Italy Al Dente: Pasta, Risotto, Gnocchi, Polenta, Soup (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Though good Italian cooking should be rooted in strong regional traditions," Biba Caggiano writes in her introduction to Italy al Dente, "I also believe that one should not follow rules slavishly because ... food adapts itself to new modes.... Flexibility in the kitchen is essential, the quality of ingredients is everything, and simplicity of execution is a must. Another important prerequisite of the Italian cook is fantasia, or imagination and creativity."

One might view this book, then, as a guide to Italian fantasia, Biba style. Start with brodo, or broth, and move right along to Bean, Cabbage, and Rice Soup. Or Barley and Porcini Mushroom Soup. Biba Caggiano has been in the Italian food game long enough that she is determined to come up with special treats for her old fans and new followers alike.

Both elegance and simplicity lace their ways through this cookbook as it addresses Italian foods found most often at the front end of the meal: soups, pasta, risotto and rice dishes, gnocchi, and polenta. Biba is determined to take the reader right to the heart and soul of Italian cooking. Risotto with Duck Ragu? Case closed. --Schuyler Ingle

From Library Journal

Caggiano, chef/owner of a popular Sacramento restaurant and author of From Biba's Italian Kitchen (LJ 5/15/95), concentrates on the kind of Italian food most Americans like best: pastas, risottos, gnocchi and polenta dishes, and soups. With her usual knowledgeable enthusiam, she presents delicious, satisfying recipes, from Sicilian Fresh Fava Bean Soup (oddly enough, she describes soups as "the best-kept secret of Italian cooking," which is hardly the case) to Polenta with Fontina, Butter, and Sage. An especially appealing chapter is called "La Spaghettata" (which she translates as "Spaghetti at Midnight"), quick and easy dishes tossed together using pantry samples or a handful of fresh ingredients. Recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; 1 edition (February 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688148778
• ISBN-13: 978-0688148775
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #281,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biba writes from her soul and cooks from her heart., November 3, 1998

By A Customer

I have been following Biba Caggiano's work for the past 15 or more years and she still amazes me. Her cookbooks are always the best for Italian Food I have ever found. She seems to find recipies that always work and come out the way they should. Her cooking show on TLC was as good as her books and is dearly missed. If anyone get's a chance to visit her restaurant in Sacramento, California please do so... Probably the best Italian Restaurant in the USA..From her first cookbook to her most recent they are books that need to be in every kitchen..I would not want to be in the kitchen cooking without my friend Biba!!!!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Pasta Lovers, March 21, 2001

By A Customer

IF you love pasta, you MUST have this book. I have made so many of the dishes in it and everyone loves them! Instructions are very easy to follow too!

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great From Biba, February 25, 2000

By	Lesley Roubicek Turman -- BellaOnline Italian... (USA) - See all my reviews

This book is definately one any Italian cook should have in their reference library. As the owner of over one hundred Italian cookbooks myself, this book is one I often find myself using. There is a great mix of recipes, both traditional and those with a contmporary twist, but all the recipes I've tried have been superb. As the Italian Cooking Host @ Bella Online, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Italian cuisine.