Review: If You Were Me and Lived In...Renaissance Italy by Carole P. Roman

Title: If You Were Me and Lived In...Renaissance Italy
Series: If You Were Me and Lived In...
Author: Carole P. Roman
Artist: Silvia Brunetti
Format: Paperback, 58 pages
Pub. Date: May 6th 2016
Source: Author


Book Description:

Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in the first four books of her new series. Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient Greece, the clothes you wore in 15th century Renaissance Italy, what your name could be in Elizabethan England, and what Colonial American children did for fun. If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture. So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.

Review:

★★★

I think this is a great children's book series that overall does a good job of introducing world history to kids. While still an okay book, this particular installment is not my favorite of the series.

There is a LOT of information here. And that's good, to a degree. But when there's a block of text compared to a small, or not detailed illustration, it becomes dry and too much like a text book.

As always, I do appreciate the glossary in the back, and the phonetic pronunciations that are sprinkled throughout the book. They're helpful, if you/r kid has not come across them before. There's also a list of famous figures from this point in time, which is a good addition.

The illustrations are really pretty- I really like the art style. I do, however, think the mix of real life photos and artwork is sort of odd and choppy.

I also really appreciated that the book was about a girl this time!

All in all, it's informative but a bit much. It's still really interesting, but a bit harder to get through.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN Review: Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich & Tanya Bastianich Manuali

Title: Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian: 220 Foolproof Recipes That Make Every Meal a Party
Authors: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Tanya Bastianich Manuali
Format: Hardcover, signed
Pub. Date: October 17th 2017
Source: Eataly


Book Description:

The beloved TV chef offers the only cookbook you'll need to give any gathering--from a dinner for two to a wedding--a delectable, welcoming Italian flavor.

No one throws a party like Lidia Bastianich! And now, in this delightful new cookbook, she gives us 220 fantastic recipes for entertaining with that distinctly Bastianich flare. From Pear Bellinis to Carrot and Chickpea Dip, from Campanelle with Fennel and Shrimp to Berry Tiramisu--these are dishes your guests will love, no matter the occasion. Here, too, are Lidia's suggestions for hosting a BBQ, making pizza for a group, choosing the perfect wine, setting an inviting table, and much more. Beautifully illustrated throughout with full-color photographs and filled with her trademark warmth and enthusiasm, this is Lidia's most festive book. Whether you're planning a romantic picnic for two, a child's birthday party, a holiday gathering, or a simple weeknight family dinner, Lidia's flavorful, easy-to-follow recipes and advice will have you calling to your guests: "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!"

Review:

★★★★★

I was so excited to get my hands on this. I got the chance to go to a book signing at Eataly here in Chicago. Lidia is super sweet, and gave us chocolates.

Onto the book. As the title (and author) suggests, this is an Italian cookbook. The tagline is: "220 Foolproof Recipes That Make Every Meal a Party". I'm not Italian. I didn't grow up in a lovely family and learn to cook and my grandmother's hip. But also- I freakin' love Italian food and pasta. This book was meant for me; it's ways to cook classic Italian but from an approachable, novice standpoint.

The book is divided by course type: Aperitivi, Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Vegetables and Sides, Polenta Risotto and Pasta, Fish and Seafood, Poultry and Meat, and Desserts. This is a pretty foolproof way to find whatever you're in the mood for. Sprinkled throughout the book, there's also ideas for how to plan menus for different parties and events- like sports games or brunch.

Each recipe has the name in English followed by Italian, with a little paragraph about it- why it's included, how to adapt it, where it came from, etc. It's a nice touch that makes it feel like Lidia is exchanging recipe secrets with you. The steps can get kind of long and aren't numbered, but they're written simply in a way that's easy to understand.

The only nit I have to pick is the photography. I understand that having a photo for every one of the 220 recipes would turn it into a massive publication. But, I like having photos to go from. There's some, but not as many as I would have liked. The ones that are included are very delicious looking and professional.

This book is vegetarian friendly. There's lots of meatless dishes, and I think that some of the ones with meat are easily adaptable.

Some of the dishes that I look forward to making the most include: Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi, Stuffed Calamari, Layered Casserole with Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes, and Chocolate Sponge Cake with Sour Cherries and Chocolate Zabaglione Mousse Filling.

I think this is a good book for beginners and beyond, as well as those who host dinners or parties. There's a wide variety of recipes, and it includes desserts and cocktails. It's one I'm sure I'll keep in my kitchen for a long time.

Review: Nonna's House by Jody Scaravella and Elisa Petrini

Title: Nonna's House: Cooking and Reminiscing with the Italian Grandmothers of Enoteca Maria
Author: Jody Scaravella and Elisa Petrini
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: April 7th 2015
Source: Atria Books


Book Description via Goodreads:

This beautiful collection of food and nostalgia features great traditions from the heart of Italy, with delicious recipes and colorful stories from the internationally celebrated grandmothers of Enoteca Maria; a one-of-a-kind Italian restaurant where a rotating cast of nonnas are the star chefs.

Enoteca Maria takes great home cooking seriously. At this intimate, hospitable restaurant on Staten Island, all the cooking is done by ten nonnas (grandmothers), drawing on their own family recipes, handed down for generations, which reflect their regional traditions. Here are their delicious homemade pastas, risottos, desserts, and more, which have foodies from all over the world taking the ferry to the forgotten borough for an authentic taste of Italy.

Beautiful full-color photography captures the fresh, distinctive flavors of these surprising dishes. Nonna Cristina shares her beautiful Risotto with Strawberries, Black Pepper, and Parmesan; Nonna Margherita offers delectable Stuffed Peppers with Pine Nuts and Raisins; and Nonna Teresa shows off her prize-winning Meat and Cheese Lasagna. Nonna Elvira whips up her peerless Linguine with Cuttlefish and Ink; Adelina creates a savory Tagliatelle with Pumpkin, Sausage, and Chestnuts; and Rosaria makes handmade Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Cherry Tomatoes and Porcini Mushrooms. Nonna Carmelina shares her classic Potato Pie with Ham, Salami, and Mozzarella; Rosa confides her nonna's secret recipe for Rabbit with Sage; and Nina saut's Chicken alla Capricciosa, with prosciutto and mushrooms. Nonna Francesca launches the book with advice on the time-honored art of preserving everything from olives to soppressata.

With its utterly delicious tastes of grandmother's kitchen, Nonna's House is a legacy of flavors passed down through generations, now captured here forever. Restaurant founder Jody Scaravella says it best: If I have a choice between a three-star Michelin chef's restaurant and Grandma's, I'm going to Grandma's. I'm going to the source.

★★★★★

Review:

I was led to this book thanks to a mutual love that my girlfriend and I have for Italian cooking. I'm of mostly Polish heritage while she is German, so we have no Italian grandmothers to pump us full of homemade pastas and decedent desserts. So, I got a book that specialized in just that void that we have, and I was not disappointed. This is a gorgeous and heartfelt book.

It's clear that this book, and the restaurant that influenced it, is a labor of love. The beginning starts with a story of how it all began, and each recipe/section has more anecdotes and stories about the families that make it feel personal, like someone's grandmother is actually handing you a memory that's been cherished for generations. It's clear that they love each other and love food from the stories told and the recipes that are included. There are also plenty of family pictures, making it a bit like a diary or foodie scrapbook. I like it.

The pictures of the food are awesome too, they definitely make me want to try all of the things (and I will eventually, believe you me). The recipes in this book are sorted by course, with an added section for special holiday recipes. I really liked the variety of the recipes that are included, spanning from cold apps to desserts and everything in between. Vegetarian friends- there's also plenty of options for you in here, or recipes that can be adapted. I appreciated that there were also tips on how to change the recipes based on personal tastes and ingredient availability, as well as how some recipes may differ a bit depending on what part of Italy the person is from.

I want to make probably 95% of the recipes in this collection, but the ones that have me the most intrigued include: Chocolate Blood Pudding, Linguine with Cuttlefish and Its Ink, and My Prize Winning Meat and Three Cheese Lasagna with Eggplant, Asparagus, and Peas.

I recommend this book to any home cook who loves and appreciates good food steeped in tradition, or even just Italian food. I was provided a copy from Atria Books in exchange for my honest review.

Cookbook Review: The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends

Title: The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends

Author: Stanley Tucci

Format: egalley

Pub. Date: October 28th 2014

Source: Netgalley & Gallery Books



Summary from Goodreads:
Featuring family-friendly recipes and stunning photography, an all-new cookbook from New York Times bestselling author, beloved actor, and respected foodie Stanley Tucci.

Stanley Tucci's association with wonderful foods began for fans with the movie Big Night and resonated in his role as Julia Child's husband in Julie & Julia. But well before these films, he was enjoying innovative homemade Italian meals throughout his childhood, when family and food were nearly inseparable and cooking was always a familial venture.

Now, in a completely new, family-focused cookbook, Tucci captivates food lovers' imaginations with recipes from his traditional Italian roots as well as those of his British wife, Felicity Blunt, tied together with a modern American ribbon. The time-tested recipes include pasta alla bottarga, mushroom-stuffed trout, pork chops with onions and mustard sauce, barbeque chicken wings, and much, much more! Nothing will make you happier to spend time with family than the aroma of a hearty Italian dish sizzling on the stovetop.

Featuring 100 luscious new full-color photographs, The Tucci Table captures the true joys of family cooking. Buon apetito!

★★★★

I've got to say, this book has a really wide variety of recipes, and a high volume of them too. This cookbook is a nice blend of "a little bit of everything", but draws heavily on Italian, British, and American cuisines. There's a lot of dishes in here that I was familiar with, which helped to set the familial tone that Stanley Tucci wished to give to the reader.

Each recipe comes with a fun little story that introduces the people in Tucci's life, and makes you feel like you know them too. It made the recipes seem more personal, as though this book wasn't mass produced, but given to you as something special. There's a fair bit of humor in this book as well, which made it very easy to flip through for recipes. It's clear that this book was written in love.

The book is divided by course for easy navigation. In addition to anecdotes about Tucci's family, these recipes are paired with tips on how to store these dishes, how to make them better, or how to work with substitutions in a pinch. I really appreciated that for some of the more difficult recipes that step by step photos were included. The photography in this book is lovely, and while there's not a picture for every recipe, there are a lot of photographs.

This is a book that virtually anyone can use. There are some basic recipes for those who are new to the kitchen, and more complex dishes for those of us who have more experience with cooking. A few of the dishes that I most look forward to trying include Isabel's New York Cheesecake Ice Cream, Baked Ham with Mostarda di Frutta, and Pan-Seared Loin of Venison with Red Wine, Juniper and Quince.

This is a solid book for beginners and more experienced home cooks alike who are looking for new meals to share with their families. Thanks to Netgalley & Gallery Books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Cookbook Review: Downtown Italian

Title: Downtown Italian: Recipes Inspired by Italy, Created in New York's West Village

Authors: Joe Campanale, Gabriel Thompson, Katherine Thompson

Format: egalley

Pub. Date: October 7th 2014

Source: Netgalley & Andrews McMeel Publishing




Summary from Goodreads:

Three of the most inventive young restaurateurs in New York's vibrant East and West Villages present 100 contemporary Italian-inspired cocktails, antipasti, pastas, main courses and desserts—made approachable for the home cook.

Amid the cobblestoned streets and picturesque brownstones of New York's charming West Village, three dynamic young restaurateurs are creating some of the most inventive and delicious Italian-inspired cuisine in a city world-famous for its Italian food. Now the drinks and dishes that have inspired fanatical loyalty among customers of dell'anima, L'Artusi, L'Apicio and Anfora—including Charred Octopus with Chicories, Impromptu Tiramisu, and a sparking Roasted Orange Negroni Sbagliato—are accessible to home cooks in the first cookbook from executive chef Gabriel Thompson, pastry chef Katherine Thompson, and beverage director Joe Campanale.

Gabe Thompson's antipasti, pastas, main courses, and side dishes emphasize simplicity and deep flavor, using the freshest ingredients, creative seasonings, and the occasional unexpected twist---in such dishes as Sweet Corn Mezzaluna and Chicken al Diavolo. Katherine Thompson's desserts are both inspired and downright homey, running the gamut from a simple and sinful Bittersweet Chocolate Budino to the to-die-for Espresso-Rum Almond Cake with Caramel Sauce, Sea Salt Gelato, and Almond Brittle. And all are paired with thoughtfully chosen wines and ingenious Italian-inspired cocktails—Blame it on the Aperol, anyone?—by Joe Campanale, one of the most knowledgeable young sommeliers in New York City.

★★★ ★

Three and a half stars.

---

This book has so much more than meets the eye. I was just expecting a typical Italian cookbook filled with pasta. Downtown Italian has so much more. The book is divided by course, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the courses included drinks. I don't often come across cookbooks that include a cocktail section. It was a happy little bonus for me. Each recipe also comes with a hand selected wine or beer pairing, which is helpful for me. I have no shame in admitting I am useless when it comes to wine selections.

There's a wide variety of recipes included, for those who like meat and vegetarians alike. They also range widely in difficulty. Some of these recipes are super simple, and others have so many components and layers that even I'm a bit anxious to try them. Regardless of skill level, however, almost all of the recipes sounded delicious and like dishes I would order if I were out at an elegant Italian eatery. The dishes that I'm most excited to make include Roasted Pork Rack with Plums and Chorizo, Porcini-Rubbed Venison with Roasted Mushrooms and Walnuts, and Goat Cheese Mousse with Honey-Roasted Figs and Pine Nut Crisps.

I appreciated that the author included brand recommendations, but also realized that not everyone has access to those exact ingredients. He offered tips for substitutions, which is a nice touch.


The pictures that were included were beautiful, but for me there just wasn't enough. I'm very much the type of person who needs a picture of the end result to see just how well I did. I really wish this would have had more pictures of completed dishes instead of pictures of ingredients. There are a TON of recipes in this book, but it's a lot of text. That's not a bad thing for everyone, but for me it is an issue.

That issue aside, this is a solid Italian cookbook that I would recommend to more seasoned home cooks. Beginners might be a bit intimidated by the recipes in here. This is also good for anyone who loves Italian food, or who wants to impress people at their next dinner party or date (that may or may not be why I am using it!) Thanks to Netgalley & Andrews McMeel Publishing for my copy in exchange for my honest review.