California meets Italy in this fresh, accessible take on America’s favorite ethnic cuisines.
Waxman (A Great American Cook, 2007), chef-owner of the Manhattan restaurant Barbuto, offers recipes that rely not on shortcuts but on maximizing flavor using a limited number of ingredients. There has been no shortage of Italian cookbooks by star chefs, but Waxman focuses on seasonal ingredients and straightforward recipes broken down by course. Traditional offerings like pizza and pasta are here, but the author’s California roots appear in dishes like "Raw Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino and Toasted Walnuts," a delightful blend of tartness and crunch. Waxman usually avoids hard-to-find ingredients, but he occasionally suggests a pricier alternative to the supermarket brand—no doubt the Brussels sprouts would taste even better with a Napa Valley or Ligurian olive oil, as Waxman recommends. Fortunately, the author provides an index with a list of relevant websites for rarer ingredients. The index also includes a helpful glossary of terms and a list of equipment that every "simple" kitchen should have, although home cooks may question the necessity of items like a Japanese mandolin or a French fish knife. Waxman contextualizes each dish by offering background notes that include the recipe’s origins or cooking tips. Simple yet not simplistic—a welcome introduction for home cooks to the seasonal flavors of Italian cuisine.
Pub Date: April 5, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4165-9431-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2011
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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