Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen
Author: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Lidia Bastianich, loved by millions of Americans for her good Italian cooking, gives us her most instructive and personal cookbook yet.
Focusing on the Italian-American kitchen -- the cooking she encountered when she first came to America as a young adolescent -- she pays homage to this "cuisine of adaptation born of necessity." But she transforms it subtly with her light, discriminating touch, using the authentic ingredients, not accessible to the early immigrants, which are all so readily available today. The aromatic flavors of fine Italian olive oil, imported Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gorgonzola dolce latte, fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary, sun-sweetened San Marzano tomatoes, prosciutto, and pancetta permeate the dishes she makes in her Italian-American kitchen today. And they will transform for you this time-honored cuisine, as you cook with Lidia, learning from her the many secret, sensuous touches that make her food superlative.
You'll find recipes for Scampi alla Buonavia (the garlicky shrimp that became so popular when Lidia served the dish at her first restaurant, Buonavia), Clams Casino (with roasted peppers and good American bacon), Caesar Salad (shaved Parmigiano makes the difference), baked cannelloni (with roasted pork and mortadella), and lasagna (blanketed in her special Italian-American Meat Sauce).
But just as Lidia introduced new Italian regional dishes to her appreciative clientele in Queens in the seventies, so she dazzles us now with pasta dishes such as Bucatini with Chanterelles, Spring Peas, and Prosciutto, and Long Fusilli with Mussels, Saffron, and Zucchini. And she is a master at teaching us how to make our own ravioli, featherlight gnocchi, and genuine Neapolitan pizza.
The key to her delectable fish and meat cooking is the aromatic vegetables that so often form an integral part of the dish -- sole with oregano, vidalias, and tomatoes; tenderloin with potatoes, peppers, and onions; sausages with bitter broccoli. Try her version of scallopine with sauteed lemon slices, garlic slivers, capers, and green olives -- you'll be hooked.
Soups are Lidia's specialty, particularly hearty bean and pasta soups -- meals in themselves. And you can top off a Lidia feast with traditional Italian-American favorites, such as a perfect Zabaglione or cannoli, or one of her own creations -- Lemon Delight or Roasted Pears and Grapes.
Laced with stories about her experiences in America and her discoveries as a cook, this enchanting book is both a pleasure to read and a joy to cook from.
Publishers Weekly
Correction: The opening sentence for Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen (Oct. 1) should have read: "Despite the slightly misleading title.... readers will be charmed." Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Before Bastianich opened Felidia, an upscale New York City restaurant known for its unusual regional dishes from her native Istria (once part of Italy, now in Croatia), she and her husband had two popular Italian American restaurants in Queens. So Italian American food is not the departure some fans of her more recent restaurants might assume. At Buonavia, her first restaurant, she was determined to serve "the best" Italian American food she could, and in her new book, companion to a 52-part PBS series, that is just what she presents: her Baked Clams Oreganata, for example, are prepared with Sicilian or Greek oregano, and she adds diced tomatoes for "freshness"; her manicotti is made with crespelle (crepes) for lightness, though she offers a fresh pasta variation too. Bastianich has a warm, engaging style, and she's a teacher as well as a chef: throughout, she provides thoughtful head-notes and sidebars along with useful boxes on cooking with wine, "resting" soup, and other such practicalities. John and Galina Mariani's The Italian-American Cookbook (LJ 10/15/00) explores the same subject, but Bastianich's book offers a more sophisticated and more personal approach. Highly recommended. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Table of Contents:
| Acknowledgments | ix | |
| Introduction | xiii | |
| Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen Television Series | xxi | |
| Antipasti | 3 | |
| Soups | 68 | |
| Pasta & Risotto | 100 | |
| Vegetarian and Mostly Vegetarian | 103 | |
| Seafood | 122 | |
| Meat | 134 | |
| Sauces | 144 | |
| Baked Pasta | 152 | |
| Gnocchi | 169 | |
| Fresh Pasta | 178 | |
| Risotto | 194 | |
| Pizza | 199 | |
| Entrees | 208 | |
| Beef | 210 | |
| Veal and Organ Meats | 220 | |
| Pork and Lamb | 232 | |
| Scallopine | 248 | |
| Poultry | 260 | |
| Vegetables | 274 | |
| Seafood | 283 | |
| Contorni (Side Dishes) | 319 | |
| Desserts & Coffee | 361 | |
| Index | 407 |
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
Author: Amy Sedaris
Are you lacking direction in how to whip up a swanky soiree for lumberjacks? A dinner party for white-collar workers? A festive gathering for the grieving? Don't despair. Take a cue from entertaining expert Amy Sedaris and host an unforgettable fete that will have your guests raving. No matter the style or size of the gathering--from the straightforward to the bizarre--I LIKE YOU provides jackpot recipes and solid advice laced with Amy's blisteringly funny take on entertaining, plus four-color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary flair. You don't even need to be a host or hostess to benefit--Amy offers tips for guests, too! Readers will discover unique dishes to serve alcoholics (Broiled Frozen Chicken Wings with Applesauce), the secret to a successful children's party (a half-hour time limit, games included), plus an appendix chock-full of arts and crafts ideas (a mini pantihose plant-hanger), and much, much more!
About the Author: AMY SEDARIS lives in Manhattan with her imaginary boyfriend, Ricky, and her pet rabbit, Dusty.
The New York Times - Henry Alford
"Clinically simple" may not be the mots justes here — "preposterously resourceful" is more like it. After all, we're talking about a hostess who, for 25 cents, will laminate her party guests' baby pictures or customize their cigarette lighters by wrapping them insticky shelf paper. She suggests using both an espresso spoon to curl eyelashes and Milk of Magnesia as a face mask. She offers four ideas for repurposing pantyhose, including a plant hanger, a bath sachet and a somewhatterrifying beauty aid she calls an "eye burrito." In short, I'm not sure what this author needs more — a round of applause or a fully licensed professional to sit her down and tell her all about lithium.
Publishers Weekly
There's no way around it: Sedaris fans are going to have to buy both her lavishly illustrated book and her audiobook adaptation. No one should be forced to decide between enjoying the visual delights of her kitschy photo-filled book or the aural pleasures of Sedaris's wonderfully exuberant narration. The rubber-faced comedienne proves equally limber vocally with her quicksilver changes from perfect deadpan to goofy dialects. The jaunty musical score and quirky sound effects enhance the production and complement her narration. Sedaris sounds like she's throwing a party in the studio and listeners would be foolish not to RSVP. The fourth disc contains a PDF file with all 76 recipes for her "15-minute meals in 20 minutes," which were read aloud on the previous discs, in addition to 70 more "Jackpot Recipes." A truly delightful audiobook. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover (Reviews, July 17). (Nov.)
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Library Journal
In this first solo publishing effort, playwright and comedic actress Sedaris (coauthor, The Book of Liz) shares with readers her collection of quirky, idiosyncratic tips on entertaining garnered from her mom, Girl Scouts, waiting tables, bartending school, and other eclectic sources. Though the lion's share of the book is devoted to what she calls her "personal jackpot recipes" (for such colorfully named dishes as "Brenda's Vulgar Barbeque Sauce"), Sedaris also includes creative ideas for themed parties, instructions for wacky craft projects (mostly made out of retired pantyhose), and advice on gift-giving for everyone from nuns, priests, and children to the divorced man in the office and women in early menopause. Bearing in mind that the book's subtitle refers to substances the author euphemistically calls "party enhancers," public libraries will no doubt find an audience for this wild and irreverent guide. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/06.] Deborah Ebster, Univ. of Central Florida Libs., Orlando Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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