Synopsis
Lidia Bastianich was named Best New York City Chef in 1999 by the James Beard Foundation. Here, from her restaurants, are recipes for such dishes as Red Grouper in White Sauce, Braised Peppers with Anchovies, Risotto with Barolo Wine on a Bed of Carrot Puree, and Carmelized Tomatoes meant to be served on vanilla ice cream. The book is a tie-in to her PBS cooking series.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1998-09-01 | | Editor: | Christopher Styler |
| Size | | Length: | 390 pages | | Height: | 10.5 in | | Width: | 8.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 40.8 oz |
Publisher's Note
Lidia's Italian Table LIDIA MATTICCHIO BASTIANICH "Let me invite you on a journey with me from my childhood ..." beckons Lidia Bastianich, hostess of the national public television series Lidia's Italian Table. And what an incredible journey it proves to be. Lidia's Italian Table is overflowing with glorious Italian food, highlighted by Lidia's personal collection of recipes accumulated since her childhood in Istria, located in northern Italy on the Adriatic Sea. Hearty and heartwarming Italian fare is what Lidia understands best, and each chapter of this gorgeous cookbook is infused with Lidia's warm memories of a lifetime of eating and cooking Italian style. Since good Italian food is based on good ingredients, Lidia includes an eloquent discourse on those products that are the cornerstones of Italian cuisine: olives (and their green-golden oil), Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt, porcini mushrooms, truffles, tomato paste, and hot peppers. She also explains the importance of regional wines and grappa (in flavors from honey to dried fig) in the Italian food experience. Her recipes are filled with these Italian delicacies--Fennel, Olive, and Citrus Salad; Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushroom Sauce; Seared Rabbit Loin over Arugula with Truffle Dressing; Asparagus Gratin with Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese-, and Zabaglione with Barolo Wine. Lidia explores every corner of Italian cuisine: from fresh and dry pasta to gnocchi and risotto to game and shellfish, all of which Lidia transforms into exceptional Italian dishes. But that is only the beginning. There are Italian soups to savor, like hearty minestre, bread-enriched zuppe, and the light and flavorful brodi. Polenta's delicious versatility is revealed through Polenta, Gorgonzola, and Savoy Cabbage Torte and White Creamy Polenta with Fresh Plums. And Lidia's luscious dolci, or desserts, invite your indulgence with Sweet Crepes with Chocolate Walnut Filling, Blueberry-Apricot Frangipane Tart, and Soft Ice Cream with Hazelnuts. Lidia attributes her passion and appreciation for Italian food to her family. Lidia's Italian Table is filled with stories of learning to make Easter bread with her Grandma Rosa in the town's communal oven; touching and smelling her way through the food markets of Trieste with her great-aunt Zia Nina; fishing for calamari with her uncle Zio Milio; and collecting briny mussels and sea urchins along the Istrian coastline with her cousins. This gastronomic adventure is more than just a cookbook: It is an exploration into the heart of Italian cuisine.
Lidia's Italian Table is overflowing with glorious Italian food, highlighted by Lidia's personal collection of recipes accumulated since her childhood in Istria, Italy, located on the Adriatic Sea. Hearty and heartwarming Italian fare is what Lidia understands best, and each chapter of this gorgeous cookbook is infused with Lidia's warm memories of a lifetime of eating and cooking Italian style. Since good Italian food is based on good ingredients, Lidia includes an eloquent discourse on those products that are the cornerstones of Italian cuisine: olives (and their green-golden oil), Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt, porcini mushrooms, truffles, tomato paste, and hot peppers. She also explains the importance of regional wines and grappa (in flavors from honey to dried fig) in the Italian food experience. Her recipes are filled with these Italian delicacies -- Fennel, Olive, and Citrus Salad; Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushroom Sauce; Seared Rabbit Loin over Arugula with Truffle Dressing; Asparagus Gratin with Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese; and Zabaglione with Barolo Wine. Lidia explores every corner of Italian cuisine: from fresh and dry pasta to gnocchi and risotto to game and shellfish, all of which Lidia transforms into exceptional Italian dishes. But that is only the beginning. There are Italian soups to savor, like hearty minestre, bread-enriched zuppe,and the light and flavorful brodi. Polentas delicious versatility is revealed through Polenta, Gorgonzola, and Savoy Cabbage Torte and White Creamy Polenta with Fresh Plums. And Lidia's luscious dolci, or desserts, invite your indulgence with Sweet Crepes with Chocolate Walnut Filling, Blueberry-Apricot Frangipane Tart, and Soft Ice Cream with Hazelnuts.
The companion cookbook to the author's 26-part public television series of the same name, "Lidia's Italian Table" includes stories from Lidia's life growing up in northern Italy, accounts of trips to fabulous fresh-air markets, and nearly 200 authentic Italian recipes. 2-color text. of color photos.
Industry Reviews
Bastianich has three restaurants in New York City, including the acclaimed Felidia; she's about to open a restaurant in Kansas City, and her new PBS series starts in September. This book, the companion volume to the series, is her second; like the excellent La Cucina di Lidia (LJ 12/90), it is a deeply personal work, with memories of some tumultuous periods in her life and nostalgic reminiscences, many of them associated with food, about her grandparents and other relatives. Many of the recipes are unusual, not to be found in the average Italian cookbook, and Bastianich's considerable knowledge and experience, as well as her enthusiasm, are evident throughout. Highly recommended. [Good Cook main selection.]
Kakutani
Manhattan restaurateur Bastianich (La Cucina di Lidia, 1990) brings an infectious exuberance to this tie-in to a 26-part PBS series starting in September. While not breaking new ground, she presents an enticing selection of favorite dishes combining traditional flavors with simple gusto. Appetizers include Braised Peppers with Anchovies and Buffalo Mozzarella Poached in Tomato-Basil Sauce. The signature dish Frico, a Friulian specialty of Montasio cheese cooked in a skillet until it melts and crispens, that gave the name to FricoBar, the restaurant run by Bastianich's son Joseph, takes a place of honor here, served either alone or with a savory like Potato and Crabmeat Filling. Bread soups, fresh pastas with sauces, dried pastas and their appropriate sauces stir both the appetite and longings for a time when good taste was valued over trendiness. Rice dishes include the classic Creamy Risotto Milanese Style, golden with saffron, and, from the Piedmonte, Risotto with Barolo Wine on a Bed of Carrot Pur?e. Meats and fish range from Roasted Guinea Hen with Balsamic Glaze to Veal Ossobuco with Barley Risotto and Red Grouper in White Sauce Served with a Side Dish of Pasta. Nestled within dessert recipes for tarts and semifreddoes is Caramelized Tomatoes, an unusual topping for vanilla ice cream. This is a most worthy addition to the crammed Italian cookbook shelf. Editor, Pam Hoenig; agent, Jane Dystel. BOMC/Good Cook selection. (Sept.)
Bukey
Manhattan restaurateur Bastianich (La Cucina di Lidia, 1990) brings an infectious exuberance to this tie-in to a 26-part PBS series starting in September. While not breaking new ground, she presents an enticing selection of favorite dishes combining traditional flavors with simple gusto. Appetizers include Braised Peppers with Anchovies and Buffalo Mozzarella Poached in Tomato-Basil Sauce. The signature dish Frico, a Friulian specialty of Montasio cheese cooked in a skillet until it melts and crispens, that gave the name to FricoBar, the restaurant run by Bastianich's son Joseph, takes a place of honor here, served either alone or with a savory like Potato and Crabmeat Filling. Bread soups, fresh pastas with sauces, dried pastas and their appropriate sauces stir both the appetite and longings for a time when good taste was valued over trendiness. Rice dishes include the classic Creamy Risotto Milanese Style, golden with saffron, and, from the Piedmonte, Risotto with Barolo Wine on a Bed of Carrot Pur‚e. Meats and fish range from Roasted Guinea Hen with Balsamic Glaze to Veal Ossobuco with Barley Risotto and Red Grouper in White Sauce Served with a Side Dish of Pasta. Nestled within dessert recipes for tarts and semifreddoes is Caramelized Tomatoes, an unusual topping for vanilla ice cream. This is a most worthy addition to the crammed Italian cookbook shelf. Editor, Pam Hoenig; agent, Jane Dystel. BOMC/Good Cook selection. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly (07/20/1998)
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