Interested in Italian cooking? Read these books, each with a special distinctive flavour of storytelling

ET  :25 MAR, 2012, 06.56AM IST, 


The Bible 

The Silver Spoon 

Calling The Silver Spoon a gastronomic bible doesn't do it justice - it's an encyclopaedic tome packed with over 2,000 recipes and one of the most influential books on Italian cooking. But don't take our word for it - here's Giorgio Locatelli, Michelin-star winner on the book. "The Silver Spoon is an Italian classic and it's the only cookery book my mum has ever owned. I have so many memories of her flicking through it for inspiration before cooking us a fantastic meal. There are just too many great recipes, all of them easy to follow and several very quick to make. This book is a must for anybody who enjoys cooking!" 

(Publisher: Phaidon Press) 

The Insider 

Italia by Antonio Carluccio 

In this book, Antonio Carluccio weaves together plenty of information on the regional culinary traditions of Italy, with recipes that are accessible to both beginners and experts. The book not only explores recipes but also gives intriguing insights into Italian wines and cheeses plus little tips on unusual dishes. So we learn that the Italian composer, Ruggero Leoncavallo, who wrote I Pagliacci loved Linguine alla Mollica (linguine with anchovies, capers, olives and breadcrumbs) and that it is a dish that is traditionally eaten at Christmas-time in Calabria. 

(Publisher: Quadrille Publishing) 

The Sicilian Master 

Made in Sicily by Giorgio Locatelli 

Giorgio Locatelli won UK's first Michelin star for Italian food for his restaurant Locanda Locatelli and there is none better qualified to write the definitive book on the flavours of a Sicilian table. The island's Greek, Spanish and Arabic influences provide unique flavours that are not common in other parts of Italy - Sicilian cassata anyone? Ideal for one who wants to stray from the beaten path. 

(Publisher: Ecco Press) 

The Innovator 

Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages by Mario Batali 

Mario Batali, chef and jovial TV host, has put together a compendium of northern Italian recipes and given them a distinctly contemporary twist. Mario is inspired both by his boyhood home in Borgo Capanne, a little village in the hills of north Italy where he lived and cooked for many years, and also by his new home, New York's Greenwich Village - hence the name. The book is divided into sections on antipasti, pasta and risotto, fish, meat and poultry, side dishes, and cheese and sweets. It offers such delights as Tuna Carpaccio with Cucumbers, Sweet Potatoes, and Saffron Vinaigrette and Penne with Spicy Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Pesto. Definitely not for the traditionalist. 

(Publisher: Clarkson and Potter) 

The Storyteller 

Light Of Lucia by Luciana Sampogna 

If you've ever had a hankering for a life spent in Italy, then this is the book for you. Luciana Sampogna, owner of the popular Sydney cooking school Cucina Italiana, celebrates life in the lovely land, with a collection of recipes wrapped in tales about growing up in a typical Italian family. We get snippets of grandmotherly wisdom ("Sometimes we cry only to learn that laughing is coming right behind!"), cultural insights (everyone wears bright red underwear on New Year's Eve!) and personal tips (mascarpone with walnut liqueur is the perfect dish for those with seduction on their mind). The writing is chatty, the photographs are warm and homey and the recipes are almost besides the point! 

(Publisher: Murdoch Books) 

The Traditionalist 

La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy from the Italian Academy of Cuisine 

This enormous compendium of Italian dishes from each of Italy's 20 regions is chock-full of authentic recipes. Word has it that the Italian Academy of Cuisine sent 7,000 associates across the land to unearth local recipes from farmers' and Counts' kitchens alike. There are no modern interpretations here - it is through and through a book about classic dishes eaten by real Italians. For such an encyclopaedic book, it is quite easy to navigate, with eight chapters, and the recipes indexed both by ingredient and region. Get a copy and indulge yourself. We approve. 

(Publisher: Rizzoli International) 

The Godmother  

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan 

There's not much we need to say about Marcella Hazan. The words 'high priestess', 'definitive' and 'iconic' are often bandied about when speaking of the estimable Ms Hazan and this cookbook does nothing to dispel her aura. She has often been credited with bringing the cuisine of Italy to America. A revision of her earlier two cookbooks, this one contains recipes with reduced fat, plus a whole new chapter with information about herbs, spices and cheeses used in Italian kitchens. 

(Publisher: Knopf Doubleday) 

BY: Meher Mirza 

Content courtesy Good Food Magazine India