THE SILVER SPOON - Hardcover

COLLECTIF

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0714844675 ISBN 13: 9780714844671

Publisher: PHAIDON PRESS, 2005

Synopsis

The Silver Spoon

About this title

Review

First published in 1950 and revised over time, Italy's bestselling culinary "bible," Il Cucchiaio d'argento, is now available in English. The Silver Spoon boasts over 2,000 recipes and arrives in a handsome (and weighty) photo-illustrated edition complete with two ribbon markers. Its chapters make every menu stop from sauces and antipasti through cheese dishes and sweets, with many standout dishes like Genoese Pesto Minestrone, Eggplant and Ricotta Lasagna, Pork Shoulder with Prunes, and Chocolate and Pear Tart; the book also includes a number of "eccentricities," like sections on patty shells and bean sprouts, surely not an Italian dining staple. Meant to be inclusive, the book also offers a wide range of non-Italian, mostly French formulas, supplemented by a few "exotic" and other non-traditional entries.

Though the recipe range is vast, it must be said that American readers, anxious to cook this authentic fare, will encounter problems. Translating a cookbook from one language to another requires cultural recasting as well as word substitution, and in this the book's editors have been lax. The problems include non-idiomatic usages, for example, calling for "pans" when "pots" is needed; awkward conversions from the metric system, resulting in requirements like eleven ounces of zite; and the inclusion of ingredients like cavolo nero (Tuscan cabbage), tope (a Mediterranean fish), and pancetta copatta (ham-stuffed pancetta) that are unavailable here and for which no alternatives are suggested. In addition, the recipes themselves are often insufficiently specific or detailed--even seasoned bakers will pause before cake recipes that don't specify pan size--and can also lack yields. Space considerations have also meant printing recipes in single, one-column paragraphs, which can make place-finding while cooking difficult, and there are typos and other goofs (one recipe for four specifies six cups of sliced scallions; another requires that a marinade be "stirred frequently for five to twelve hours").

All this said, many cooks--casual and serious alike--as well as cookbook collectors, will want The Silver Spoon. It's an essential document of the Italian table and as such a classic. Indeed, it would be hard to imagine a complete cookbook library without the book--a welcome evocation of a much-beloved repertoire by those who know it best. --Arthur Boehm

Review

'Its simple style and authenticity will appeal to both the gourmet and the occasional cook.' (What's On In London) 'I predict this is going to become the new bible on Italian food.' (The Bookseller) 'The Italians have kept their culinary secrets to themselves for too long - The Silver Spoon gives the rest of us a chance to get your hands on them. Buon Appetito.' (Observer Food Monthly) 'Giorgio Locatelli says it is the only book to have made into his mother's kitchen, but that doesn't convince you, look at the numbers. Where else will you get 2,000 recipes for GBP25?' (The Times magazine) 'Both practical and comprehensive.' (The Daily Telegraph) 'The Silver Spoon reveals a lot of secrets, close to 3,000 of them...one finds not just simple and accurate recipes for the classics, but myriad ideas and new dishes that one has never heard of.' (Financial Times) 'Embodies the entire culinary ethos and unparalleled passion for food that runs through every Italian's veins...Unlike so many cookery books on offer in Britain, The Silver Spoon is not a showy and stylised title (the photography in the book is completely natural, shot without special lighting or food stylist's props), sold on the back of the celebrity of its author. It's about simple good food, treated in an unpretentious, appreciative way. It's about passing on a legacy, an understanding and a passion.' (Scottish Sunday Herald) 'I would like to start this review with a little story: my grandmother - who was in charge of the cooking in our house for nearly 80 years - did not have any cookery books at home. When she died, at the grand old age of 101, my mother took command of the kitchen, and the only book she ever brought into the house was Il Cucchiaio d'Argento (aka The Silver Spoon)...The recipes have been translated in a beautifully simple format, colour-coded for easy use...Throughout the book there is a very good representation of recipes from all the regions of Italy...Inspiration indeed.' (Giorgio Locatelli) 'Pleasantly frill-free.' (The Sunday Times) 'Now translated into English, making its mouthwatering, authentic recipes accessible worldwide.' (Waitrose Food Illustrated) 'A must for anybody who enjoys cooking!' (Giorgio Locatelli) 'THE must-buy book this Christmas...brilliant. If you want to cook Italian food properly, this is the book you need - nothing fancy, just honest cooking.'(Fresh) 'A seriously comprehensive guide that shows that Italian food is about for more than just pasta and pizza...One for serious Italophiles.' (Gordon Ramsey, The Times) 'For someone after lots of recipes, and an entree to how Italians in Italy really eat, it is perfect.' (Sunday Telegraph) 'Simple, user-friendly, mouth-watering.' (The Sunday Tribune (Ireland)) 'A joy to cook from...may well prove to be the only Italian cookery you'll ever need.' (Henrietta Green, Daily Mail) 'If you've just married an Italian, this is the book for you...you'll be able to impress your other half - and your mama-in-law - with your knowledge of classic Italian cooking...wonderful.' (BBC Good Food Magazine) 'It's hard to imagine a more definitive book on the art of Italian cooking.' (Independent on Sunday) 'We'd put it straight after 'a sharp knife' on the list of equipment that every kitchen deserves to have.'(Italia) 'A comprehensive collection and suitable for everyone, from the complete novice to the experienced chef, thanks to the sheer range of recipes available. It's so heavy with meal ideas, just lifting the book guarantees burning calories.' (You Are What You Eat) 'It is hard to imagine that there is a better Italian cook book on the market.' (Nottingham Evening Post) 'If you only buy one cookery book this year, make it this one.' (The Good Book Guide) 'Of the thousands of cookbooks published each year, most have the shelf life of a gallon of milk. Then they sink into oblivion. A few get good advance buzz, and, of those, an extremely small number catch fire. Ladies and gents, it looks like we have fire. The Silver Spoon landed in bookstores Nov. 8 and became an instant bestseller...It's direct. It's real. Is this the reason we love Italian food?' (John Kessler, Atlanta Journal Constitution) 'Italy's version of The Joy of Cooking - The Silver Spoon - has been translated into English for the first time...It presents lucid recipes for every dish a lover of Italian food could wish for - more than 2,000 of them.' (Bon Appetit) 'In keeping with its history, many of the recipes are very traditional, a 'just like Mamma used to make' reference book of classics. Absolutely every dish seems to be included in it, from all over Italy. That's an amazing accomplishment when you consider the range of ingredients and traditions that Italy offers...Overall, the book is solid, well laid-out and very user-friendly...You could call The Silver Spoon an Italian Mrs Beeton, with a touch of the Escoffier about it. It's as relevant to our times as it ever was.' (Lino Poli, Chef at Firenze Restaurant, Leicestershire)

Edition details

• Publisher: PHAIDON PRESS
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0714844675
• ISBN 13: 9780714844671
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 1