A Tuscan in the Kitchen: Recipes and Tales from My Home (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chef Luongo has produced a hefty volume fragrant with stories of the lush Tuscan countryside and the simple, robust foods to be had there. (The photographs alone are enough to make you want to move to Tuscany.) Luongo insists that his is peasant fare that can be made in any Tuscan grandmother's kitchen with only a visit to the market for perishable items. It's doubtful, however, that peasants often eat pasta with black and white truffles. Luongo, who runs Il Cantinori restaurant in New York City, also doesn't believe in giving measurements, oven temperatures or many directions; he argues that cooking should be a creative endeavor. Professional chefs can work in this way, but for the less experienced, the thought of trying to make black rice stewed with cuttlefish is daunting. (Merely cleaning a cuttlefish is no job for amateurs.) However, Luongo's pasta recipes are simpler, and most won't drive you into fiscal ruin.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A unique work from a talented chef. Luongo believes in developing one's instinct for cooking, relying on imagination rather than rigid rules to create delicious food using quality ingredients and trusted techniques. Thus, he lists ingredients but not quantities in his recipes, so that the reader will think and taste while cooking. His simple but sophisticated dishes are far from haphazard, however, and each is accompanied by careful preparation notes and background (and endearing reminiscences about life in Tuscany). Highly recommended.-- JS
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st edition (October 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517569167
• ISBN-13: 978-0517569160
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #125,825 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Placed in Tuscany, December 15, 1999

By	William Barbour (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

I bought 'Tuscan in the Kitchen' years ago and find myself turning to it continually. I have tried 99% of the recipies and find each one bursting with flavors not found in any local retaurant. Measurments for the ingredients are not given, leaving the recipe in the hands of the cook. This requires a bit of wisdom in cooking and inspires all sorts of improvisation. Not for the beginner! But worth the fun.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, fun, delicious, July 10, 2001

By	Margaret Cowan (Vancouver, B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews

Pino is so refreshing, so much fun. His recipes have no quantities. Forget that, he says, be creative, abandon your inhibitions, trust yourself. A good Italian lesson in or out fo the kitchen! Although I'm an average cook, I find his recipes straight forward with ingredients organized in three columns--pantry, cold storage & fresh from the market. He chats away with you on little tips like how to make your bean salad ever stronger tasting, on episodes from his childhood, on the Tuscan way of life in the old days. With the polenta recipe you read about the "heartbreaking imagination" of the poor people who made endless varieties of polenta dishes for all three meals. He makes you laugh throughout the book with tales like his first kiss with his face among the stinging nettles--just before the grilled vegetable recipe. A full of life book! You'll have a good time cooking and soaking up the Tuscan culture around food and love. What else is there?

Margaret Cowan, author of Your Guide to 133 Decadent Cooking Holidays in Italy.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST, March 17, 1999

By A Customer

I have enjoyed using this cookbook for almost ten years. Not only is the book visually beautiful, with wonderful anecodtes, the recipes are amazing. The stains on the pages attest to that. More than a few of the recipes have become my "comfort food" favorites, yet they still draw compliments when prepared for guests. Pino Luongo has taught me a philosophy in cooking that has spilled over into all of my food preparation--and I thank him for it. This book is a joy to read and especially to use.