Customer Reviews

Italian Grill

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another Italian cookbook for my Italy-laden library? You bet! I have made so many recipes from this book with wonderful success. The recipes are simple but taste simply divine.

The book comprises:
- Grilling basics
- Ingredients and techniques
- Antipasti
- Pizza and Flatbreads
- Fish and Shellfish
- Poultry
- Meat
- Vegetables

OK - so far my favourites are:

- Portobellos with Arugula and Parmigiano
- Asparagus Wrapped in Pancetta with Cintronette
- Grilled Scamorza with Olio Piccante - LOVE this one!!
- Radiocchio in Pancetta with Pears and Balsamic
- Marinated Zucchini with Ricotta and Bottarga
- Fennel with Sambuca and Grapefruit
- Focaccina with Roasted Garlic, Shallots and Provolone
- Piadina with Prosciutto and Mascarpone
- Shrimp Rosemary
- Grilled Lobster with Lemon Oil
- Mackerel "In Scapece"
- Spicy Black-Pepper-Coated Drumsticks
- Guinea Hen Breasts with Rosemary and Pesto
- Grilled Lamb Chops Scottadita
- Pork Loin with Milk Sauce
- Pork Shoulder Braciole
- Butternut Squash with Vin Cotto
- Corn "As Italians Would Eat It"
- Waxy Potatoes in Chianti Vinegar

Whew - that's a lot. And many more in my book are marked to try. It is not often so many recipes leap off the page as they do with this book. You can practically hear and smell the sizzle of the grill just looking at the book!

If you want to try a few different things on your grill that don't require uncommon ingredients give this book a try. One of my favourite grilling books.

If you love grilling on a bbq,and i grill all year round this book is a 10/10
...amazing simple recipes....the spit roasted duck was just amazing...

In the introduction to this book, Mr Batali tells us that the words 'Italian' and 'Grilling' go together like the verse and refrain in a McCartney/Lennon love song. I have to say, though, that I have never regarded this form of cooking as being an especial feature of Italian cuisine and, indeed, very few of the Italian cookbooks I have read have placed much emphasis on it. I rather think that Mr Batali has projected his own interest in the American BBQ tradition onto his love of the cuisine of his heritage and I think this is borne out by the fact that, later in the introduction, he admits that the recipes he offers are 'not one hundred percent Italian'. Form me, personally, this made the book less interesting... I was expecting an examination of traditional Italian recipes rather than just a bunch of recipes that Mr Batali likes and has created to be 'Italian-ish'. To be fair, many of the recipes are very nice and I will be trying quite a few, but I think the title is just a bit misleading.