Italian Recipes For Dummies

For those of us not lucky enough to have our very own Italian grandmother or have attended culinary school in Italy, Italian Recipes For Dummies is stepping in to fill the gap. Award-winning chef and author Amy Riolo delivers a step-by-step guide to creating authentic Italian dishes, starting from the basics and progressing to more advanced techniques and recipes.

You'll discover how to shop for, plan, and cook authentic Italian meals properly. You'll also find guidance on how to incorporate the cultural, nutritional, and historical influences that shape classic Italian cuisine.

This book includes:

• Individual chapters on staples of the Italian pantry: wine, cheese, and olive oil
• More than 150 authentic Italian recipes with step-by-step instructions
• Access to a Facebook Page hosted by the author that provides extended resources and up-to-date information on mastering Italian cooking

The perfect book for amateur chefs, Italy aficionados, homemakers, and anyone else looking for culinary inspiration, Italian Recipes For Dummies is also an indispensable guide for people seeking healthier ways of shopping, cooking, and eating without giving up amazing flavors and rich foods.

Amy Riolo is an award-winning author, chef, television personality, food historian, and culinary anthropologist. She is known for simplifying recipes for the home cook. She leads culinary tours in Italy, is the co-founder of A.N.I.T.A. (National Italian Academy of Food Traditions), and has her own line of private-label Italian products.

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumption 4

Icons Used in This Book 4

Beyond the Book 5

Where to Go from Here 5

Part 1: Introducing the Art of Italian Cooking 7

Chapter 1: Cooking the Italian Way: That’s Amore! 9

Appreciating How History and Geography Shaped Italian Cuisine 10

Back to Basics: Applying Ancient Strategies in the Modern Kitchen 11

Building on base recipes 12

Enjoying the seasons at the table 12

Get Ready, Get Set! 13

Gathering the tools you need and then some 14

Stocking important pantry items 14

Keeping courses and food pairings in mind 15

Get Cooking! Eyeing Authentic Italian Recipes 15

Chapter 2: Pizza, Pasta, and So Much More: Appreciating Italian Tradition 17

The Role of Culture in the Italian Kitchen 17

Touring Important Events in Italian Culinary History 18

How Romans and Greeks laid the foundation for Italian cuisine 19

How terrain and climate shaped regional cuisine 21

How foreign powers influenced cuisine across geographic locations 22

Mastering Time-Honored Italian Traditions 23

La bella figura: Using food to make a good impression 24

Staying the course: Italian meal planning 25

Pairing complimentary dishes 26

Chapter 3: Base Recipes: The Backbone of the Italian Kitchen 27

Introducing the BFFs of Italian Home Cooks 28

Waste not: Making breadcrumbs, crostini, and bruschette 28

Savory stocks: The unsung heroes 28

Beans and legumes provide boundless possibilities 29

Fruits and vegetables for the healthy win 30

Chapter 4: Cooking with an Eye on the Calendar 43

Seasonality in the Italian Kitchen 43

Sampling Everyday Menus for Every Season 44

A sample springtime meal 45

A sample summertime meal 46

A sample fall meal 47

A sample winter meal 47

Savoring Extended Sunday and Holiday Meals 49

Sunday suppers 49

Christmas and winter holiday menus 52

Lent, Easter, and spring holiday menus 53

Ferragosto and summer special occasion menus 56

Chapter 5: Stocking an Italian Pantry 59

Identifying Prized Italian Products 59

Geographic indicators make a difference 60

Looking for other important labeling 60

Choosing a quality olive oil 61

Weighing your wine options 64

Cooking from the Pantry 66

Keeping essentials on hand 67

A note about the products I prefer 70

Using pantry recipe formulas to create meals in minutes 71

Part 2: Appetizers and First Courses 73

Chapter 6: Starting Meals the Italian Way: Antipasti/ Appetizers and Aperitivi 75

Appreciating the Italian Appetizer 76

Noting Differences between Dining In (At Home) and Out in Italy 77

Enjoying antipasti at Italian eateries 77

Welcoming guests with appetizers at home 79

Following the aperitivo ritual 79

Making a delicious first impression: Antipasti recipes 80

Chapter 7: Dressing Dishes with Italian Sauces 89

A Delicate Balance: Combining Foods and Sauces 90

Preparing Traditional Sauce Recipes 91

Introducing Tomatoes: Modern Sauce Recipes 91

Chapter 8: Using Dried Pasta in Daily Meals 105

Dried Pasta Basics 106

Comparing homemade and dried pasta: Separate but equal 106

Considering quality when purchasing dried pasta 107

Preparing pasta “al dente” 108

Pairing Pasta with Sauces 108

Creating a Meal that Compliments Your Pasta Pairing 113

Chapter 9: Making Fresh Pasta: A Labor of Love 123

Stepping Inside the Pasta Maker’s Kitchen 124

Getting the Most Out of Your Pasta-Making Experience 125

Meeting Your Pasta Maker: Rolling Pin or Pasta Machine 126

Chapter 10: More Delicious First-Course Dishes 147

Moving Beyond Pasta: A Primo Primer 148

Risotto 148

Soups 149

Polenta 151

Gnocchi 153

Part 3: Main Courses, Side Dishes, and Salads 175

Chapter 11: Secondi/Main Courses: Fish and Seafood 177

Appreciating the Importance of Fish and Seafood in Italian Cuisine 178

The Feast of the Seven Fishes: An Italian American tradition 179

Celebrating Italian-style seafood recipes 180

Chapter 12: Secondi/Main Courses Take Two: Eggs and Poultry 191

Enjoying Eggs the Italian Way 192

Preparing Poultry Dishes Fit for an Italian Table 193

Chapter 13: Secondi/Main Courses Take Three: More Meats 205

Preparing Types of Meat in Traditional Italian Recipes 205

Goat 206

Veal 207

Lamb 208

Beef 208

Chapter 14: Adding Contorni: Authentic Vegetable Side Dishes 219

Making the Most of Seasonal Produce 220

Chapter 15: Insalate/Salads 233

Enjoying Italian Salads and Authentic Dressings 234

Dressing to impress 234

Adding variety to your salad course 234

 Part 4: Breakfast and Other Sweet Treats, Baked Goods, And Desserts 245

Chapter 16: Starting Your Day With Colazione: Italian Breakfast 247

Keeping It Short and Sweet: What Italian Breakfasts Look Like 248

Biscotti and rusks 249

Breakfast cakes 249

Bomboloni and fried treats 250

Caffé to Go: An Italian Coffee Primer 250

Chapter 17: Fruit, Cheese, and Nuts: Bridging the Gap Between Dinner and Dessert 267

Fruit and Nut Plates 268

With Cheese: An Italian Cheese Primer 268

Exploring Italian cheese categories and types 269

Making a (cheese) course of it 271

Buying in to quality cheese production 272

Chapter 18: Classic Dolci/Desserts: Elevating the Everyday 283

Creating Classic Italian Desserts 284

Dolci al cucchiaio/“Spoon desserts” 284

Cake and pastry shop favorites 285

Chapter 19: Baking Treats for Holidays and Special Occasions 311

Baking Is Love Made Edible 311

Chapter 20: Making the Dough You Know and Love: Bread, Pizza, and Focaccia 327

Baking Bread: A Time-Honored Italian Tradition 328

Making a Premier Pizza Pie 331

Getting Familiar with Focaccia: A Bread for Many Occasions 332

Part 5: The Part of Tens 351

Chapter 21: Ten Commandments of Italian Cuisine 353

Honor Thy Food and Those Who Make It 353

Respect Culture and Tradition 354

Choose Your Ingredients Wisely 354

Waste Not, Want Not 354

Nonna’s Always Right in the Kitchen 355

Choose Whom to Eat with before Choosing What to Eat 355

Know the Classics 355

Learn the Rules of an Italian Kitchen (Even though Occasionally They Are Broken) 356

To Each Recipe his Own Season 356

Keep Your Food (Growing) Close 357

Chapter 22: Ten Fun Ways to Master Italian Cooking 359

Brush Up on History 359

Go to Italy, Do a Stage with an Italian Chef, or Watch Italian Food Shows 360

Read Cookbooks by Italians 360

Expand Your Italian Kitchen Vocabulary 360

Follow Italian Meal Patterns 360

Discover How to Pair Food 361

Cook Your Way through Recipes 361

Learn to Read Labels 361

Make It a Priority 362

Familiarize Yourself with Authentic Foods 362

Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 363

Index 367

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.