The continued passion for cookery books with some Italian recommendations

Apparently the British have become a nation of voyeurs when it comes to cooking and food preparation but incredibly the desire to research ever new ways of producing something different never wanes and the rise of the cookery book continues unabated.

Jamie Oliver has almost produced every variation known to man and each one is a guaranteed best seller; his books on Italian cooking have won praise and we have to hand it to Jamie, he will always put his money where his mouth is in every aspect of food preparation no matter how ‘unsexy’ the topic may be.

Yet why do we love reading about food so much? Right now I am reading A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena de Blasi and throughout the tale the author sprinkles food descriptions liberally over the page and ends each chapter with a recipe. 

These days there are so many different of Italian cookery book types; you can go for food porn which is full colour, full frontal spread of gastronomic temptation, a scholarly tome which gives you every fact you ever wanted to know about an ingredient; something akin to literature or perhaps a picaresque journey through a region or country where the writer finds out something about him or herself in the course of their exploration or travels.

Italy has had its fair share of cookery books in the past and some have become bibles in their own right; think Elizabeth David’s Italian Food, Patience Grey’s Honey from a Weed and the River Café Italian Kitchen.

One book, however, that appeared a couple of years back is Two Greedy Italians by Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo who are both well respected chefs and commentators on their native Italian cuisine.  I often turn to this book as it cuts to the chase and the authors are keen to explore all aspect of the Italian culinary tradition. It doesn’t compare to others in terms of being comprehensive but lots of the dishes are easy and excellent for an Italian quick fix.

His recipe book is practical, joyful, uncomplicated and contextualises so much of what we understand about Italian food. There is a simple honesty about this collection of recipes and comments. The photography underscores the everyday, home style feel of the book and gives the reader an opportunity to explore regional dishes which really make the best of what is on offer whatever the season.

Of course, on the other hand you could take a cookery book as inspiration, eschew the printed word and head off into the Tuscan countryside. There you can  try out some cooking of your very own on a cooking holiday in Italy where theory is translated seamlessly to joyful practise and new friendships and kindred spirits indulge in their passion for Italian food tradition. We all know we learn best when learning to do something practically and getting out hands dirty, or floury, as the case may be.

You don’t have to limit yourself to one reason. In 2013 Flavours have a number of cooking holidays in different regions of the country so click here to discover some options. If you are smart you will fill your Kindle with Italian cookery books and pack that too, so you can do some homework!

Matthew Fort explores the flavours of Italy on a Vespa

An encouragement to book your own 2013 cooking adventure in Italy

Food writers contribute so much to our understanding about what passes our lips. Sometimes we underestimate their power to persuade, inform or entertain.

Occasionally they simply enthuse about some delicacy or regional gastronomy in a highly infectious manner and suddenly the supermarket shelves are cleared of a specific ingredient (I remember Delia and Cranberries one Christmas!)

Italy has had its fair share of distinguished writers who have waxed lyrical about its varied and inspirational food culture and anyone who has experienced making lunch in the Flavours holidays kitchen will know how seductive Italian food and the backdrop against which it is lovingly prepared can be.

Matthew Fort is one such person who has done much to educate us about everything from Lancashire delicacies, in his book ‘Rhubarb and Black Pudding’ back in 1998 to Italian regional cooking in’ Eating Up Italy: Voyages On A Vespa’ which appeared back in 2004.

He is a distinguished food writer and critic and up until January 2012 was Food and Drink Editor at The Guardian, having begun as a food writer for the newspaper in 1989. Matthew commands serious attention whenever he writes and has won the now defunct Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year Award in 1992 and Restaurant Writer the following year. So when he decides to turn his attention to Italy one immediately suspects his book will give you far more than recipes alone.

‘Eating Up Italy: Voyages On A Vespa’ has been in print since 2004. As an aside, a sequel to this popular book appeared in 2008, entitled: ‘Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons’ which flavours will review separately.

Anyone who has developed or is developing a passion for Italian food would do well to beg, borrow or steal a copy of ‘Vespa’. Nigel Slater would agree too as he waxed lyrical in his review: ‘Lemon blossom and freshly baked bread waft up from every page. The most intensely greedy, fragrant and sensuously written travelogue I have ever read. A glorious, glorious feast.’ So, now you know.

Fort starts his journey in the south at Melito di Poro Salvo and gradually makes his way through this extraordinary country. Matthew offers significant insights as he passes through one region and then another. It is stunning to see how the differences in regional proclivities are kept alive and celebrated without losing their no nonsense, pragmatism; you want to live well? Then eat well, it’s that simple.

For Italy to be in the hands of someone who imbues all aspects of gastronomy, from its impact on culture, humour, outlook, politics and self-belief, we know it is in tender and knowledgeable hands. Fort ensures that nothing is missed; he ferrets out experts and characters on his tremendous journey that ends up in Turin.

The reader begins to understand the Italian creative spirit which has always dealt capably with ingredients that arrive in a glut while eking out rations in a time of hardship; whether that was as a consequence of politics and war, or simply a bad season’s harvest.

How a country’s soil dictates so much about its philosophy and what is produced doesn’t pass Matthew by. He celebrates the thrift evident in the mountains where scarcity is compensated by fiery blots of taste in the form of chillies and juxtaposes luxuriance, just a few kilometres away, where inhabitants are enjoying lush cheeses and fragrant fleshy herbs.

Readers learn to anticipate some of his culinary adventures, whereas others are a surprise. You may be familiar with pizza but do you really know its deep connection between cuisine and history? Thought you didn’t, neither did I!

As his trusty Vespa (groaning under the increasing weight of the author) rolls into Emilia- Romagna most of the clichés of Italian cooking can be found but that is not a reason to ignore this book. Matthew searches out producers and ingredients and makes you feel as if he really has offered up new observations about familiar names. This is a revelation and Fort revels in describing and accurately transcribing recipes, specifics of gastronomic occasions, the people who enjoy eating, shopping and cooking and the producers who take their work so seriously. Those who ventured on one of Flavours cooking courses in Puglia, Tuscany, Umbria or Sicily will know just how important the trips to visit local producers were in assisting with a truer understanding of just what goes into Italian food.

If you have missed out so far, then this book is essential homework for a future trip. It’s a wonderful winter companion as the nights draw in and we wrap ourselves in our favourite armchair and plan next year’s culinary adventures. Be warned though, as these will be punctuated by quick trips to the kitchen to rustle up Ravioli, Zamponi and all points between. Packed with facts and observations you will be hard pressed to find a more beguiling travelogue documenting Italian food.

Pastastic

Matt Wade, was a journalist based in Dubai when he got an invitation to a press conference on Lake Como in Northern Italy. The event organiser was Laura – now his wife. Marrying into an Italian family resulted in a newfound passion for pasta and a culinary career change…

What inspired you to write a cookery book?

Pastastic - The Recipe Book was really the next logical step after my Pasta Recipes Made Easy website had reached a couple of hundred pages. It is a shareable, easy-to-print version of the recipes, and a digital e-book.

But you don't classify yourself as a cook?

No not really. I do cook, but in terms of my skill set and speciality, it's really all about the pasta. I wouldn't dare call myself a chef as that implies a well-rounded set of kitchen skills. For me, pasta is my niche and the more I learn about it, the more I want to learn (and discover there is to learn).

Why do your site and book just focus on pasta?
A bizarre mix of reasons. Aside from always having loved pasta, at the time (early 2008) I wanted to create a niche website. As an ex-magazine editor, the publisher part of me just loved the idea of creating and uploading interesting content with the aim of creating a little niche club and gaining lots of traffic. Therefore I needed a topic. The ongoing brainstorm I had over this question actually occurred the year after my wedding when I was in the kitchen more than ever before. Once my mother-in-law, mamma Marisa introduced me to the easiest pasta dish known to man ('breakfast pasta'), I knew I'd found my calling!

Which part of Italy is Mamma Marisa from?

My wife's family is originally from Naples in the south and they still regard themselves as Neapolitans, however they have lived in Rapallo, Liguria (close to Italy's north-west tourist hotspots Cinque Terre and Portofino) now for many years. This, and the fact they have friends right across Italy, means I've been able to learn a great mix of pasta dishes: from Genoan pesto to Neapolitan ragu and spicy Sicilian dishes.

Are there any regional specialities in the book?

There are, from all kinds of regions too! The two Ligurian dishes I would point to first and foremost are traditional basil pesto, which is stupidly easy and tastes lovely and fresh smothered over pretty much any pasta, and a dish called La Genovese. This is effectively a kind of onion-only ragu and actually has a combined Ligurian and Neapolitan history. It's not quick to make, but all you really do is chop and stir, so it's not difficult at all. And it’s lip-smackingly delicious!

What was the first thing Marisa cooked for you?

'Breakfast pasta'. I turned up unannounced for lunch one day, and with nothing in the fridge Mamma Marisa got creative. She chopped a little leftover medium-hard cheese into chunks and dropped these in a mixing bowl. Then she popped some tagliatelle in a pan and melted a little butter in another. With these ready, she added everything to the bowl, stirred it through and served it with a fried egg on top. I can't tell you how tasty that dish was (I'm salivating now just thinking about it). "Even I can manage that!" I thought, and I was off. Since then the dishes I've learned have come sometimes from recipe's hand-written recipe book, sometimes direct from my wife, and often as not as a result of their shared knowledge.

What’s your favourite dish?

For me it's probably 'pasta alla norma'. Everyone should try this vegetarian winner at least once. It's basically short pasta shapes with a tomato sauce containing fried aubergine strips. This was the dish that really introduced me to the taste combination of soft, sweet, fried aubergine and rich tomato sauce. It's simple, but as with lots of Italian cuisine that isn't in any way to its detriment.

What's your most memorable meal?

That would be our 'make do' dinner the first night of our honeymoon, at Villa Pitiana near Florence in Tuscany. When we arrived after a long drive from the north they had mislaid our restaurant reservation, but the chef had some leftover bits of food in the kitchen. One glass of full-bodied chianti and plenty of "Can you believe we're married?" chat later and the chef walks back in with two dishes of fresh green tagliatelle coated in a glorious wild boar ragu sauce.

Are there any really unusual dishes in your book?
La Genovese is not that well known outside Italy, or at least I've never seen it offered in any restaurant. There are also several Sicilian dishes which are unique to a friend of Marisa's who helped teach them to me. The book also includes one pasta-free recipe, which is so tasty I just couldn't leave it out. This is aubergine parmigiana which is similar to lasagna only with fried aubergine slices where the pasta sheets should be. It takes an age to make but the taste is glorious.

What would you recommend for someone wanting to whip up an easy dish?

A good starter is pasta with ricotta sauce. It's creamy thanks to the soft cheese, it's calorifically sweet (and therefore seriously moreish), and in making it you'll learn the basics of how to whip up a great Italian tomato sauce.

And for a dinner party?

That would be my new favourite - fresh open ravioli. I recently made this using spinach pasta dough, for a glorious green colour, then filled them with butter-fried wild mushrooms.

So is fresh pasta really better than dried?

No doubt! Fresh pasta is more succulent, it holds the sauce better, plus there's no chance of any preservatives being in there. The process of making it really isn't tricky either and there are numerous dough variations you can experiment with once you've nailed the basics, using different flours like chickpea or buckwheat, adding ingredients into the mix to colour your pasta and so on.

What’s your top tip?

I have three! The first is to always drop plenty of salt in your pasta water. For four people I use a full handful. The second is to use a lotof water when boiling long pasta (this helps to avoid sticking), and the third is to avoid that very British, I think Jamie Oliver-inspired disease of throwing a ton of garlic into every dish. It's really not the Italian way - for some seafood dishes yes, but often as not meat and veggie dishes do without it.

http://www.pasta-recipes-made-easy.com/Pastastic-The-Recipe-Book.html