Current Cookbook - Adventures of an Italian Food Lover

ADVENTURES OF AN ITALIAN FOOD LOVER - With Recipes From 254 of My Very Best Friends by Faith Heller Willinger

This cookbook has a copyright of 2007. I bought this book in January of 2008. I have never cooked from this before.

I remember reading reviews of this cookbook in many magazines in the months before I bought it. All talked not only about the great recipes but also about the wonderful stories of Italy that the author wrote about.

Ms. Willinger, who has lived in Italy for at least 30 years traveled all over the country eating at the best restaurants, talking to wine makers and food artisans, folks at dairies, markets, and bakeries. The result is this book full of recipes from friends and restaurants.

This is truly part travel guide. Each recipe is proceeded by information on where the recipe came from,  Ms. Willinger's thoughts about the dish along with information on the address of the restaurant/market, telephone numbers, when the places are open and websites if available. The charm of the cookbook is how the author describes her friendships with those that she gets the recipes from. This is really one of those cookbooks that you take to bed at night and read like a novel.

The book is divided into three regions, Northern and Central Italy, Tuscany, and Southern Italy and the Islands. There is a brief introduction, a general index and an index by region. There are no photos of the dishes, instead there are watercolors of various folks she writes about along with watercolors of places she's been to (the watercolors are done by her sister Suzanne Heller).

The recipes seem easy to follow, though I'm not sure the recipes are exactly easy. Some of the ingredients might be a bit hard to find unless you have access to an Italian import place or a good gourmet store (fresh laurel leaves, fennel pollen, zucchini flowers) but I think you could find most of what the recipes call for in a good grocery.

Lots of interesting recipes to try. Little Meatball Salad, Polenta with Tomato Sauce and Sausage Ragu, Spaghetti with Spicy Onion-Tomato Sauce, Stewed Peppers with Balsamic Vinegar, Montalcino Stewed Chicken, Really Bittersweet Tuscan Chocolate Sauce, Paola's Potato and Pasta Soup. Short Pasta with Shrimp and Sicilian Pesto.

Comments

[noble pig]

I want the little meatball salad...yum.

[Chef Barbie]

heh heh heh... i commented on food gals blog and noticed you were the comment right above me!:) lol

[kw Restaurant Muenchen]

Who likes to eat well, of course, knows how special a great Italian meal, and this is what she started a fashion in which America loves Italian food. There are many excellent dishes that Italians do, which can be very difficult to identify precisely what would be the favorite. From simple to complex may be a statement today that Italian pasta meals, and that does nothing for those looking for a great noodle dish. There are so many choices, it is very difficult to choose, and youll never miss something you have not tried before.