Description

Whether you watch David Rocco’s Dolce Vita or not you can enjoy this cookbook and appreciate his enthusiasm, of Italy and its food. He explains Italian cooking and philosophy; how to have confidence to use your eyes – if something seems to need more flour -put it in. Put your own ideas and feelings into the recipes.It is comforting to be able to forget about blenders and to cook by sense. These dishes are presented as, “old-school, traditional, peasant-style Italian cooking”. Rocco tells a bit about each recipe and gives advice, such as using extra virgin oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, not something shaken out of a can.There are many pictures of the recipes, (one, might wish for more ones of the completed dishes) but also many of just the ingredients and there are many more wonderful pictures of an animated David Rocco in Italy, but one wishes that he would have identified the people in the photos with him.Included are recipes of; aperitivi, antipasti, insalate, contorni, pizza, primi-zuppa, pasta, risotto, secondi-carne, pollo, pesce, dolci, and mille grazie. There is an index which lists by ingredient and by dish name. We have experimented with an interesting version of pizza that has grapes and really enjoyed his version of spaghetti alla carbonara and torta di mele delle roccettes (apple yogurt cake).This is an appealing book and it certainly conveys the love and enthusiasm for Italian cooking…and puts you right in the mood to start cooking these recipes.