Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen

by Christopher Hirsheimer (photographer), Christopher Hirsheimer

When two great chefs—buddies and business partners for twenty-odd years—decide to write a cookbook about the simple Italian food they love, you get decades of experience, sage advice, and wonderful recipes. And you also get a few great arguments thrown in along the way, as Pino and Mark debate the right way to make everything from meatballs to pot roast to eggplant parmigiana.

Of course, the issue is not whose recipes are better—Pino and Mark would be first to praise each other's food. And it's not about a right or wrong way. It's about preferences in ingredients, technique, and approach.

Pino, a native of Tuscany cooking in America, is a purist. His food is grounded in tradition. Mark, a New Yorker, loves the Italian-American cooking he grew up with. Each has his favorite recipes (see back cover) and his own way, but they're bonded by a shared philosophy that the simplest food is the best, and a shared desire to please families, friends, and loyal customers with food that makes them happy.

So here are nearly 150 delicious recipes representing the best of Italian and Italian-American cooking from not one master but two, with text that teaches, dialogue that's lively, and photography that's gorgeous. There's no question about who reaps the rewards of their friendly competition—it's the reader, hands down. Whether you make...

Genres: Cookbooks

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2007

Reviews

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Italian cookbook - not so great a read.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly layed out recipes. Tips...humor.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The text is as entertaining as the photos are inspiring and the recipes delicious.

[Anna Valenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be on every cooks shelf!