Italian Regional Cooking

by Ada Boni

Recipes for antipasto, soup, pasta, main dishes, and sweets are accompanied by descriptions of the people, customs, and scenery typical of Italy's major gastronomic regions

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Nonfiction, Italian Literature

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

She was born Ada Giaquinto in 1891 and died in 1973. She was an Italian cook and the author of 'Il talismano della felicità', one of the fundamental books of Italian recipes and probably the first addressed to housewives (and married women in general).

Reviews

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to the vast selection of authentic Italian recipes, this book stands alone. It's not the book you want to crack open to learn a technique, but if you want to learn what the Milanese really put in their risotto it's the place to go. It's easily the most stained book in my kitchen library. I've had my copy since it was new, and they'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands before I ever give it up.

[Thomas Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorites. Watch any Italian cooking program or pick almost any Italian cookbook and you can find the original basic regional recipe here. I keep two copies; one for the counter as I cook and another for the bookcase and bringing out when dishing with friends. It's so amazing to see how ingredients change as a recipe moves around the world.

[Lyn Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic of Italian regional food, used so much over the decades I've had it that I have internalized many of the recipes. I love it.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been chewing on this book for years, and I think I hesitate to use it more often because of the lack of photos for each recipe. Below are the recipes I made, which I enjoyed. I'm going to give up trying to cook my way through it and may keep it for future use.

From Piedmont: Piedmontese fondue (fonduta / fondua), minestrone d'asti, and chicken with white wine and tomatoes (spezzatino di pollo)! Delicious, but the fondue was my favorite.

From Lombardy: Gorgonzola biscuits (pizzette al Gorgonzola), rice Mantua-style (riso alla Pilota). Both were delicious. The Gorgonzola biscuits were almost like very fancy Cheez-its.

From Veneto: scallops (cape sante) and stewed sweet peppers ("papriche stufate"). Both were AMAZING!! Best things I have made so far out of this book.

From Liguria: Genoa pesto and corzetti pasta, which I'm thinking did not include enough eggs.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Large format book with good photos, bit of history of the regions and lots of country cooking.
The layout reflects the era in which it was published, the late '60's and is a little uninspiring for modern tastes.
However, viewed as an excellent guide to Italian regional cookery it does the job perfectly.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pulled from collection

[Lindy Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rustic and treasured recipes. I adore this book.

[A.]

Found in 2016 in my parents house when cleaning it out. My dad had wrote in it "Bought in Indianapolis 1991"