Cooking the Italian Way (Easy Menu Ethnic Cookbooks)

Introduces the land, people, and regional cooking of Italy and includes recipes for such dishes as Minestrone soup, spaghetti with meat sauce, and chicken cacciatore.

Grade 5-9-This appealing title for beginning cooks has been revised to include vegetarian recipes and low-fat suggestions in addition to pasta and pizza. The introductory section also has been expanded-it covers the land and its people, regional foods, holidays and festivals, and the market. The next section covers safety suggestions, utensils needed, cooking terms, ingredients, healthy-cooking tips, and a metric conversion chart. The remainder of the book is devoted to recipes, which are divided into dinner, supper, and holiday and festival food. Recipes for risotto, Bisignano spinach, bruschetta, and ossi dei morti (dead bone cookies) are among the 19 offerings. Full-page color photos of the food inspire novices to try their hands in the kitchen. The recipes have simple step-by-step instructions and some call for packaged items (hot cross buns uses refrigerator crescent rolls). Substitutions are suggested if the Italian ingredients are not available. For example, Bisignano recommends using long grain rice if arborio can't be found. A good offering for multicultural events that include food.
Sandra L. Doggett, Urbana High School, Ijamsville, MD
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