The Italian Regional Cookbook - Rilegato

Harris, Valentina

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0754832406 ISBN 13: 9780754832409

Casa editrice: Lorenz Books, 2017

Riassunto

A great cook's culinary tour of Italy in 325 recipes and 1500 color photographs, including: Lombardy; Piedmont; Liguria; Emilia-Romagna; Veneto; Tuscany; Umbria; Sardinia; Campania; Sicily; Puglia; Basilicata; and Calabria.

Su questo libro

Recensione

In a word, The Italian Regional Cookbook is monumental. Simply and perfectly monumental. The most popular cuisine in America, if not the world? Italian, of course... Who is the best expert writing in English to decipher the rules, the histories, and those flavors? Valentina Harris was born in Italy but has lived for four decades in London. There she has taught, been on radio and TV, and, yes, authored over 30 cookbooks. I've tasted her food and reviewed her books before, like Risotto! Risotto! which has just been reprinted and is the definitive guide to that treasured Northern Italian dish. Yes, Northern Italy provides many culinary treasures, and quite distinctive from, say, Sicily. To cover the full range of culinary history and ideas, this grand book, Valentina divides Italy into five major regions: North-West, North-East, Tuscany, Umbra and Le Marche, Central Italy and Sardinia, Sicily and Southern Italy. The 325 recipes in the book span all the places you know and many you don't. There are over 1500 color photographs showing both the final dish and steps along the path to perfection. It's a dense book but one written for the normal home cook. Nothing here is restaurant heavy. These are recipes from Italian homes and so are destined for yours, too. Besides the food, Valentina dwells on the geography. After all, terroir affects more than just grapes. And she talks about history. There is also the terroir of the people generated by centuries of history... There are over 600 pages in The Italian Regional Cookbook. What can I do to convince you that this monumental volume is one you want? Let me shatter your belief that you know what Italian food is. Here s a collection of recipes in the book, organized by region from North to South. Each dish is distinguished by its combination of ingredients or a cooking technique or presentation that will just make you pause. Or, say to yourself, They do that? Yes, they do. They really do. And Valentina's most carefully researched tome, gives you the real and delicious deal. Appropriately, this is the longest cookbook review I have ever written. The Italian Regional Cookbook, at six pounds, is the heaviest cookbook I have ever held in my hands. Six pounds of, if not gold, then surely Italian grandeur. You'll relish every page. --Brian O'Rourke, Cooking by the Book, February 2019

Cuisines come and go in fashion these days [but] Italian food often doesn t get the critical love that other foods do. Why? Well for the most part is has no real countrywide examples, it's a food world of regions. Down south you will find olive oil being used in abundance, while in the cooler north butter is king. Polenta versus pasta? It depends where you live. And in Tuscany it's hard to escape the beans. So, while there are regional cookbooks, there has never really been a real Italian Food Cookbook from an English writer. In a country where people can't even agree to disagree on how to make pizza or risotto, it's probably impossible. Go down five kilometres and even a local dish will be made that bit differently each time. Valentina Harris, who with 30 cookbooks to her name, knows more than most about Italian food has created The Italian Regional Cookbook to meet a need. Why search a library of books when you can pull just the one off the shelf. And so Valentina travels around the twenty regions, literally as she had the chance to do so for a BBC series some years ago. She describes each region first, its cultural heritage, its local ingredients, the geography that makes it unique and gives it the food and wines it enjoys. Much of Italy eats and drinks what it does because it had to, they ate seasonally and locally because there was no other choice and even today, with easier transport and connections, they still do. It's a book to travel through, to perhaps start at the beginning and work your way through, cooking all the way to the end. Or visit a region - Tuscany, Calabria, Sicily or Piedmont. In each you'll find dishes you've certainly heard of and quite a few that you probably haven't. Over 325 recipes and 1500 photos, not just of finished dishes but of cooking stages as well, make this a mighty heavy tome, you may have to reinforce your bookshelf and pump some iron before using. It is however a cookbook that cries out to be used regularly and which promises success combining clarity of instruction with deep knowledge of its subject. --Nick Harman, Foodepedia, 2018

If you want to add just one cookbook on your kitchen shelf , let it be this one. It is absolutely gorgeous. The Italian Regional Cookbook by Valentina Harris has 325 recipes with 1500 photographs. It is not just a cookbook, but a journey through Italy. The photographs are stunning. The book takes you on a culinary tour of 20 regions of Italy from the flavours of the Mediterranean to the Trentino region where cuisine is somewhat heartier. The photos of the food combined with the images and history of the food from each region inspire you to want to cook something new - and book your next holiday to Italy!! --Ceri Wheeldon, Editor, Fabafterfifty, 2018

L'autore

VALENTINA HARRIS – A PROFILE

With heritage like Valentina's, it is no wonder she is such a well-respected authority on Italian food and food culture. Tracing her family history back to 1369 through the illustrious Sforza dynasty, Valentina is the youngest member of a large Anglo-Italian family of gourmets. Educated in Italy, Valentina brought her qualifications for teaching and cooking from Rome to London in 1976, where she built her reputation primarily as a private chef until the publication of her first award-winning cookery book in 1984; Perfect Pasta.

An award winning author of over 40 books on Italian food, Valentina is also an experienced and enthusiastic teacher, sharing her food philosophy of seasonal local produce served with minimum fuss and maximum care. She currently teaches regularly at The Bertinet Kitchen in Bath, La Cucina Caldesi in Marylebone, The School of Artisan Food on the Welbeck Estate and Divertimenti in Knightsbridge.

The proprietor, principal tutor and regulator at Cucina Valentina Ltd., Valentina organises culinary adventures across Europe, and is a regular face at food festivals in the UK as producer and host of cookery theatres and presentations.

Valentina stills finds time to host bespoke cookery courses and undertake special private catering commissions, and you will also find her popping up on radio and television from time to time.

As one of the founders of the London chapter of Les Dames D'Escoffier, Valentina is committed to strengthening the position of professional women in the world of food, beverage and hospitality. As a result of her position as Chapter President, Valentina has access to hundreds of female culinary professionals in all fields, including cookery schools, retail, PR, media, productions etc. throughout the USA.

Valentina's Foodoir, her long awaited book of family memoirs and recipes: Fiori di Zucca, was published by DBP on June 6th 2013. This was followed by the publication of a revised edition of her famous book Risotto! Risotto! in 2017, which has recently been nominated for Best in the World in the International Gourmand Awards. Her latest book is The Italian Regional Cookbook, published by Lorenz Books. This is the compilation of a previously published series of 5 books on regional Italian cookery and the culmination of 8 years research and work.

Valentina maintains strong links with Italy in order to strengthen her ties with and maintain her expertise in Italian cuisine. Early in 2018 she will be launching her own online shop called Valentina's Selection, selling carefully sourced Italian products from small producers in all regions of Italy.

Valentina has a great love for the south of Italy, and spends her summer holidays happily exploring the region of Calabria and all its culinary riches.

Some Career Highlights:

1. 1984 – publication of first book: Perfect Pasta

2. BBC 6 part series on Italian Regional Cookery (1990) and bestseller book to accompany series.

3. 10 years as a consultant with Sacla UK – NPD, Press Office, Media Relations and Event organisation

4. Hosting and producing the only one off food festival for HRH Prince of Wales at Clarence House

5. 5 years with Tesco – representing their entire Italian range across the board and organising/hosting press trips to Italy on their behalf

6. 4 years as representative for IOOC (The International Olive Oil Council) representing the culture, quality and benefits of Olive Oil in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe.

7. Several awards for food writing, including the 2011 International Gourmet Award for the recent series on Italian Regional Cuisine and Food Culture – now compiled with extra copy and new photography into: The Italian Regional Cookbook published by Lorenz Books in 2018

8. 2013 Publication of Fiori di Zucca – a family memoir

9. 2013 to 2016– Representing the Consorzio del Gorgonzola, Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano and Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma in the UK with a series of regular events promoting the products and teaching the attending public and/or media about the history, background and value of these iconic Italian products.

10. Chef coordinator for The Real Food Festival

11. Coordinator of The Quality Food Awards at The University of West London, August 2013

12. 2013 – Coordinating the Wells Food Festival Sunday Lunch in Wells Town Hall, assisted by the students of The Blue School

13. 2014 Coordinating the Wells Food Festival Sunday Lunch with the students from the Blue School and from UDS Perugia

14. May 2013 Edible London – organising and hosting the first London experience for 60+ US members of Les Dames d'Escoffier International

15. October 2014 – The Great Somerset Sunday Lunch, held in the Undercroft at Wells Cathedral, Somerset with students from The Blue School

16. March 2015 – Honorary Masters Degree presentation from UWL

17. Spring 2018 – the 624-page Italian Regional Cookbook is published.

    
    

    
    

    
    

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: Lorenz Books
• Data di pubblicazione: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0754832406
• ISBN 13: 9780754832409
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Lingua: Inglese
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 624