David Ruggerio's Italian Kitchen: Family Recipes from the Old Country (Hardcover)

by David Ruggerio (Author), Maura McEvoy (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Classically French-trained chef (formerly of Le Chantilly in New York City) and former Food Network host Ruggerio returns to his southern Italian roots (via Naples, Sicily and Brooklyn) with irrepressible enthusiasm. Ruggerio draws a distinction between the cooking of Naples (from his mother's side), which is "colorful and accessible, using mostly basic ingredients," and that of Sicily (his father's homeland), which he describes as "complex and subtle, calling for some 'exotic' ingredients." More than 150 recipes from both regions are folded into the book's seven chapters: antipasti, soups, pasta, fish and shellfish, meat and fowl, vegetables and desserts. Unlike many Italian cookbook chefs, Ruggerio sincerely attempts to enlighten readers about the country's regional differences. In short essays, he differentiates, for example, between the Neapolitan and Sicilian dialects and the "Fisherman in the Bay of Naples" and "La Tonnara," the Sicilian tuna fishing tradition, often with tongue-in-cheek humor. The straightforward recipes aim for authentic, traditional preparations, such as Silken Scallion Soup with Squid, She-Crabs Marinara, Saut?ed Sweet-and-Sour Tuna Steaks, Tripe Parmesan, Chicken Baked in Clay and Neapolitan Cauliflower Salad. Instructive sidebars introduce readers to Italian fundamentals, such as cooking pasta, filleting fish and roasting peppers. Alternating between entertainer and teacher, Ruggerio regales readers with countless amusing anecdotes, from yarns about his overprotective, meddling Sicilian aunt Josie (who insisted her daughter spend her honeymoon at home) to his hypochondriac friend Joey Baccala. Melding a bent for tall tales with alluring preparations, Ruggerio inspires readers to explore southern Italy with a smile and an adventurous palate. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Come and meet the family! It's quite a cast of characters, and boy, can they cook! As he did so lovingly in Little Italy Cookbook, his joyful evocation of Italian-American neighborhoods and cooking, David Ruggerio invites you back into the kitchen, but this time it's to the kitchens of the old country, to Naples and Sicily. Step into the landscape and breathe in the aromas; dip some bread into the sauce simmering on the stovetop and enjoy the lively conversation--a celebration of the legacy of David's ancestors.

The son of a Neopolitan mother and a Sicilian father, Ruggerio is 100 percent Italian but with two distinct sides: He considers himself Neapolitan in emotion--passionate, friendly, fun-loving--and Sicilian in character--deep and soulful. Neopolitan cooking, like David, is colorful, accessible, elemental--"in your face." Sicilian cooking is more complex, its ingredients and flavors combining in more subtle ways, influenced by Sicily's many years of foreign rule. From these contrasting strains comes a multistarred chef and television personality with rich culinary roots.

David Ruggerio's Italian Kitchen is a full-color family album, filled with stunning photographs, many shot in and around Naples and Sicily, of people, places, and food, along with informative sidebars, amusing anecdotes, and recipes gathered from family and friends. There's Lentil Soup with Macaroni, traditionally drunk--for luck--while walking up the stairs on New Year's eve but now eaten at the table after Uncle Tony accidentally doused Aunt Gloria with it one year, and Famous Sunday Gravy (ragu to many of us), a gift of David's grandmother and every Neapolitan grandma who emigrated to America. Undo the "evil eye" with Aunt Philomena's Pasta with Sardines, which could possibly qualify as Sicily's "national" dish.

With over 150 recipes for feast days and for every day, David Ruggerio's Italian Kitchen delivers the heart and soul of Italian family cooking. It will have you feeling at home in your Italian kitchen, even if you're not Italian.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Artisan; First Edition edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579651151
• ISBN-13: 978-1579651152
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #826,959 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book To Read As Well As Use, October 3, 2000

By	Deb Mele (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed reading this book almost as much as I enjoyed the recipes I prepared from it. As the Italian Food Host @ BellaOnline, I keep primarily an Italian kitchen, and have over 130 Italian cookbooks in my collection. This book has great photos, interesting little articles throughout and VERY good recipes. I am partial to southern Italian cooking anyway, so this book with it's Sicilan and Napolitano influences was particularly appealing. I have made quite a few recipes from this book already and apart from the odd one or two, would repeat them all. If you like southern Italian cooking with it's bold flavors, you won't be disappointed with this book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Format & Interesting Stories, January 22, 2002

By	Diana F. Von Behren "reneofc" (Kenner, LA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book would make a wonderful gift for an Italian American with either a Sicilian or Neapolitan descent. Intersperced in each of the usual Italian cookbook sections--antipasti, zuppe, pasta, frutti di mare, carne e pollame, verdure and dolci---are stories about Sicilians and Neapolitans that whet not only your culinary interest in these amazing people but also your interest in their culture and traditions. The book is punctuated with beautiful full page color photos of both the food, the places and the personalities. Ruggiero offers an amusing lexicon of Sicilian and Neapolitan phrases--that although I am not Sicilian or Neapolitan myself, I could relate to them with a broad smile as they seem to be indigenous to the Southern Italian dialect and can be easily recognized if not by spelling at least by sound by any Italian American. This book is a fun way to look into your heritage and at the same time prepare and eat good food.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Italian Essential!, May 15, 2002

By A Customer

This book is a great reference for traditional Italian recipes. Together with Little Italy, it's all you need to cook delicious dishes just like Grandma used to make. I would heartily recommend it!