockii" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Wine Lover Cooks Italian: Pairing Great Recipes with the Perfect Glass of WIne (Paperback)

This lovely cookbook is also a valuable reference guide for anyone interested in learning more about wine and the art of wine-pairing with food. Italy grows a vast variety of wine grapes and produces many different types of wine, a fact which can be incredibly intimidating and confusing to those unfamiliar with the country's wines beyond the now ubiquitous Chianti and Pinot Grigio. This book takes a look at each of the regions of Italy, the primary wines produced in each, and typical dishes from the region that pair well with these wines.

The writing is easy to follow and the history behind some of these wines quite fascinating. I wish I'd had this book before a recent trip to Florence, as it would have helped me tremendously with deciphering wine lists and making good choices of wine pairings. The recipies range from simple salads to more complex roasts, but should not be too intimidating to most people with some cooking experience.

The only thing that might have been nice to include would have been a breakdown of wine labelling as used on Italian wines, to help the reader understand how to find all the information on what can sometimes be complicated labels--especially for those who do not speak or read Italian.