We Called It Macaroni: An American Heritage of Southern Italian Cooking

by Nancy Verde Barr, Kathe Helander (Illustrator)

Gathers Italian-American style recipes for appetizers, soups, pasta, main dishes, vegetables, bread, pizza, and desserts

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Italian Literature

368 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 1996

About the author

Nancy Verde Barr was executive chef to Julia Child from 1980 to 1998 and the culinary producer for PBS's Baking with Julia and ABC's Good Morning America. She has written for Gourmet, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Parade, and Cook's Magazine and is the author of three award-winning cookbooks.

Reviews

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful history of Italian immigrant cooking in America as it transformed into what was generally recognized as Italian cooking before Marcella Hazen came on the scene to educate us. I have marked many recipes to try and look forward to enjoying many future meals from this book.

[Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. Interesting historic vignettes and the recipes are pretty close to what I learned at the business end of one of those well-seasoned wooden spoons from the card-playin', moo-moo wearin', church-goin', kid-lovin' Italian mamadelles in the fam.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous Recipes, along with some history about Italian cooking in America. The family stories peppered throughout the book were delightful!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my top 5 cookbooks - probably number one or two. he author was executive chef to Julia Child. Great recipes in this book.

But the best part of the cookbook are the memory sections in which she talks about her family, their arrival in this country, and The Hill.

I would loved to have known her grandmother. The pictures in the book are priceless of the newly arrived, the neighborhoods they settled in, the stores they owned.

This book is a loving tribute to a way of life that emphasizes good food, tlove of families, and the love of a certain way of living and seeing the world.

I browse this book at least once a month.

A truly good read.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like most people, I don't usually read a cookbook cover to cover, but I spent a lot of time with this one. The author, Nancy Verde Barr, a third-generation Italian, offers some great recipes she learned from her grandmother.

One of the recipes in the book, called "Ziti in the Manner of San Giovanni," has become such a favorite of mine that I've made it more times than I can count. I simply call it "Sage Pasta." I never thought pasta with prosciutto, walnuts and fresh sage would this this delicious.

I've had to get rid of several cookbooks that we just don't have the room for anymore, but this one is a keeper.

[Susan I. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't grow up in RI's "The Hill" rather I grew up in MA, in a town about 20 minutes from the RI border. As a 2nd generation Italian, this book, the stories and the recipes bring back memories of my own childhood, the food and family. I read this book while attending culinary school and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have never made any of the recipes in the book because I didn't buy it for the recipes, rather I bought it for the stories. Thank you Nancy.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to come across this, I don't think it has a UK publisher.
This is Italian cooking for American Italians who had to adapt what was available in their new home country.
If you think ' Goodfellas ' and similar you'll get the idea !
Others reviews have said it all but I was surprised to see she worked with Julia Child for years as executive chef on her TV series.
If you are in the UK and see it buy it, it's probably not a problem to find it in the US.

[Avis Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't often cook out of cookbooks, but this is one of the exceptions to the rule. Recommended.

[Laureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to cook healthy from being soooo poor!! Love the immigrant stories and how their kitchens were remembered with such fondness and love.