In every cookbook, Lidia Bastianich showers her many gifts on the home cook, and Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy is no exception. Bastianich speaks the language of home cooking with unparalleled ease and without ever sacrificing the integrity of a recipe. Insisting on pure ingredients, she speaks in the colloquial, but colloquial in Italy means one cook talking to another with respect for food, family, the experience of sitting to eat together. With 175 authentic recipes in the book, all are newly gleaned from Italy's diverse regions, widening our appreciation of the seemingly unending diversity of the cuisine we have adopted, wishing it were our own. Traveling with her daughter, Tanya Manuali, Bastianich tours the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Lombardy, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche, Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sardegna. The book covers many miles indeed, and the recipes are as varied as the region represented. Accompanying each chapter of recipes are notes about the region, a sure travel guide for gourmets.
"In my research into the twelve regions of Italy that I explore here, the recipes I share with you reflect a respect for food - growing it, shepherding the animals, foraging for the gifts of nature in the wild, and hunting respectfully to put nourishing meat on the table, not just for sport. Nothing is wasted....So you'll find these recipes tasty, satisfying, relatively easy to prepare. But most of all, they are a testimony to the harmony of elements that result in a harmony of taste," states Bastianich in the introduction to the book. Region by region, page by page, we find that respect reflected in time-tested recipes honed by generations of home cooks.
Italy's regions contain diverse geographical conditions, from the mountainous northern regions, to the warmer climate of the southern regions, and to areas where sea and land meet. Each has produced its specialty, but always ringing with Italian insistence on simplicity and quality ingredients.
Starting in northern Trentino–Alto Adige Bastianich finds recipes such as
Spaghetti in tomato-Apple Sauce, Whole-Grain Spaetzle that reflects its Germanic influences, a Horseradish & Apple Salsa. Moving into Lombardy, she offers a world of rice - baked in a frittata, with lentils, with butternut squash, with gorgonzola, and the special treat of Risotto Milan-Style with Marrow and Saffron. Still northern, in Valle D'Aosta, she offers Baked Penne & Mushrooms, Rice and Chestnuts, Veal Chops with Fontina.
Moving southward into Liguria and then to Emilia-Romagna, you will find the Genoese way with greens, and that does include a classic Pesto recipe, a Veal Scaloppine Bolognese from Emilia-Romagna. From Le Marche, try Lamb Chunks with Olives, and Stuffed Quail in Parchment, then move on to Umbria to sample dishes such as Potato-Mushroom Cake with Braised Lentils, Sausages in the Skillet with Grapes, and Chocolate Bread Parfait. From the more southern Abruzzo find recipes that feature the rare saffron of Abruzzo (Bastianich shares some secrets), and cook a Braised Leg of Lamb the Abruzzese way with thyme and rosemary and lots of grated pecorino cheese.
From Molise make your own cavatelli pasta and serve Spaghetti with Calamari, Shrimp, and Scallops; and Braised Octopus. Move further south to
Basilicata to discover Wedding Soup, Fiery Maccheroni, and Farro with Pork Ragù.
The last region within the boot is Calabria and Bastianich has recipes for Chicken Catanzaro-Style, Steamed Swordfish Bagnara-Style as well as Stuffed Figs Sibari-Style spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and made nutritious with almonds and walnuts. Bastianich ends her tour on the island of Sardinia where she discovers a Flatbread Lasagna, Spaghetti with Cold Tomato-Mint Sauce, Lobster Salad with Fresh Tomates, and a Semolina Pudding with Blueberry Sauce.
There is a lot of great cooking in here, and a lot of opporutnities to sit with family.
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