Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780375411502)

From the beloved TV chef and best-selling author--loved by millions of Americans for her simple, delectable Italian cooking--comes her most instructive and personal cookbook yet.

Focusing on the Italian-American kitchen--the cooking she encountered when she first came to America as a young adolescent--Lidia pays homage to this "cuisine of adaptation born of necessity." But she transforms it subtly with her light, discriminating touch, using the authentic ingredients, not accessible to the early immigrants, which are all so readily available today. The aromatic flavors of fine Italian olive oil, imported Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gorgonzola dolce latte, fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary, sun-sweetened San Marzano tomatoes, prosciutto, and pancetta permeate the dishes she makes in her Italian-American kitchen today. And they will transform for you this time-honored cuisine, as you cook with Lidia, learning from her the many secret, sensuous touches that make her food superlative.

You'll find recipes for Scampi alla Buonavia (the garlicky shrimp that became so popular when Lidia served the dish at her first restaurant, Buonavia), Clams Casino (with roasted peppers and good American bacon), Caesar Salad (shaved Parmigiano makes the difference), baked cannelloni (with roasted pork and mortadella), and lasagna (blanketed in her special Italian-American Meat Sauce).

But just as Lidia introduced new Italian regional dishes to her appreciative clientele in Queens in the seventies, so she dazzles us now with pasta dishes such as Bucatini with Chanterelles, Spring Peas, and Prosciutto, and Long Fusilli with Mussels, Saffron, and Zucchini. And she is a master at teaching us how to make our own ravioli, featherlight gnocchi, and genuine Neapolitan pizza.

Laced with stories about her experiences in America and her discoveries as a cook, this enchanting book is both a pleasure to read and a joy to cook from.

Author: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
ISBN-10: 037541150X
ISBN-13: 9780375411502
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Language: English
Published: 10/23/2001
Pages: 464
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 2.80lbs
Size: 9.58h x 8.14w x 1.38d
Award: IACP Crystal Whisk Award - Winner

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 07/01/2001 pg. 66
Publishers Weekly 10/01/2001 pg. 53
Library Journal 10/15/2001 pg. 102
New York Times 12/02/2001 pg. 56
Booklist 11/15/2001 pg. 534
Choice 12/01/2001 pg. 695
Publishers Weekly 10/15/2001