Home on the range

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Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa

Modern Italians still refer to an elaborate dinner as "a meal worthy of Lucullus," commemorating a Roman general famous more for culinary prowess than any apparent military skill. And our images of ancient Rome usually do include one of an outrageous feast of camel and flamingoes and nightingales' tongues. But, as Ilaria Giacosa reminds us in this fascinating book, Romans did not eat the exotic every day. Here are the real foods of Rome - the rustic and the refined - in more than 200 tested recipes adapted for today's kitchen. Drawing on the writings of Apicius, Cato, Martial, Petronius, Juvenal, and other observers, Giacosa recreates a 2,000-year-old cuisine, from a hearty winter soup of barley and ham to an elegant salad of truffles in an herbed vinaigrette, from appetizers to desserts. Each recipe includes the original (in Latin and translation) and a modern rendering, with substitutions for difficult-to-find ingredients. The repertoire is wide and includes along with more exotic creations solid, satisfying dishes that still grace many Italian tables: a frittata or omelet of young asparagus and sharp Romano cheese; roast chicken with leeks and a garden of green herbs; a salad with peasant bread and cracked olives; and a fresh cheese pie scented with bay and honey. You'll find recipes for breads, porridges, and sauces, including the ever-present garum, which, Giacosa notes, is not very different from the soy and fish sauces of Asia; a guide to preserving fruits and vegetables; seasonal menus for everyday and elegant dining; and a rich social history of Roman eating, drinking, shopping, and entertaining. This is cooking before tomatoes, pasta, oranges, lemons, or even coffee entered the Mediterranean diet. Yet with its intriguing sweet-sour flavor combinations, its lavish use of fresh herbs and fragrant spices, and its base in whole grains and fruits and vegetables, the foods of Rome will be a revelation to serious cooks ready to create new dishes in the spirit of an ancient culture.

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text and recipes by Pamela Sheldon Johns

In Parmigiano!, seasoned cookbook author and cooking teacher Pamela Sheldon Johns takes you to the heartland of Italy. Emilia-Romagna, the picturesque region "bounded by rivers and mountains, " where Parmigiano-Reggiano has been made for centuries. She traces the history of the cheese and describes the traditional method - at once an art and a science - by which it is made. Parmigiano-Reggiano finds its way into fifty simple and enticing appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, entrees, breads, and even desserts, enhancing old favorites, such as Eggplant Parmigiano, as well as updated dishes, such as Radicchio Caesar Salad, Wild Mushroom Lasagne, and Caramelized Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano Wedges.

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in collaboration with José Wilson

Abstract: The fundamental principles of cooking are presented for beginners and expert cooks alike. Each chapter is built around a method of preparation rather than a category of foods, and begins with a detailed description of several techniques, spiced with anecdotes, cooking tips, preparation methods, and equipment descriptions. Thus, the chapter on "Boiling" discusses simmering and reducing, making and using court bouillion, and then launches into the recipes that put these techniques to practical application. Other chapters feature braising, grilling, baking, thickeners, chilling, etc. Kitchen tools are discussed and illustrated; a check list includes everything from aluminum foil to electrical appliances. A chapter on "Noncooking" describes dishes made from raw meats, fruits, and vegetables (e.g., seviche or gazpacho). The "Concordance" is an invaluable shopping guide to food varieties, cuts of meat, seasonings, and where and when to find the best quality.

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Joanne Stepaniak

Increasing numbers of people--including actress Drew Barrymore, pop star Moby, and actor Alec Baldwin--are embracing veganism, a lifestyle that entails avoiding all animal-based products and behaving ethically and conscientiously within our surroundings. In The Vegan Sourcebook, long-time activist Joanne Stepaniak further explores and illuminates the principles and practical aspects of compassionate living.