Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking [Hardcover]

Perhaps more than any other person, Marcella Hazan is responsible for bringing Italian cuisine into the homes of American cooks. We're not talking spaghetti and meatballs here--Hazan's cuisine consists of polenta, risotto, squid braised with tomatoes and white wine, sautéed swiss chard with olive oil and garlic.... Twenty years ago, when Hazan first exploded into the American consciousness with The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, such recipes were revolutionary. With time, however, these classic dishes have become much-beloved family favorites.

Now a new generation is ready to be introduced to Marcella Hazan's way with food, and in Essentials of Italian Cooking Hazan combines her two earlier works into one update and expanded volume. In addition to the delicious collection of recipes, this book serves as a basic manual for cooks of every skill level. Recipes have been revised to reduce fat content, and a whole new chapter full of fundamental information about herbs, spices, and cheeses used in Italian kitchens--as well as details on how to select specific ingredients--has been added. New chapters, new recipes--who could ask for more than Essentials of Italian Cooking?

In the language of cookbooks, the word "classic" is bandied about nearly as frequently as the terms "low-fat" and "no-cholesterol." In this case, however, the estimable Hazan ( More Classic Italian Cooking ) does indeed contribute a classic to the ever-increasing literature of Italian cuisine. A revision and update of her two previous "classic" Italian cookbooks (with more than 35 completely new recipes), this one includes recipes not "in pursuit of novelty, but of taste." As Hazan puts it, the book "is meant to be used as a kitchen handbook . . . for cooks of every level . . . who want an accessible and comprehensive guide to the products, the techniques, and the dishes that constitute imperishable Italian cooking." From marinated carrot sticks to sweet-and-sour tuna steaks, Trapani style, to tortellini with fish stuffing and polenta shortcake with raisins, dried figs and pine nuts, the outstanding recipes--many of them poetically simple--are too numerous to do justice to in few words. Included is a spirited discussion of squid and the essentials of preparing fresh pasta, gnocchi (potato dumplings), authentic risotto, frittate and polenta dishes. While writing from Venice, her home for much of the year, Hazan never fails to consider the availability of ingredients in the U.S., and never assumes that all readers understand complex methods or exotic terminology. This volume is the perfect gift for a new homemaker, a seasoned chef and all lovers of good food. Illustrated. 40,000 first printing; Home Style Book Club main selection, BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Hazan's The Classic Italian Cookbook (1976) and More Italian Cooking (1978) are the standards in the field, and now, almost 20 years after the publication of the first title, they are available in a single volume, completely revised and updated. A few recipes have been cut, about 50 new ones added, and just about every recipe from the originals has been rewritten and, where deemed necessary, revised. Italian cooking, as opposed to the Italian American fare passed off in so many restaurants, has become all the rage here in the last several years; with the reappearance of Hazan's classics, it's strikingly apparent how far ahead of their time they were the first time around. The only disappointment is that the lengthy, thoughtful menu suggestions with each recipe have been dropped. An essential purchase. HomeStyle main selection; BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

With more than 100 illustrations by Karin Kretschman.

Marcella Hazan was born in 1924 in the village of Cesenatico in Italy. She earned a doctorate in natural sciences and biology from the University of Ferrara. In 1956 she married Victor Hazan, an Italian-American who subsequently gained fame as a wine writer, and the couple moved to New York City a few months later. She now lives in Longboat Key, Florida. She is widely considered by chefs and fellow food writers to be one of the foremost authorities on Italian cuisine. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.