The Culinary Institute of America brings us a gorgeously photographed new Italian cookbook. Italian Cooking at Home by Gianni Scappin, Alberto Vanoli, and Steven Kolpan is filled with mouth-watering photographs accompanied by equally appetizing authentic Italian recipes. The recipes all have detailed instructions, fairly common - or at least easy to locate while shopping - ingredient lists, and a suggested wine pairing.
Italian Cooking at Home opens with a tour of Italy, covering each region’s various wines, cheeses, and specialties. The rest of the book is divided into chapters that range from Spuntini (snacks and little bites), Crudi (raw dishes), Minestre (soups), Pesci (fish) and everything in between. My family and friends particularly enjoy the dishes I prepared from the Sfoglia (fresh pasta) and Gnocchi (dumplings) sections. Our favorite dishes have to be the Potato Gnocchi with a Quick Fondue, Rice Balls, and Anelli di ricotta e spinaci, which sounds so much better in Italian than Rings of Ricotta and Spinach. I don’t come from an Italian family, but serving meals from Italian Cooking at Home sure made me feel like I had at least a few roots from Italy.