Product Description

Inspired by the family meals cooked by his mother and grandmother, Alvaro Maccioni presents recipes that capture all the goodness and robust flavors of real Tuscan country cooking. Typical of the savory dishes are "Agnello in Salsa"--lamb flavored with garlic, parsley, red chilies, and rosemary, simmered with white wine and tomatoes, and "Pasta d'Estate"--a pasta salad with pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, "dolcelatte," and baby spinach. Alvaro's memories of Italy are woven throughout the book, evoking a vivid picture of Tuscan country life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1072297 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Alvaro Maccioni is the owner and chef at La Famiglia restaurant, the popular Chelsea eatery which in 1996 became the first restaurant outside Italy to win the Academia Della Cucina Italiana prize. This is Maccioni's first book, which is a surprise as he has been cooking for over 30 years and is reasonably well known in England, having been described as the "Godfather of many a London trattoria".

In Alvaro's Mamma Toscana he offers 150 authentic--and sometimes historical--Tuscan recipes. You'll find anguilla marinata (marinated eel), pappardelle con la lepre (pasta with hare sauce), pollo ai semi di finocchio (chicken with wild fennel sauce), and fegatini con funghi frifolati (chicken livers with porcini). A description of where the dish originated or a personal anecdote about Maccioni or a member of his family accompanies each recipe.

Tuscany is enchanting and Maccioni's tome to the region's food certainly is too. It's a worthwhile purchase for aficionados of Italian food. --Dale Kneen

Review
Alvaro's Mamma Toscana cookbook is a celebration of the rich cuisine of Tuscany and all of the recipes are prepared and cooked in the traditional Tuscan way. Maccioni's recipes are inspired by the meals that his own mother and other mothers cooked in the village where he grew up in Tuscany. Seasonality and authenticity are the key themes; many of the recipes were invented through necessity and availability of ingredients. Because of Tuscany's unique situation between the sea and the mountains, the cuisine includes seafood from the coast, game hunted in the Appenines, and vegetables grown on the plains. Each of the 150 recipes is introduced with the origin of the dish and memories of how it came about. Maccioni describes the history of the dishes, seasonal dishes and meals eaten on feast days and other special occasions. The recipes are well explained and not difficult to make. As well as authentic favourites like Zuppa di Cozze (mussel soup), there are recipes that are practical for everyday eating, such as Kebabs of Wild Boar Sausages and Chicken. These are skewers of chicken and boar sausages, sage and bread cubes, sprinkled with olive oil and roasted. There are sections on soups, savouries, vegetables and pasta dishes, as well as poultry and game, meat, fish and shellfish, and risotto. Of course there are sections with sauces that can be used for pasta and lasagne, and delicious desserts which include bread and biscuits as well as that all-time favourite: tiramisu. The 80 colour photographs are larger than life and clearly show the cook how to present these superb recipes. For those who have enjoyed the delights of Maccioni's restaurant, La Famiglia, this book is a must. It is ideal for anyone who wants to create authentic Tuscan food at home. (Kirkus UK)