Lidia's Italy

Posted by Margalit

In my quest to find cookbooks that I'll not only enjoy reading, but will use for inspiration as well as good recipes my family will enjoy, I recently purchased Lidia's Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. You're probably familiar with Lidia from her PBS cooking shows, which I'm happily addicted to, but if not, this book is a great introduction into simple and delicious Italian recipes. This book, written in conjunction with her latest PBS series called Lidia's Italy, presents some of the best regional Italian cuisine I've found in a cookbook.

In this cookbook, Lidia has gone to ten separate regions in Italy to learn from home cooks the recipes most typical of the region. She starts out in her own hometown in Istria, which is now part of Croatia where she forages for wild asparagus and presents a recipe I can't wait to try for Asparagus and Rice Soup. It sounds divine!

From Istria, Lidia also covers the regions of Trieste, Friuli, Padova and Treviso, Piemonte, Maremma, Rome, Naples, Sicily and Puglia. Lidia's Italy contains recipes for appetizers, soups, salads and side dishes, pastas and risottos, fish and seafood, meat and poultry, and of course desserts. One particular dessert, Limoncello Tiramisu has caught my attention and I plan to make it using my own homemade limoncello. The recipes are well written and presented with a nice introduction on how she came across the idea for this dish, the instructions, and even a sidebar of recommended equipment. Each step in the instructions is clearly written with nice commentary about how something should look or smell. Just like nonna might teach you at home in your own kitchen.

I'm a huge fan of Lidia's shows on PBS. Everything she makes looks delicious, and unlike many TV chefs, when she tastes her food along the way, she grunts with delight at the taste. Her entire family is involved in the cooking, and you get to watch them all gather together to enjoy her cooking. She's delightful, she's sometimes very funny, but she's a serious cook with so much to impart. From simple pastas and gnocchi to more complex meat and poultry entrees, Lidia's recipes are different, healthy, filled with local produce, and look absolutely fabulous.

This is yet another cookbook I'm going to be using quite frequently, especially in the cooler months when her soups will be calling to me. Be sure to check out Lidia's web site, where you'll find some recipes online, a great introduction into her cookbooks.

TAGS: Cookbook, Italian Cooking, Lidia Bastianich
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