Lidia's Italian Table: More Than 200 Recipes From The First Lady Of Italian Cooking

by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

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 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 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 It is an exploration into the heart of Italian cuisine.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Italian Literature, Food and Drink, Nonfiction

390 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 1998

About the author

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is an American chef, businesswoman and restaurateur.

Specializing in Italian and Croatian cuisine, she has been a regular contributor to the PBS cooking show lineup since 1998. In 2007, she launched her third TV series, Lidia's Italy. She also owns four Italian restaurants in the U.S. in partnership with her son, the winemaster and restaurateur, Joseph Bastianich: Felidia (founded with her ex-husband, Felice) and Becco in Manhattan; Lidia's Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Lidia's Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri.

Reviews

[Denise Mullins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent variety of accessible recipes. While many may find the three-tone page layout helpful for organizational purposes, it was not aesthetically appealing to me. Moreover, it's easier to familiarize myself to instructions that are bulleted instead of formatted in a prose style, but again, that's my preference. Would have appreciated photos coupled with actual recipes as many on-line sites feature.
For those who enjoy serious discussions on the history or various food sources and techniques, this should prove an invaluable source.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lidia provides easy-to-follow recipes for even those just beginning to explore the joys of cooking. Some of the recipes I enjoyed were: "Shrimp and Broccoli Soup", "Seared Marinated Breast of Chicken with Tomato and Basil", and "Zaletti" (Cornmeal Raisin Cookies).
There are lovely pictures included in the middle of the book. I personally prefer the pictures to accompany each recipe. I bought this book for $4.99 from ThriftBooks, which is an online second-hand book store. It was well worth the money!

[Triss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Lidia. She used to be on public tv every day at 1:00 and when I was home I always watched her. She would sing little Italian songs, have her mother on, have her kids and grandkids on, and her voice is melodic and bright. She is a very intelligent woman and makes Italian technique seem easy. Her son Joe is on Master Chef as one of the three judges....he's a snot but she is real people. Love her.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its hard to review a cookbook as a book...suffice to say that any Lidia book is part of my cooking bible collection.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this cookbook, there are recipes I look forward to making.

[Carm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book

[Heather]

Some of my all-time favorites came from this book. Zaletti? Yes, please!