Antonio Carluccio is one of Italian foods greatest ambassadors, believing that Italy produces the finest produce and the richest cuisine in the world. This work distils a lifetime's knowledge and experience into one definitive book. Each chapter focuses on a different food type: fish and shellfish; poultry and game; pasta; fresh and cured meats; vegetables and pulses; rice and grains; fungi; cheese; fruits and nuts; and breads and pastries, and describes methods of cultivation, production and preparation, explaining numerous regional varieties, specialities and traditions. Over 200 classic recipes from every region of Italy are featured, along with an A-Z of Italian oils, herbs, spices, wines and liqueurs.
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Amazon Review
Maestro Carluccio hits the spot again with Complete Italian Food. Despite the title, it is not a comprehensive encyclopedia--how could it be, at 320 pages?--but a personal sampling of Italian food as it is still produced by traditional methods using traditional skills and materials: "real Italian food, where it comes from and why it tastes the way it does". Rather than work his way through the 20 regions of Italy, Carluccio has chosen to start with the foodstuffs themselves. A chapter is devoted to each category: Fish & Shellfish; Eggs, Poultry & Game; Fresh & Cured Meats and so on. Each contains an account of the place these foods hold in Italian culture and an A-Z of the most common individual ingredients, describing each briefly and noting differences in approach from region to region. A selection of recipes follows. It is with these that the book really rises to the heights. How does Carluccio do it? He seems to be able effortlessly to extract from the huge number of available recipes just those that will show up both the beauty of Italian food and its great range. The mushroom dishes are a good example of the deceptive simplicity at work here (fungi are a passion of Caluccio's): Taglierini Pasta with White Truffle; Procini in Oil; Cured Mixed Wild Mushrooms; Baked Kid with Cardoncelli; Judas Ears Sauteed with Garlic and Pasley; Grilled Porcini Caps with Garlic... So it continues, contributing to a wonderfully judicious and informative book. --Robin Davidson
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
A beautiful, informative book - a must for all lovers of Italian food --Good Housekeeping<br /><br />A delight to read, look at and cook from --Sainsbury's Magazine<br /><br />The ultimate compendium of Italian ingredients, produce and recipes --Publishing News
A delight to read, look at and cook from --Sainsbury's Magazine
The ultimate compendium of Italian ingredients, produce and recipes --Publishing News
A delight to read, look at and cook from --Sainsbury's Magazine
The ultimate compendium of Italian ingredients, produce and recipes --Publishing News
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I love the way this book is set out, each chapter is in alphabetical order, giving both the Italian and English for every food, advice on choosing produce and interesting sections on how certain foods are farmed, produced, and ways of cooking them. I am English and live in Italy and this has been my bible since certain types of food in the market, (fish, cheese, vegetables, etc) I could not even find in the dictionary let alone know how to be creative with. I would advise all expats in Italy to arm themselves with one of these and you will never have to ask anyone's help again - your cooking will always be wonderful and noone will ever tell you the English don't know how to cook.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By Moondust
Format:Paperback
I have to disagree with the reviewer who said this book was a disappointment. It does not pretend to be a recipe book - not a traditional one at least. What it is, on the otherhand, is a complete guide to Italian food and cooking. There is a lot of priceless information, doubtlessly-well researched, about how the various ingredients work together, their availability in various regions, and, of course, mouth-watering recipes. What the previous reviewer failed to see, perhaps, was that the recipes given in this book are very easily adaptable, and having read the background info at the beginning of each chapter, one can very easily create a multitude of traditional Italian dishes, based on the recipes found within the same chapter.
I am a great fan of Italian cuisine, and a firm believer that cooking is an art, not a task. If all you need is a bible-full of straightforward recipes, with little or no background info, then perhaps something like The Silver Spoon would suit your needs better. However, if you enjoy adding your touch to the dishes you create, then Complete Italian Food is the book for you. It not only presents instructions....it makes the recipes work for you, and makes them so easily adaptable that before long you'll soon be creating your very own repertoire of Italian delicacies....your style!!!
I am a great fan of Italian cuisine, and a firm believer that cooking is an art, not a task. If all you need is a bible-full of straightforward recipes, with little or no background info, then perhaps something like The Silver Spoon would suit your needs better. However, if you enjoy adding your touch to the dishes you create, then Complete Italian Food is the book for you. It not only presents instructions....it makes the recipes work for you, and makes them so easily adaptable that before long you'll soon be creating your very own repertoire of Italian delicacies....your style!!!
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Each recipe was individual and unique and yet just as tantalising and delicious as each other. Even recipies which i would not normally have tried have prooved to be excellant and have introduced me to a range of tastes and flavours, which i woud normally never have experianced. I have gained in confidence and repetoire and now I achknowledge myself as a competant cook. I adore Italian food and this book is the nectar of Italian cookery. I would advise it to anyone confident cook or beginner, food lover or even hater. I challenge anyone not to adore this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By frada
Format:Paperback
You never know if the celebrity chef actually writes their own book, but as Carluccio used to be a journalist before becoming a chef and restauranteur, then I believe he did write this one. It is full of little stories from Carluccio about the food when he was younger. He knows loads about mushrooms so there is a chapter dedicated to mushrooms! He gives an explanation of each of the foods and ingredients that go into make the recipes. I have used some of the recipes and they are the closest I can get to real authentic Italian food my Mum and Nonna used to make.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By bookworm
Format:Paperback
A wonderful publication - even if you never use the receipes you will love the information and the photograps - would thoroughtly recommend
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By m-o-s-e
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed reading this book. I've got quite a passion for Italy having travelled there a 27 times(!) and counting... mostly to Northern-ish Italy - Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria, Venito & Lombardy. This book is written with such great passion but I just can't recommend it as its confusing to the reader.
It's written by an 'artist' and what are great cooks eh?.... But... What is it?... a travel book or a cook book?...Neither. Pages and pages of info - A-Z s of Veg, Meat, Cheese etc with lots of pretty pictures but only pictures to half the recipes here. If you read it as a travel/history book then its interesting reading but essentially 'useless', but if you want to cook a lot of what is offered here then you really need to be in Italy for the ingredients. Also, There is much talk of offal etc which given Italy's peasant cooking tradition is correct but possibly of little interest to a modern cook from outside AND inside Italy? Many of the ingredients, unless you live in London say, you just won't be able to get hold of. Italian sausages with fennel seeds anyone?
Other than a Sean Hill (for classic French technique) and Delia (bible!) book I am disappointed with most other cook books so maybe it was a tall order for this to impress me!
BTW I'm Dyslexic so don't equate bad English and grammar to 'Thick'.
It's written by an 'artist' and what are great cooks eh?.... But... What is it?... a travel book or a cook book?...Neither. Pages and pages of info - A-Z s of Veg, Meat, Cheese etc with lots of pretty pictures but only pictures to half the recipes here. If you read it as a travel/history book then its interesting reading but essentially 'useless', but if you want to cook a lot of what is offered here then you really need to be in Italy for the ingredients. Also, There is much talk of offal etc which given Italy's peasant cooking tradition is correct but possibly of little interest to a modern cook from outside AND inside Italy? Many of the ingredients, unless you live in London say, you just won't be able to get hold of. Italian sausages with fennel seeds anyone?
Other than a Sean Hill (for classic French technique) and Delia (bible!) book I am disappointed with most other cook books so maybe it was a tall order for this to impress me!
BTW I'm Dyslexic so don't equate bad English and grammar to 'Thick'.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By STRiley
Format:Hardcover
I have enjoyed reading through this book by one of my favorite cookery authors and appreciated its chapter format, preface, alphabetic index and recipies. I've added to my knowledge and will embark on cooking my way through this book until it is thoroughly distressed!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Anieta
Format:Paperback
Thank you for this great masterpiece of cooking and gastronomy dimension! The tiramisu (recipe on page 255) has simply hypnotized my family and friends. Risotto ai funghi is also one of my favorites now :) and there are so many other recipes still waiting to be experimented. I am in love with italian food :) Love from Budapest, Anita
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
nice book worth the money
if you are looking for a bokk on italian cooking this has got to be one of the best to go for.
Published 4 months ago by adrian watkinson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Introduction to Italian Cookery
As well as some fantastic regional dishes, Carluccio takes you through the variety of different Italian foods which helps to prepare more authentic food. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Tigerjane
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not for me..!
The sections about the origins and uses of food ingredients are interesting and useful. Sadly I find the recipes are a bit uninspiring. Technically I am sure they are fantastic. Read more
Published 20 months ago by PetraParker
4.0 out of 5 stars
Magnifico!
This book is brill... I got this book for my mum for christmas and she hasn't put it down yet, the food she has been making from it is delicious... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2008 by Mr. James A. Parr
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dissapointing
Don't be fooled about this being a cookbook, sure, it has some recipes in it, and those I've tried are good, but an Italian recipe book it isn't. Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2006 by Mr. J. J. Percival
5.0 out of 5 stars
Carluccio's Complete Italian Food
Stefano, Lymington, Hampshire, United Kingdom. To any lover of REAL Italian food this is a must have, informative, interesting and inspirational, from basic recipes to fine detail... Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2006
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