'Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes From My Two Villages' By Mario Batali Photographs by Mark Ferri Clarkson Potter -- 1998 Buy it on Amazon
More than a decade ago -- long before Del Posto, Otto and road trips through Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow -- Mario Batali had two restaurants, Pó and Babbo, and was just beginning to grow his rock-'n'-roll, orange-Croc-wearing legend through the Food Network.
It's there that we find him with "Mario Batali Simple Italian Food," his first cookbook, which takes readers through the tastes of Borgo Capanne, where Batali worked in Trattoria La Volta on the border of the Italian regions Emilia-Romagna and Toscana, as well as his other "village," New York.
Batali divides the recipes of these villages by color: The orange-titled ones are those he invented in New York; the brown titles are those he learned in Italy.
See what we tested and whether it's worth buying after the jump.
'Simple Italian Snacks' Recipes by Jason Denton and Kathryn Kellinger Photos by Michael Piazza William Morrow -- 2008 Buy it on Amazon
Italian food: Unless you grew up noshing on Italian-American fare -- pastas, sauces, meatballs -- this particular Old World cuisine can seem fairly intimidating to newbies, especially in the era of sea urchin and lardo and beef cheek ravioli with squab liver and truffles. (Not that we'd complain if either dish arrived on our doorstep).
So we're grateful to see another book keeping things simple in the home kitchen from Jason Denton, partner in the very popular New York City restaurant Lupa and the man behind panini pioneer 'ino.
Most of his recipes are mercifully simple, relying on a few super-fresh ingredients to comprise menus that still look darn decadent when they hit the table. Look for a seasonal pizza of peach, mascarpone and honey or a gorgeous veal involtini wrapped around arugula and sweet roasted garlic.
See what we tested and whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'Italian Food' Recipes by Elizabeth David Foreword by Julia Child Alfred A. Knopf -- 1958; Penguin edition -- 1999 Buy it at Amazon
When Julia Child calls another cook "the doyenne of English food authorities" and her veal recipes "lovely," it's time to pay attention. Elizabeth David, not Child, is credited with breaking the English out of their stodgy meat-and-potatoes routines way back in the 1950s. Having sojourned in both France and Italy as a young woman, translating the recipes of local Italian and Frenchwomen from "by the handful" into so-called "proper" measurements, David was the first English cook to really bring Italian and French food to her native country.
Takeaway tips: David's prose is very unlike that of, say, M.F.K. Fisher, being quite straightforward, but is accurate and worth reading for its sheer Englishness: "Zuppa pavese" (a soup) is "a capital invention, admirable when one is tired, and also for solitary meals." She can't help but dropping details about her travels into the writing, but does so in such an accessible way that one doesn't come away from the book loathing her.
Frank Sinatra was a man who loved to dine. Indeed, he was many a restaurants' favorite patron, from the neighborhood pizzeria to more upscale spots. Additionally, his picture hangs in hundreds, probably thousands of places he never even set foot in because Sinatra means Italian food.
The ultimate in Frank-revering restaurants has opened in the new Encore casino in Las Vegas, where Sinatra (Well, what would you call it?) is the first restaurant fully sanctioned by Ol' Blue Eyes' family. So sanctioned that it's bursting with enough memorabilia to stock a museum; not only photos, but gold records, Grammys and Frank's Best Supporting Actor award for From Here to Eternity grace the dining room, which puts a glossy, post-modern spin on Sinatra's signature Palm Beach style.
Heading up the kitchen is executive chef Theo Schoenegger (formerly of LA's Patina) whose Italian cuisine eschews red sauce and Mama Dolly's pasta for dishes possessed of a more minimalist elegance with a few simple, fresh ingredients applied to maximum effect. Order up a chairman-approved cocktail and toast the good life.
Preserved meat counter at an Ipercoop supermarket in Italy. From Flickr user cary b's Flickr.
I'm posting images of sausage counters the world over each weeknight (and occasionally weekend) witching hour until I run out. Please use the comments section to post links to your Flickr or personal site faves, and perhaps you'll see 'em posted here late some evening.
Many cookbooks shine with crisp newness. The pages have a smooth sheen; the pictures are perfect. But that's not the case with Biba Caggiano's Biba's Italy, and it's all the better for it.
Printed on yellowed pages with ragged edges, Biba's Italy is a collection of recipes gathered from some of the country's big cities -- Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan, and Venice. The book discusses the typical Italian menu, an espresso glossary, and then digs into the culinary treats -- each city broken down into its own menu of Appetizers, Pasta/First Courses, Entrees, Vegetables/Salads, and Desserts, plus further information about wines, restaurants, and other food fare for the city. You can dip into the Bologna's Stuffed Pork Chops that feature parmigiano and prosciutto, taste some Milanese Saffron Risotto, or even some Venitian Whipped Creamy Salt Cod with Soft Polenta.
It's like a book that's been handed down over the years -- ready to use and full of history. It has the feel of age, presented in a way that you want to throw it on your counter and dig into the varied and delectable recipes. Most of the ingredients are easy to find and procure, and the meals are free from any gourmet fastidiousness. If you love Italian food, or want to expand your knowledge of Italian flavor, this book is definitely worth a look.
Local produce is used nearly exclusivly across the range - there are Pears in Prosecco (Perine al Prosecco), mixed berries in Prosecco (Frutti di Bosco in Sciroppo di Vins Prosecco), radicchio in extra virgin olive oil, tagliatelle also made with radicchio and various meat products such as Soppressa and Lardo and a couple of cheeses.
Continuing the wine theme they also produce a Panettone made with, yep you guessed it, Prosecco that contains Prosecco grapes from the 'cru' vineyards of Cartizze. One product that I have personally sampled - several times ;-) - during my recent visit is Cartizzini. These are small, two-bite biscuits, not too sweet, containing a semi-dried Prosecco grape from the Cartizzi vineyard. As I said, not that sweet, and superb with a chilled glass of the bubbly!
No details as yet of stockists or prices. Hopefully I can report back when the details are finalised and they let me know.
What they don't rave over-- but should -- is Il Valore Primitivo, a wine from the Puglia region of Italy (the "heel "of the "boot," geographically speaking). It's made from red Zinfandel grapes, and it's perfect with Italian food (naturally) but would work well with any grilled red meats. And quite frankly, it has a depth and complexity that one expects from Zinfandels in the $10 to $15 range.
The price? That's the best part. At the TJ's in Northern Virginia where I make pilgrimages once every six weeks, it's selling for $4.99.
So why spend money on Charles Shaw when you could have a real wine for five dollars? I'll admit, Il Valore Primitivo doesn't have a catchy nickname ("Five Bill Il" was the best I could come up with), but dollar-for-dollar, it's more bang for the buck than Chuck.
'Italian Food' 
Many cookbooks shine with crisp newness. The pages have a smooth sheen; the pictures are perfect. But that's not the case with Biba Caggiano's Biba's Italy, and it's all the better for it.
Everybody raves over 
A 
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
