Celebrations, Italian Style: Recipes and Menus for Special Occasions and Seasons of the Year (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Host of PBS's Ciao, Italia, author of the companion cookbook and Nella Cucina, the enthusiastic, irresistible Esposito could put even the most curmudgeonly of readers in a holiday mood. Covering all courses and many holidays, she offers recipes and menus for traditional holiday fare, e.g., the meatless, fish-centered Christmas Eve meal, including recipes for Stewed Cod and Fried Eel. There are a variety of Christmas cakes (Panettone, Pandoro, Panforte di Siena) and for Easter, Columba, a yeast bread in the shape of a dove carrying an egg. For Thanksgiving Esposito suggests a pumpkin risotto; for a birthday, gnocchi; for a picnic, a rustic Sicilian spinach pie. A towering Cookie Wedding Cake is a particularly tempting variation on the expected. Recipes are best suited to cooks with some experience; chapters are arranged according to courses, e.g., "Antipasti" and "Frutte e Dolci." A final chapter covers simple, unusual gifts such as Prosciutto and Rosemary Breadsticks. Menu suggestions (Vegetarian Summer Buffet; Christmas Eve Dinner) are offered in sidebars; Tomie de Paola illustrates accompanying holiday folktales. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Esposito, host of the long-running PBS series Ciao Italia and author of two popular collections of her own homestyle cooking, Ciao Italia (Hearst, 1991) and Nella Cucina (LJ 5/15/93), now offers recipes and menus for special occasions and seasons of the year. This larger-format book presents festive but mostly easy traditional dishes for weddings, holidays, and other celebrations.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 342 pages
• Publisher: Hearst Books; 1st edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688130380
• ISBN-13: 978-0688130381
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #315,729 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful way to recapture fond Italian memories, June 12, 1997

By A Customer

When I received "Celebrations, Italian Style", I was so very overwhelmed with fond and wonderful memories of my mother. The explanations of the special holidays/celebrations were exactly as I remembered them as a child growing up. These recipes produce the same mouth-watering aromas that used to fill the whole house. You knew the minute you approached the house that Mama was cooking up something special. Each time I prepare one of these recipes, I feel my mother is right there beside me. When I read this book I am completely absorbed by the foods, the smells and the traditions that I hope to pass on to my own children. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to be taken back to recapture their favorite Italian memories. Enjoy!!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remember Grandma's cooking?, November 25, 1997

By A Customer

Mary Ann Esposito has dotted her collection of Italian-American recipes with stories from her childhood, reminding me of my own family's history. These recipes are practical, requiring easily found ingredients, written in an explanatory style. There are many little "hints" to turning out the dish in fine style, serving suggestions, new ways to incorporate Italian cooking methods into everyday meals. The Torta Nuziale (Wedding Cake) is a masterpiece! Buttermilk, almond oil, hazelnuts, coconut combine to create a dense cake that will become a family favorite. The cream cheese icing is easy and tasty. Sra. Esposito has given us a handbook of Italian-American cooking, spiced with her personal stories. It is a combination that makes for good reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celebrations, Italian Style, January 11, 2007

By	nrh "nrh" (ny usa) - See all my reviews

The best cookbook ever! My favorite cookbook by far and each recipe in here is delicious, (i've tried just about all of them!). highly reccommend it, and now purchase this book for everyone I know who enjoys Italian food and cooking!