Book Description
Perfectly pristine ingredients, combined sensibly and
cooked properly, are the unmistakable hallmarks of the best
Italian food. Chef Mario Batali, known to fans far and wide
as "Molto Mario" from his appearances on
television's Food Network and as chef of New York's
much-loved Pó restaurant, has elevated these simple
principles to fine art, creating innovative new fare that
pays tribute to traditional Italian home cooking in a
distinctly modern way. Now, for the first time, more than 200
of his irresistible recipes for fresh pastas, sprightly
salads, grilled dishes, savory ragus, and many others are
gathered in Simple Italian Food, a celebration of the flavors
and spirit of
Italy. Mario
draws inspiration for his distinctive dishes from the two
"villages" that have left their stamps on his
cuisine: Borgo Capanne, the tiny hillside village in Northern
Italy where he lived and cooked for several years, and New
York's Greenwich Village, where he has ready access to
bountiful produce and outstanding artisan-made products; his
full-flavored, smartly presented fare combines the best of
both worlds. Chapters covering antipasti, pasta and risotto,
fish, meat and poultry, contorni (side dishes), and cheese
and sweets offer classic dishes such as Baked Lasagne with
Asparagus and Pesto and pork loin cooked in caramelized
onions and milk alongside Batali's own enticing
improvisations--Penne with Spicy Goat Cheese and Hazelnut
Pesto or Tuna Carpaccio with Cucumbers, Sweet Potatoes, and
Saffron Vinaigrette. And because his recipes succeed on the
strength of their ingredients rather than on virtuoso
techniques, home cooks can easily duplicate the clear, clean
flavors and lively presentations that are Mario's signature.
Thirty-two pages of color photographs showcase Chef Batali's
colorful and approachable
recipes. Traditionalists
as well as those who thrill to the new will want to make
dozens of these crowd-pleasing dishes a permanent part of
their repertoire and embrace Mario Batali'sphilosophy of
Simple Italian Food.
