Cucina Paradiso: The Heavenly Food of Sicily (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Researched by Middle East scholar and food enthusiast Wright ( After the Palestine-Israel War ), this fascinating volume clarifies the mystifying distinction between the cooking of Sicily and other regions of Italy. The reason for the distinction--as he convincingly presents it--was the medieval conquest of Sicily by Arabs whose "culture remained there intact for four hundred years." According to Wright, the Arabs are responsible for, among other things, the creation of the Sicilian "one-pot" meal, a "fondness for stuffed foods . . . shared by the Sicilians," and the introduction of rice, of which "some food writers even argue that the famous Risotto alla Milanese is an Arab-Sicilian invention transplanted north." The resulting collection of recipes reflects Sicily's exotic heritage and includes a mint-infused, Arab-style penne, grilled beef rolls with pecorino, currants and pine nuts and watermelon pudding studded with semisweet chocolate bits, pistachios and candied orange peel. This suggestive study of "the food Sicilians call cucina arabo-sicula " decorously removes another delicious layer of Italy's riches.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 274 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (November 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067176926X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671769260
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #630,031 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Paradise!, January 2, 2008

By	Michael A. Scarpitti (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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The other reviewer perhaps misses the point of Wright's book. It is not a general cookbook on Sicilian cuisine, but one that focusses sharply on certain heavenly dishes that have Arabic origins. The recipe for Tummala alone makes the book worthwhile to buy.

3.0 out of 5 stars Lean Cuisine, September 18, 2005

By	Andreas Naumann (Vancouver, B.C.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A cookbook that's a pleasure to read, but a little light on content. Thus, it's filled out with recipes that are repeditive, although it's possible that this accurately reflects the author's focus on Arab/Sicilian cuisine. There's definitely more heavenly food in Sicily than there is in this oookbook.