Your Favorite Italian Cookbook and Why

[dkennedy]

I have more Italian cookbooks on my bookshelves than I could possibly ever hope to cook through. Yet, I feel compelled to collect more and more. Here is my list:

Favorites:
The Splendid Table
Cucina of Le Marche
The Tra Vigne Cookbook
Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking
Trattoria Cooking
The Flavor of Italy By the Chamberlains
The Il Fornaio Baking Book
Cucina Simpatica
The Little Dishes of Italy, Antipasti
Verdura

Never Cooked Out of:
Enoteca
Trattoria Grappolo
Olives and Oranges
Italy The Beautiful Cookbook
Cucina Ebraica
James McNair's Pasta Cookbook
Harry's Bar

I have made many recipes out of a few of these books; a few recipes out of most of these books; and none out of the remainder. If I had to whittle down my collection, I would be hard pressed to say which ones I would keep and which I would toss.

I would love to know which Italian cookbooks in your collection are your favorites and why? What are your favorite recipes out of these books?

[dkennedy]

Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Splendid Table:
Imola's Risotto of the Vigil p. 214
Frozen hazelnut zabaione with chocolate Marsala sauce p. 436-37
The entire Ragu section, p.33-57

Casual Cooking:
Entire homemade pantry section, p. 21-39
Warm Peach Salad, p. 84
Bitter Greens with Poached Eggs, p. 91
Planked Salmon, p. 144
Forever Roasted Pork, p. 161

Tra Vigne:
Whole Citrus Vinaigrette, p. 143
Chicken with Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Sauce, p. 145
Entire pantry section: p. 190-202

Other Chiarello recipes off website:
Basic risotto and polenta
Aranchini

Verdura:
Potato and Artichoke Cake, p. 266-267
Beet Greens and Zucchini Soup, p. 160-61

Antipasti:
Ivvoltini di Zucchine, p. 22
Sieved Tomato Sauce, p. 134

Cucina Simpatica:
Crostata crust, p. 182

La Marche:
Cinghiale con le Pappardelle, p. 72-74
Bucatini al Guanciale, p. 70-71

Il Fornaio;
Baci D'Alassio, p. 144-145
Biscotti Da Te, p. 147-148

If nothing else, starting this thread will give me a quick reference guide to my go to recipes from each book.

[Westy]

My favorites:
1. Jamie's Italy
2. North End Italian
3. Frankie's Spuntino
4. Union Square/Second Helpiongs
5. Maybe my most trusted: Sicilian Gentleman's Cookbook
6. Bravo! The Sylish Man's Guide to Italian Cooking. Not a bad book at all. So far, everything has been great. nice, clear instructions

[dkennedy]

What an interesting list! I have never heard of 2, 3, 5, or 6. I will have to check them out.

[roxlet]

Frankie's Sputiono came out last year and was nominated for a James Beard award this year.

[chicgail]

I love Jamie's Italy, also. I am drawn to his casual conversational style of describing recipes steps (throw in a couple of handfuls of basil...).

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi Westy, I was fortunate enough to find The Sicilian Gentleman's Cookbook at a thrift store this weekend and your recommendation immediately came to mind. If you see this, I'd love to hear which dishes are your favourites!

[Breadcrumbs]

Great thread dk! Thanks so much for sharing some of your favourites. Like you, I have more Italian Cookbooks on my shelves than any other cuisine. (114 according to EYB!)

A lot of my recipe notes are in my books so it would definitely take a lot of time to do a thorough job w this question. That said, I thought I could do a quick scan in EYB and see some recent notes I've made. I figure I can post now and then add to this as I come across books & recipes down the road.

Here are some books I've cooked recipes from recently that have produced great results:

Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen

- Rigatoni Woodman’s Style
- Beef Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

Molto Italiano: Simple Italian Recipes for Cooking at Home

- Ricotta Gnocchi with Sausage and Fennel
- Spicy Sicilian Chicken

Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages

- Barbecued swordfish with black olive-cucumber salad

Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking by Mario Batali and Mark Ladner

- Leek Ragu Bruschetta
- Ceci Bruschetta
- Cauliflower w Olives

In Nonna's Kitchen: Recipes and Traditions from Italy's Grandmothers by Carol Field

- Spaghetti w Lamb Sauce

Italian Easy: Recipes From The London River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

- Penne, Sausage, Ricotta

La Mia Cucina Toscana: A Tuscan Cooks in America by Pino Luongo

- Roughly cut pasta with white bean sauce
- Garganelli and chicken ragout with saffron

Stir: Mixing it up in the Italian Tradition by Barbara Lynch

- Butcher Shop Bolognese
- Rigatoni with spicy sausage and cannellini beans
- Pappardelle with tangy veal ragu

Twelve: A Tuscan Cook Book by Tessa Kiros

Tuscan Cookery by Elizabetta Piazzesi

I'd also add that I have all of Giada's books and have cooked many recipes without ever being disappointed. I posted a list of some in CH recently and if I find that list, I'll link to it here.

[bayoucook]

I love Stir, got it when it first came out. I remember the first recipe I made out of it was Braised Lamb Shanks with Winter Root Vegetables (p.255). I had bought my first lamb shank and this recipe was delicious. Made two others (gotta make more more!!) - Taleggio-Stuffed Proscuitto-Wrapped Chicken with Tomato and Olive Salad (p. 210) - and Chicken Meatballs (p. 149) which I served with a homemade kind-of alfredo sauce. Really good and DH loved 'em. Going to keep this one off the shelf and in the kitchen for now. It would make a good COTM, too.

[Breadcrumbs]

I've made note of your recipes from Stir bayoucook, thank-you. I just rec'd Stir at Christmas but it's become a fast favourite here. It's funny that you said you're keeping it in the kitchen because that's just where mine's ended up. . . and that's pretty "high end real estate" here at casa bc because I only keep 6-8 books in the kitchen!

Speaking of lamb shanks, not sure if you happen to have The Stinking Rose cookbook, do try the "Silence of the Lamb Shanks" recipe. We first enjoyed this dish at their restaurant in San Fran and I bought the cookbook just for that recipe. It was worth it!! Best lamb shank dish we've ever had!

[bayoucook]

Oh Lord, back to amazon to check it out. The cookbooks in my kitchen right now, besides Stir, are In The Kitchen With A Good Appetite (Melissa Clark), Real Cajun (Donald Link), Falling Off The Bone (Jean Anderson), and recently The Splendid Table. The books are in constant rotation but these may stay for a while. I'm still trying to gear myself up to try bread baking again and have those cookbooks set by, along with my new (Christmas gift) Artisan KA mixer with dough hook: Lord, give me strength!

[bayoucook]

Saw three versions on amazon, is this the one:
http://www.amazon.com/Stinking-Rose-R...
Looks good - we love garlic!

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi bayoucook, Yes, that's the one. It's a great little book w lots of straightforward, tasty recipes. If you get it, let me know and I'll pull my book and share any recipe notes I've made. We love garlic as well and this book has it, in spades!!

Your kitchen bookshelf is VERY similar to mine! At the moment: AMFT, Stir, In the Kitchen w a Good Appetite (I'm really enjoying reading this one . . .love it!) The Splendid Table, The Antipasto Table (Scicolone), Italian Family Cooking (Giobbi) and Quinoa 365 and The Clinton St. Baking Co. Cookbook.

[bayoucook]

Wow. Going to check out the Giobbi book since people have been liking him. I forgot to mention I also have AMFT - meant to cook so much more than I have out of it. Stir - two I'm looking at for this week - Pasta with Turkish-Style Lamb, Eggplant, and Yogurt Sauce (201), and Sweet and Sour Salmon (308) (want that now!).

[Breadcrumbs]

I have a tab on that Salmon dish as well bayoucook!!

[dkennedy]

In the Kitchen with Good Appetite is a keeper, all the recipes I have tried so far have been great.

[herby]

Breadcrumbs, have you cooked a lot from Quinoa 365? I have it too but have not made anything yet which is a shame. I was thinking about making something veg/quinoa for a sick friend - would love suggestions!

[dkennedy]

Just made the Quinoa dried fruit and nut salad out of AMFT and it was wonderful. If you need the recipe let me know.

[Breadcrumbs]

Hi Herby, I've only made 3 dishes from this book so far but I'd recommend all of them as they were terrific. They were:

Mushroom and Herb Quinoa - p. 43 I also added some fresh thyme to this as I was serving it w a roast chicken. Delicious.

Pomegranate, Almond and Feta Salad - p. 50 - Quick & easy and the honey Dijon dressing was a perfect compliment.

Salmon and Red Quinoa on Asparagus w Lime Dill (Cilantro) Sauce - p. 97 - I subbed dill for the cilantro as I've been cursed w an allergy to cilantro. This is a really yummy dinner dish.

Like dk below, I've also made the Quinoa salad from AMFT and we loved it. Here's a link to my review (and photos in my post directly below):

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7758...

I hope your friend is feeling better soon Herby, I'm sure they'll appreciate your kindness.

[herby]

Thank you for your suggestions, DK and BC! Do you think AMFT recipe (I have the book) will tast OK without the nuts? Her son has severe nut allegy, not sure about seed and will ask. I will get mushroom tomorrow and will try Mushroom and Herb Quinoa recipe. I do not know why the book does not inspire me to make anything:(

[Breadcrumbs]

Herby the nuts aren't imperative but they do help balance the dish. If seed are ok, I'd add some toasted sunflower seeds and maybe a few toasted sesame seeds too. Let us know how you make out!

[dkennedy]

I agree with BC. I have made the dish twice. Once, I did everything according to the recipe. I let the quinoa cool, I toasted the nuts, I let it sit for 1 hour before serving. It was perfectly balanced. Later in the week I threw it together a second time but this time in a hurry. I didn't measure the nuts and fruit ratio, nor did I let it cool before adding the fruit and nuts. Though it was still good, it was not a dish I would ever of made again. I think you should save the AMFT version for when you can use toasted nuts and a variety of dried fruits.

[HeBrew]

I actually only have three: Olive Oil From Tree to Table by Peggy Knickerbocker, The Four Seaons of Italian Cooking by A.J. Battifarano, and my favorite - Italia in Cucina by McRae books. It's my favorite because it has some of seemingly everything. It's permanently bookmarked at page 503 for the Salsicce e Fagioli all'Ucelletto (pork sausages and beans with garlic, sage, and tomato sauce). Peposo (black pepper stew) is on page 498. I combined some of the tomato sauces to come up with my own Bolognese sauce. Oh, then there's Cornetti di Salmone Affumicato con Insalata Russa (smoked salmon cones with potato salad).

[caiatransplant]

Oh my!! You DO have a library, don't you?! I also have many Italian cookbooks but find that I rely on the Giada DeLaurentis books (I have all of them) because I like fresh and simple and they fill the bill. I especially like her marinara sauce, although I admit that I add thyme, oregano and 4-5 cloves of fresh garlic (instead of the 1 her recipe calls for), double or triple the recipe and bag what I don't use for the current meal in 2-person bags with my FoodSaver.

I'm also a fan of Mario Battali and find that many of his recipies have an authentic (IMO) taste and, if you're organized, not all that difficult.

I would NEVER part with any of my cookbooks. I'd rather build (or harrass my husband into building) another bookshelf.

Buon Appetito!!

Oh Lord, I almost forgot Lidia Bastianich!! Her stuff is unstuffy, simple and GOOD!!

[twilight goddess]

caia---

Our tastes overlap.

Have you tried Giada's roast balsamic chicken? Pieces (bone-in skin-on thighs, breasts, a mix) are marinated overnight in Dijon, balsamic vinegar, garlic, a few other goodies and then roasted. AS you say -- fresh and simple. Tasty enough for guests, moist. Excellent chicken salad material.

I cooked Batali's hunter's style chicken aka chicken cacciatore with COTM a few years back and when I made it for a potluck at work this year, it won me my first paid catering job! Excellent recipe using his basic tomato sauce (with shredded carrot and fresh thyme) and building flavors with pancetta in addition to the usual suspects -- mushrooms, celery, rosemary, garlic, homemade broth, and chicken thighs of course.

[MMRuth]

No Marcella Hazan?

[dkennedy]

Marcella Hazan's the one Italian book I dumped last year. After last month's COTM discussion, I checked it out of the library to see what I missed. It's funny how we all have such varied tastes.

[sushigirlie]

I learned to cook out of Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. I think it's a very good choice for a beginner. The recipes are easy and Marcella instills a lot of cooking wisdom. Many recipes are absolute classics. But some recipes are too austere and bland for most American palates (including mine). So I cook less out of it these days.

[EM23]

Hazan's Classic Italian Cookbook taught me how to cook perfect basics - tomato sauce, manicotti, the best bolognese EVER and many more. This is the textbook for Italian cooking IMHO.

[dkennedy]

I am not sure if I ever cooked out of Hazan's when I had it on my shelf. As you can see, now I have a lot of others to replace it out. But back then I think I probably only had Hazan's book and The Flavor of Italy. I love The Flavor of Italy. It is out of print, but if you find a copy 2nd hand it would be a wise investment.

[Harters]

Gennaro Contaldo's "Passione" - it's a reminder of a lovely meal at his now closed eponymous restaurant.

[roxlet]

All the Marcella Hazan books
Rao's Cookbook for its Italian-American classics.
Naples at Table
We Called it Macaroni
Mario Batali's various tomes
The Splendid Table
The Italian Country Cookbook
The Southern Italian Table
The Heart of Sicily
Sicilian Home Cooking
Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey
My Calabria
and the grandma of them all:
Ada Boni's Italian Regional Cooking.

[buttertart]

I love that We Called it Macaroni, fascinating (not one cell of Italian in me...great to read about family traditions not my own).

[roxlet]

Ooops, I left out Bugialli on Pasta, as well as his Foods of Italy. Both great books!

[Gio]

Here are some of my Italian cookbooks. I really can't say they're all my *favorites, but they're all very good reads. I have a few really old books that I don't even touch now...

The Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Lo Pinto (1963)

Brunetti's Cookbook by Roberta Pianaro

Bugialli on Pasta, Revised and Enlarged by Giuliano Bugialli

Celebrations Italian Style by Mary Ann Esposito

Ciao Italia:Traditional Italian Recipes by Mary Ann Esposito

Ciro's Provincetown Kitchen by Ciro Cozzi & Cirro Cozzi

Da Silvano Cookbook by Silvano Marchetto

*Eat Right, Eat Well:The Italian Way by E. Giobbi & R. Wolff

*Italian Family Cooking by Edward Giobbi

Flavors of Tuscany by Nancy H. Jenkins

*Italian Easy by R. Gray & R. Rogers
*Italian Two Easy by R. Gray & R. Rogers
Italian Grill by Mario Batalli

*Molto Italiano by Mario Batalli

Molto Gusto by Mario Batalli

Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver

Lidia's Italian Table by Lidia Bastianich

Marcella's Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan

Naples at Table by Arthur Schwartz

Rao's Cookbook by Frank Pelligrino

Red, White, and Greens:The Italian Way w/Vegetables by Faith H. Willinger

Renaissance of Italian Cooking by Lorenza De'Medici

*Sicilian Home Cooking by Giovanna Tornabene & Wanda Tornabene

Williams-Sonoma Rome: Authentic Recipes by Maureen B. Fant

[Gio]

Don't know why there is a separation between lines in my post above...

[dkennedy]

So Gio,

If I was only going to add one Mario book to my collection, would you suggest Molto Italiano? If so, which are your go-to recipes from this book?

[Gio]

Oh gosh DK, I really liked everything we cooked from Molto Italiano. I'm away from the book now but there is a report thread in the COTM archives. I'll post later about my faves from this book, though.

[Gio]

DK here's a list of some dishes I've made and liked from Molto Italiano, in no particular order:

Braised Pork Black Rooster, pg. 377

Brocoli de Rape, 423

Porcini and Arugula Salad, 61

Pollo Avellino, 324

Sausages with Polenta and Peppers, 371

Penne with Onions and Cauliflower, 170

Shrimp Fra Diavolo, 269

Pan Roasted Turnips, 444

Pasta e Fagioli, 124

Sauteed Garlic, 428 (don't laugh)

Basic Sauce, 71

Minestra di Ceci e Pasta, 127

There's more but you get the picture. I'm usually "all over the map" when it comes to planning meals. We like dishes that have strong flavors so I amp up herbs and spices, etc. to suit our individual tastes trying not to deviate too much from the written recipe. Mario's recipes are very well written and IIRC there aren't many vague instructions.

But you know, everyone's tastes are different so one has to try and make any recipe one's own. It you've been cooking long enough you pretty much can tell whether or not you'll like a finished dish as you read through the recipe.

Here's the archived COTM thread for Mario Batali's month.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/561501

[dkennedy]

Thanks Gio,

I have been wanting to add a Mario book to my shelves for some time. Maybe this will be the one. I am impatiently waiting for Mozza to come out, though I think this is technically a Silverton book, not a Batali one.

[Gio]

You're welcome. Just know there are beef and other meat plus seafood and dessert recipes in the book.

[bayoucook]

Oh, that book looks reallllyyy good - Mozza - can't have it till September!

http://www.amazon.com/Mozza-Cookbook-...

[blue room]

Gio, there's a discussion on the "Site Talk" board about that problem -- it's being investigated--happened to me too a few days ago.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/777056
It only happens sporadically, but when it does you can't edit out those spaces...
weird.

[Gio]

Thanks BR...

[rcallner]

Second the Giobbi/Wolff book.

[Gio]

Right... especially the revised edition.

[Jay F]

The ones I've really cooked out of are Marcella Hazan's THE CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKBOOK and MORE CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKING and Giuliano Bugialli's THE FINE ART OF ITALIAN COOKING, probably because I'm older than a lot of you. They were what was available in the '70s.

Marcella was who I learned about Bolognese from, and Giuliano, the one right way (for me) to make pasta.

I can't imagine editing Marcella out of any collection of Italian cookbooks, so our tastes may not coincide, but I have also enjoyed reading all of Giuliano Bugialli's cookboks, in particular the photo-and-recipe books in which he visits different parts of Italy.

I like watching Mary Ann Esposito on TV, and Lidia Bastianich, but by the time I discovered them, I'd already learned so much from Marcella and Giuliano, I didn't see the need to augment the watching experience with more cookbooks. This was in the '90s, IIRC.

I was ready for more cookbooks by the time the '00s rolled around, and bought more of Bugialli, Marcella, and Pellegrino Artusi.

About a year ago, I found Lynn Kasper Rossetto's How to Eat Supper, and I can honestly say I have seldom been as disappointed in a cookbook. Her idea of making something good is to add raw red onion to it. I was imagining her eating them like apples.

Most recently, and thanks to the CH Cookbook of the Month, I bought JAMIE'S ITALY, which is a lovely tour of Italy that includes some recipes I'm able to use. When I used to watch him on TV, I recognized that his cooking style was basically Italian, but it was during my "Who needs cookbooks?" phase, so I'd never bought one of his until this year. Now I'm collecting them, practically.

Check out Giuliano Bugialli is the main thing I'd tell you. http://www.bugialli.com/

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_...

P.S. As a result of reading this thread, I just ordered myself a copy of Ed Giobbi's EAT RIGHT, EAT WELL, THE ITALIAN WAY. I read about him in Judith Jones' THE PLEASURES OF COOKING FOR ONE last year, and y'all keep mentioning him, and I need to eat right, and want to eat well, so...

[LJS]

La Cucina (Accademia Italiana della Cucina)-now in English, simply THE best articulation of regional variations on recipes old and new...for the experienced cook only, little instruction, no pictures, few substitutions

In Nonna's Kitchen (Carol Field)-good insights and adaptations of traditional recipes, using North American ingredients, substitutions and great little personal stories

Diary of a Tuscan Chef (Cesare Casella)--good step-by-step introduction to a regional cuisine that often gets celebrated without being understood as the product of very specific ingredients...also the best ever recipe for Fritto Misto di Pesce

Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian-good choice for the cook that wants to learn how to cook autentico Italian food without any knowledge of the Italian language and without full access to a great source for Italian ingredients...lots of substitutions, lots of big pictures and hand-holding step-by-step recipes and intro to techniques.

[blue room]

I gotta ask--

What if you took out everything but *the recipes* from these books -- no history, no geography, no stories, no science, no celebrities, no pictures, no theory, etc.etc.

Leaving just ingredients and method,

would there be a lot of overlap? 20%? 50%? more?

I'm not knocking the beautiful full rich books! I think I'm trying to buy less, though.

[LJS]

Personally, then I would purchase only La Cucina...it is simply, totally comprehensive with every possible regional variation. I would be hard-pressed to name a single recipe in one of the others that is NOT in La Cucina.

[jmckee]

I love Italian Country Table and cook from it all the time. There's not a recipe I've tried that didn't work and that wasn't smashing. Love the potato "gatto", a cassrole of garlic/Parmegiano seasoned mashed potatoes layered with peas, salame, mozzarella, and topped with coarse garlic bread crumbs and baked. The various rissoti are good too. And the primer on tomato sauce and pasta has made my life much easier. The crust for pizza is my go-to for homemade pizzas now, whether Italian or non-traditional (roasted bell pepper, chicken / apple sausage, and goat cheese, for example). Plus, Kasper can flat-out WRITE. The stories she tells are terrific, notably the prologue about all her family being in their ancestral Italian home for the wine harvest.

[dkennedy]

Wow, JMckee, that casserole sounds yummy!!

[cleobeach]

I ordered Italian Country Table after discovering the Splendid Table podcast. It just arrived today and I can't wait to crack it open tonight.

[jmckee]

Keep a hankie with you when you read the aforementioned wine harvest story. It can make for weepy.

[cookbookman]

Another vote for Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. I think that the title says it all, "Classic and Essential". It may not be the flashiest or sexiest of the Italian cuisine cookbooks, but, it will give you a base to make every dish this region is famous for.

[dkennedy]

My copy of The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper came in the mail. I ripped off the packing and dove right in. Initially, I was a little disappointed. After all, I was expecting something along the lines of The Splendid Table. So I put it down for a while and the next time I picked it up I tabbed all the dishes that had been recommended to me by others, many of them were things I probably would have skipped over so I am really appreciative of the input everyone has given me. Then, I started paging through the recipes, cover to cover. While doing this, I slowly began to appreciate the book's appeal. Though it is nothing like The Splendid Table, the recipes are simpler, and once I had the right frame of mind, I found each one is a gem. I tabbed some of my own and then settled on the following menu as my first try cooking out of this book:

The Brescia Garlic Bread and Green Bean Salad, p. 45 to start the meal;
The Garlic Capers Grilled Pork Chops, p. 246 served with Sicilian Sauce, p. 248: and
The Roasted Red Onion Wedges, p. 290 (which had suggested)

The meal was homey and delicious. A little too much work for a weekday meal, but only because I hadn't planned ahead. If I had marinated the chops the night before and made the Sicilian sauce in advance, then all that would have been left would have been a bit of chopping, blanching and grilling. I was hoping to make The Chocolate Polenta Pudding Cake, p. 360 for dessert, but didn't get that far.

Since I was going to be in the kitchen all day anyway, I decided to also make a pot of Mother's Broth to have on hand for future recipes. It was brewing on the stove until a few minutes again (where it stayed overnight, as it is supposed to cook for 14 hours). I can tell by the beautiful, rich, brown color it is going to be magnificent.

Thanks again for bringing my attention to this wonderful book. I can't wait to try some of the other recipes suggested by other CHs.

[oldunc]

At the risk of dating myself, Marcella Hazan's "Classic Italian Cookbook" and Giuliano Bugialli's first book- can't remember what he called it offhand.

[Jay F]

Bugialli's first book is The Fine Art of Italian Cooking. http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Italian-Co...

[oldunc]

They need to come up with some zippier names for these things.