Contorni: Authentic Italian Side Dishes for All Seasons

by Susan Simon, Quentin Bacon (Photographer), Manfredi Bellati (Photographer)

Discover contorni-the delicious side dishes of Italy-in this wonderful cookbook of over 60 recipes from Susan Simon, author of Insalate. Made with the freshest vegetables, these little dishes follow the seasons to take advantage of each ingredient at its most flavorful. From spring vegetable tarts-Crostate di Verdure Primaverili-to a colorful blend of winter carrots and celery root-Carote e Sedano-Rapa alla Nonna Silvera-each recipe uses ingredients that can be easily found at the local grocery. Photographs illustrate beautiful Italian countryside, street markets, and perfectly ripe vegetables, and showcase the mouthwatering recipes. With Contorni, side dishes are no longer an afterthought, they are the perfect accompaniment.

Genres: Cookbooks

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2003

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is nothing in the title nor the dustjacket blurb of this book to alert one to the interesting slant which governs the selection of the some of the side dish recipes it contains. The author includes a number of recipes common to Jewish-Italian kitchens and explains the contribution of Jews to Italian cuisine. The recipes are arranged according to the four seasons. The book is richly illustrated with many colour photographs. I tend not to think of side dishes as being somehow less than entrees. Like the Czech playwright said, "There are no small roles; only small actors." I would not put a merely adequate side dish next to an entree of which I was very proud. The recipes in this text suggest ways to greatly enhance the secondi (main course) of an Italian meal. A few of the recipes are too brief in terms of instruction, e.g. "blanche and peel" when there are several ways to get the peel off, only one of which works very well at all. I'm nonetheless pleased to add this to my collection of Italian cookbooks.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent! it has the authentic recipe for Melanzane alla Parmigiana (eggplant parmesan), not the ucky stuff that is prevalent through out most of the world.
it also speckles the pages with the history and origins of the dishes and people who served them!
this book is a cultural gem!