Chefs of Cucina Amore, The: Celebrating the Very Best in Italian Cooking (Hardcover)

by Faith Willinger (Author), Nick Malgieri (Author), Nancy Harmon Jenkins (Author), Vincent Schiavelli (Editor), Joe Simone (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The Chefs of Cucina Amore, companion to the television show of the same name, stands on its own as an entertaining Italian cookbook. Most of its 100-plus dishes suit the modern palate while also being true to their regional Italian roots. In the TV shows, four Italian cooking experts, singly and in pairs, cook with host Victor Schiavelli, a food writer and actor. Schiavelli, in the book's introduction, gives you the unique flavor of each chef's personality. Faith Willinger is known for her devotion to the simple food of Tuscany. Nancy Harmon Jenkins also cooks Tuscan, but here she goes beyond Italy at times, making a kind of Greek ratatouille called soufiko. Joe Simone, a chef from Boston, adds exuberance and more sophisticated flavors in his Butternut Squash Soup with croutons of crushed Amaretti and sautéed prosciutto. Finally, master baker Nick Malgieri offers savory baked foccacia, classic sweets like cannoli and tiramisu, and luscious Neapolitan Torta Caprese, a superrich chocolate cake. This book will bring home many of the TV show's pleasures and all of its delicious food, and reading it will expand your understanding of Italian food as well as your repertoire. --Dana Jacobi

Product Description
With its distinctive flavors, textures, and aromas, Italian food has never been more popular. And of course when people eat Italian, they are eating healthy. The diversity of this cuisine covers a wide geography and culinary range - from Northern Italy to Sicily and all points in between - as shown by this rich selection of recipes from five chefs who are experts in the field. They include Joe Simone, known as the "Pavarotti of Italian cooking"; Faith Willinger, who studied with one of Rome's finest chefs; and Nick Malgieri, who directs the baking program at Peter Kump's famed New York cooking school. Based on public television's top Italian cooking show of the same name, The Chefs of Cucina Amore entices the reader with everything Italian from the simple to the sublime.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: West 175 Enterprises (December 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884656145
• ISBN-13: 978-1884656149
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,172,618 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars That's Amore!, May 28, 2000

By	"ditto" (Westford, MA) - See all my reviews

Fans of the PBS series will adore this book because it brings the show to life right in your own kitchen. People who've never heard of the show will love the book because it's one of the best Italian cookbooks you'll ever find.

Four highly skilled and well-trained chefs lead us through a variety of fabulous foolproof dishes, and they do not lead us astray.

Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful full page color photograph, as well as a helpful and interesting anecdotal notation about the main ingredients in the recipe. The recipe itself is clear, methodical, and leaves no room for error. I've tried at least two dishes from each chef and have never been disappointed.

Oddly enough, I caught only one episode of the PBS series but I was so impressed, I had to get the book immediately! I am a serious cookbook collector and have been disappointed many times. The Chefs of Cucina Amore is a definite winner. It's a delight to look at and is consistently rewarding to cook from. I highly recommend this book to anyone who truly savors exceptional Italian cooking.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars .......Thats Amore !!!, August 8, 2000

By	ElwoodsBrotherJake (Highlands , NC USA) - See all my reviews

This is a fine book to go with a fine series!!! Everyone of the cooks in this book are the finest around. And I have prepared about 75% of the recipes found in this book and I gotta tell you, I didn't know I could cook so good!!Vincent Schiavelli really surprised me with this series and he really brought the top Chefs in Italian Cooking and gave you an idea of what REAL Italian food is all about. I can only hope for another book and series.