Publisher's Synopsis
Certain ingredients are essential in Italian cooking. It is impossible to imagine an Italian kitchen without tins of tomatoes, anchovy fillets, tuna, jars of olives, pine nuts, dried beans and lentils, bottles of olive oil, mozzarella, Parmesan and the characteristic herbs such as basil, oregano and sage.;This book pays tribute to these staples of Italian life and offers a lively account of their history and traditional uses, as well as an original and often surprising selection of recipes. Each chapter is devoted to a specific ingredient or family of ingredients which reflects the simplicity of good home food and stresses the importance of seasonal cookery at its best. Dishes range from soups and first courses to a wide variety of fish, vegetable and meat recipes. Chpaters on the various Italian cheeses, on nuts, on fruit and on herbs feature meat, fish, pasta and rice-based recipes as well as an abundance of puddings, each of which depends on that particualr ingredient for its distinctive flavour.
