Treasures of the Italian Table

by Burton Anderson, Scott Baldwin (Illustrator)

An investigation of Italy's foodmakers, by the author of The Wine Atlas of Italy, profiles traditional artisans from the Alps to Sicily who persist despite the lowered standards of regulations favoring mass production. 20,000 first printing.

Genres: Italian Literature

Hardcover

First published February 21, 1994

Reviews

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few recipes would have helped liven things up.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not one of my favorites a bit pedantic. As an Italophile, where my love affair with all things Italian began when I was 18 as a foreign exchange student to Italy (how Blessed I was!). If I were writing this book, I would have included chapters exploring these Italian delicacies: gelato, pizza, pesto, risotto, desserts. Maybe dividing up the country by region and highlighting what particular food the region is known for ie Pasta with Bolognese sauce for Emilio Reggio or Milanese risotto for Lombardia. I made a tricolor bruschetta celebrating Bella Italia with my homemade pesto (verde), tomatoes (rosso) & mozzarella (bianco).

[Offbalance · Rating 3 out of 5]

If a being from another galaxy arrived on Earth tomorrow, and wanted to know all about Italian food, I would give them a copy of this book. It's a wonderfully written history of the elements that make up what we call "Italian food" come from, and where they don't. However, if you're familiar with Italian cuisine at all, prepare to be slightly bored. Still, Anderson is a wonderful writer, and nearly all of the foodblogs and/or food writers in existence owe him a HUGE stylistic debt.