Italian Recipes For Dummies
1st Edition
Published on 11. April 2022
400 pages
978-1-119-86271-0 (ISBN)
Description
Your roadmap to cooking like an Italian your very own home
For those of us not lucky enough to have our very own Italian grandmother or have attended culinary school in Italy, Italian Recipes For Dummies is stepping in to fill the gap. Award-winning chef and author Amy Riolo delivers a step-by-step guide to creating authentic Italian dishes, starting from the basics and progressing to more advanced techniques and recipes.
You'll discover how to shop for, plan, and cook authentic Italian meals properly. You'll also find guidance on how to incorporate the cultural, nutritional, and historical influences that shape classic Italian cuisine.
This book includes:
* Individual chapters on staples of the Italian pantry: wine, cheese, and olive oil
* More than 150 authentic Italian recipes with step-by-step instructions
* Access to a Facebook Page hosted by the author that provides extended resources and up-to-date information on mastering Italian cooking
The perfect book for amateur chefs, Italy aficionados, homemakers, and anyone else looking for culinary inspiration, Italian Recipes For Dummies is also an indispensable guide for people seeking healthier ways of shopping, cooking, and eating without giving up amazing flavors and rich foods.
For those of us not lucky enough to have our very own Italian grandmother or have attended culinary school in Italy, Italian Recipes For Dummies is stepping in to fill the gap. Award-winning chef and author Amy Riolo delivers a step-by-step guide to creating authentic Italian dishes, starting from the basics and progressing to more advanced techniques and recipes.
You'll discover how to shop for, plan, and cook authentic Italian meals properly. You'll also find guidance on how to incorporate the cultural, nutritional, and historical influences that shape classic Italian cuisine.
This book includes:
* Individual chapters on staples of the Italian pantry: wine, cheese, and olive oil
* More than 150 authentic Italian recipes with step-by-step instructions
* Access to a Facebook Page hosted by the author that provides extended resources and up-to-date information on mastering Italian cooking
The perfect book for amateur chefs, Italy aficionados, homemakers, and anyone else looking for culinary inspiration, Italian Recipes For Dummies is also an indispensable guide for people seeking healthier ways of shopping, cooking, and eating without giving up amazing flavors and rich foods.
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Amy Riolo is an award-winning author, chef, television personality, food historian, and culinary anthropologist. She is known for simplifying recipes for the home cook. She leads culinary tours in Italy, is the co-founder of A.N.I.T.A. (National Italian Academy of Food Traditions), and has her own line of private-label Italian products.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- About This Book
- Foolish Assumption
- Icons Used in This Book
- Beyond the Book
- Where to Go from Here
- Part 1 Introducing the Art of Italian Cooking
- Chapter 1 Cooking the Italian Way: That's Amore!
- Appreciating How History and Geography Shaped Italian Cuisine
- Back to Basics: Applying Ancient Strategies in the Modern Kitchen
- Building on base recipes
- Enjoying the seasons at the table
- Get Ready, Get Set!
- Gathering the tools you need . . . and then some
- Stocking important pantry items
- Keeping courses and food pairings in mind
- Get Cooking! Eyeing Authentic Italian Recipes
- Chapter 2 Pizza, Pasta, and So Much More: Appreciating Italian Tradition
- The Role of Culture in the Italian Kitchen
- Touring Important Events in Italian Culinary History
- How Romans and Greeks laid the foundation for Italian cuisine
- How terrain and climate shaped regional cuisine
- How foreign powers influenced cuisine across geographic locations
- Mastering Time-Honored Italian Traditions
- La bella figura: Using food to make a good impression
- Staying the course: Italian meal planning
- Pairing complimentary dishes
- Chapter 3 Base Recipes: The Backbone of the Italian Kitchen
- Introducing the BFFs of Italian Home Cooks
- Waste not: Making bread crumbs, crostini, and bruschette
- Savory stocks: The unsung heroes
- Beans and legumes provide boundless possibilities
- Fruits and vegetables for the healthy win
- Chapter 4 Cooking with an Eye on the Calendar
- Seasonality in the Italian Kitchen
- Sampling Everyday Menus for Every Season
- A sample springtime meal
- A sample summertime meal
- A sample fall meal
- A sample winter meal
- Savoring Extended Sunday and Holiday Meals
- Sunday suppers
- Christmas and winter holiday menus
- Lent, Easter, and spring holiday menus
- Ferragosto and summer special occasion menus
- Chapter 5 Stocking an Italian Pantry
- Identifying Prized Italian Products
- Geographic indicators make a difference
- Looking for other important labeling
- Choosing a quality olive oil
- Weighing your wine options
- Cooking from the Pantry
- Keeping essentials on hand
- A note about the products I prefer
- Using pantry recipe formulas to create meals in minutes
- Part 2 Appetizers and First Courses
- Chapter 6 Starting Meals the Italian Way: Antipasti/ Appetizers and Aperitivi
- Appreciating the Italian Appetizer
- Noting Differences between Dining In (At Home) and Out in Italy
- Enjoying antipasti at Italian eateries
- Welcoming guests with appetizers at home
- Following the aperitivo ritual
- Making a delicious first impression: Antipasti recipes
- Chapter 7 Dressing Dishes with Italian Sauces
- A Delicate Balance: Combining Foods and Sauces
- Preparing Traditional Sauce Recipes
- Introducing Tomatoes: Modern Sauce Recipes
- Chapter 8 Using Dried Pasta in Daily Meals
- Dried Pasta Basics
- Comparing homemade and dried pasta: Separate but equal
- Considering quality when purchasing dried pasta
- Preparing pasta "al dente"
- Pairing Pasta with Sauces
- Creating a Meal that Compliments Your Pasta Pairing
- Chapter 9 Making Fresh Pasta: A Labor of Love
- Stepping Inside the Pasta Maker's Kitchen
- Getting the Most Out of Your Pasta-Making Experience
- Meeting Your Pasta Maker: Rolling Pin or Pasta Machine
- Chapter 10 More Delicious First-Course Dishes
- Moving Beyond Pasta: A Primo Primer
- Risotto
- Soups
- Polenta
- Gnocchi
- Part 3 Main Courses, Side Dishes, and Salads
- Chapter 11 Secondi/Main Courses: Fish and Seafood
- Appreciating the Importance of Fish and Seafood in Italian Cuisine
- The Feast of the Seven Fishes: An Italian American tradition
- Celebrating Italian-style seafood recipes
- Chapter 12 Secondi/Main Courses Take Two: Eggs and Poultry
- Enjoying Eggs the Italian Way
- Preparing Poultry Dishes Fit for an Italian Table
- Chapter 13 Secondi/Main Courses Take Three: More Meats
- Preparing Types of Meat in Traditional Italian Recipes
- Goat
- Veal
- Lamb
- Beef
- Chapter 14 Adding Contorni: Authentic Vegetable Side Dishes
- Making the Most of Seasonal Produce
- Chapter 15 Insalate/Salads
- Enjoying Italian Salads and Authentic Dressings
- Dressing to impress
- Adding variety to your salad course
- Part 4 Breakfast and Other Sweet Treats, Baked Goods, and Desserts
- Chapter 16 Starting Your Day with Colazione: Italian Breakfast
- Keeping It Short and Sweet: What Italian Breakfasts Look Like
- Biscotti and rusks
- Breakfast cakes
- Bomboloni and fried treats
- Caffé to Go: An Italian Coffee Primer
- Chapter 17 Fruit, Cheese, and Nuts: Bridging the Gap Between Dinner and Dessert
- Fruit and Nut Plates
- With Cheese: An Italian Cheese Primer
- Exploring Italian cheese categories and types
- Making a (cheese) course of it
- Buying in to quality cheese production
- Chapter 18 Classic Dolci/Desserts: Elevating the Everyday
- Creating Classic Italian Desserts
- Dolci al cucchiaio/"Spoon desserts"
- Cake and pastry shop favorites
- Chapter 19 Baking Treats for Holidays and Special Occasions
- Baking Is Love Made Edible
- Chapter 20 Making the Dough You Know and Love: Bread, Pizza, and Focaccia
- Baking Bread: A Time-Honored Italian Tradition
- Making a Premier Pizza Pie
- Getting Familiar with Focaccia: A Bread for Many Occasions
- Part 5 The Part of Tens
- Chapter 21 Ten Commandments of Italian Cuisine
- Honor Thy Food and Those Who Make It
- Respect Culture and Tradition
- Choose Your Ingredients Wisely
- Waste Not, Want Not
- Nonna's Always Right in the Kitchen
- Choose Whom to Eat with before Choosing What to Eat
- Know the Classics
- Learn the Rules of an Italian Kitchen (Even though Occasionally They Are Broken)
- To Each Recipe his Own Season
- Keep Your Food (Growing) Close
- Chapter 22 Ten Fun Ways to Master Italian Cooking
- Brush Up on History
- Go to Italy, Do a Stage with an Italian Chef, or Watch Italian Food Shows
- Read Cookbooks by Italians
- Expand Your Italian Kitchen Vocabulary
- Follow Italian Meal Patterns
- Discover How to Pair Food
- Cook Your Way through Recipes
- Learn to Read Labels
- Make It a Priority
- Familiarize Yourself with Authentic Foods
- Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide
- Index
- Supplemental Images
- EULA
