Northern Italian Cooking

A collection of traditional recipes offers a sampling of sauces, antipasti, soups, pasta, rice, fish, poultry, meats, vegetables, salads, and desserts from Northern Italy. This cuisine features butter, cream, stocks, wine, and fresh herbs in addition to olive oil, tomato, garlic, lemon, and walnuts, in such dishes as Pollo Alla Marengo (Chicken Marengo) from Piedmont and Pollo in Fricassea All'Antica (Old-fashioned Chicken Fricassee) from Emilia-Romagna. Francesco Ghedini gives complete instructions and suggests side dishes such as Asparagi Allo Zabaione (Asparagus with Zabaione Sauce) or Fagioli Al Vino Rosso (Kidney Beans Cooked in Red Wine). The recipe for Lasagne Verdi Al Forno (Baked Green Lasagna) is typically Bolognese and offers a rich, unique flavor from its combined use of Bolognese sauce and Béchamel sauce in between layers of green egg pasta. The author relates the origins of some ancient dessert recipes like Brandy-flavored Almond and Rice Torte and Zabaione (Marsala Custard).