Italy Books

I only received this book a couple weeks ago.
The 3 recipes I cooked were okay.
I had reservations about the two chicken breast filet recipes:
cooking times requested are very short and your filets can come out raw.
-She should've been more specific on to tell when its done by detailing the weight of the breast filets to use.

However, other recipes, especially the pasta ones, look really good!
Looking foward to using this book more.

This is a good book for technique and ingredients; belongs on every Italian cook's shelf. I agree it's a little limited re recipes. But, her recipe for Minestrone is the BEST I've ever tried! Excellent technique for prepping and cooking all the veggies. I've been making this soup for years and it's a true winner!

This is a hefty book - lots of detail, lots of instruction and pretty strict about how things need to be done. As someone who hasn't ventured outside of my comfort zone for cooking, this structure can be very helpful - but it can also complicate things as I have to prepare everything in advance and rarely can pull off a recipe in this book with a low stocked pantry.

Still, I can't fault the book for my need to prepare - overall it's great and when I do have the time to make a special trip for all the right ingredients I know I'll have everything spelled out for me. The thing is huge so it's not easy to move around a kitchen counter with a couple of fingers in the middle of cooking, but like my title indicates, it's like a text book. There's more than just recipes, there's reference information, instruction on preparation and history. A very well rounded book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the depth of her knowledge of Italian cookery is amazing, on the other, the lack of specifics and inaccurate cooking times can be quite frustrating. This caveat should suffice: when making use of these recipes, make constant use of your tasting spoon!

I made Pasta e fagioli with fresh cranberry beans according to Ms. Hazan's recipe, and, because of Ms. Hazan's widely-acknowledged eminence, I followed her recipe precisely, something I rarely do, as I am an experienced cook. Her time for cooking the beans (45 minutes), left me with undercooked beans; they should have cooked for at least an hour and fifteen minutes, if not an hour and a half. No big deal, except I added the pasta at the point Ms. Hazan recommended.

I am sure that this book will be an invaluable resource to anyone who wants to learn Italian cooking, just make sure to test and modify these recipes as necessary ahead of time; following them as is can result in flubbed meals.

...I've referred to this book over the years for technique and authenticity of Italian cooking...it is a wonderful book. I agree that it is on par with Julia Child's French cookbook. I've made many of the recipes and they are fabulous....the poached shrimp, easy and delicious...the grilled shrimp with flavored breadcrumbs is another favorite, the Lemon, garlic & parsley chicken cutlets is marvelous...her focaccia recipe is the best...fried tomatoes......I can go on and on. Ms. Hazan has given us a remarkable gift.

Couldn't stop thinking of my time in Italy and the family stories I've heard. Seems authentic...nice pace...what happens next????

Excellent job. can't wait to read the entire book. Such an interesting setting and premise for the book. Makes me want to visit Italy

Meryl McQueen's use of language is exquisite.

In ONLY SALT REMAINS, she paints a vivid picture of a tiny Italian village. So lyrical is her prose that one can smell the air there, see the houses, hear the sounds. Her understanding of this place seems to be thorough and complete.

McQueen has created an intricate and clever plot which would thwart a lesser author. This story is gripping. The author has a full understanding of the relationship between brothers -- both the affection and the rivalry -- and of the interconnected feelings of extended families.

I look forward to reading a full-length work by Ms. McQueen.

As the imaginary makes one feel the warm sun together with the two main characters that stand out as real people, one feels compelled to find out how the plot evolves. Even though the narration is somewhat rough around the edges, the well-developed characters immediately grab one's interest. The setting provides a detailed backdrop that appears natural in all aspects. The speedy introduction of a "mystery" and the brewing "love conflict" make this introduction more reminiscent of a detective thriller, but they sit well in a short excerpt for catching one's attention. There is great potential both in this story and in the author.

In this excerpt Meryl McQueen confidently sets the scene for her novel with graphic, well-researched descriptions of the location (Solunno, Sicily), main characters (orphaned brothers Francesco and Antonio Vigneri) and the harsh realities of daily life working the saltpans of Sicily in the mid 1930's. Much of the storyline is kept hidden but the reader is left with the bare outlines of a double tragedy that orphaned the Vigneri brothers eight years previously as well as hints of underlying tension between the two brothers themselves and also between them and their paternal uncle Mauro and aunt Pia. Circumstances have made life a struggle for the brothers and conservative small village ostracism has left them social outcasts in their community. Many questions surface in the mind of the reader, the answers to which can only come from the complete novel.
The style of writing and the intermittent use of local dialect seem to constantly remind the reader of the novel's Sicilian setting.

Being raised 1st generation Italian, I had some problems finding some of the old authentic recipes my family used to cook. Not any longer. This book brought me home. I love, love, love it and every time I have a dinner party, this is the book I turn to for a special meal that my guests rave about for weeks.

This is by far, my favorite cookbook. I am a vegan, but have no problems replacing the cheese and egg ingredients, without sacrificing the taste.

Jack Bishop is a genius.

Tina Volpe
Author, The Fast Food Craze

For medical reasons, my husband and I had to stop eating meat and we were completely lost as to what we could eat besides veggies. I stumbled across this cookbook and purchased it for a friend who's an established vegetarian. After I gave it to her, I found myself reading through it. I love it so much, I decided to purchase a copy for myself. The recipes are easy to make (and I'm a horrible cook), the selections are quite broad (especially when you're clueless as to what to fix) and the manner in which the book is organized makes it easy to follow (all the pizzas are together). I highly recommend this book regardless of your status as a vegetarian: novice or experienced.

This cookbook is amazing. Some of the recipes are so simple you think, "Wait a minute. . . this is a RECIPE? Broil asparagus and drizzle vinagrette over it?" But try it . . . and asparagus never tasted so tartly and meltingly delicious. In every single recipe, the flavor of the vegetable itself is intensified and highlighted. The tomato tart is worth buying the book for all by itself! The very simplicity means the recipes are relatively easy and fast projects, and I've yet to find one that didn't bring rave reviews from company. They're so reliable that I often try one I've never tried before for guests -- we all get to be amazed together! Totally terrific, whether you're a prinicpled vegetarian or (like me) just like vegs as part of an omnivore diet!

No one in our family is a vegetarian, but the recipes are so good that we prefer some of them as written, without meat (pancetta, sausage, prosciutto, etc) with which we usually add to "improve" vegetarian recpies. Risotto recipes are particularly outstanding! The picky, more carnivorous members who avoid anything green actually LOVE the risotto with spinach and herbs as well as the soups. They now eat their vegetables!

I've cooked five or six recipes out of the book and found them to be as advertised, simple but with delicious results.

I love this cookbook. It reminds me of my own family. My father was from Italy, and he used to cook like this all the time. Unfortunately he passed away when I was very young, so I never got to ask him about certain recipes. When I read the reviews on this cookbook, I knew I had to have it. I'm so glad I decided to get it, because the recipes that I have tried so far are great. I also like the little stories that she has, it reminds me of pictures of my family as well.

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I got this book as a gift, and I've tossed other books out of the way as a result. The recipes are delicious, honest and easy. They are from a time when you didn't need $4000-worth of appliances to make dinner, and I have found that all of the recipes I've used in the book are superb.

I love this cookbook!!! Her recipes are just like my Grandmother used to make. Unfortunately all of our family recipes are not written down. So whenever I am unsure of how to make something I check with Elodia!

Mrs. Rigante and my husband's grandmother were aquaintances in her Brooklyn neighborhood; they lived just a few blocks from one another. Grandma didn't write down a lot of her recipes, so Mrs. Rigante's cookbook is a lifesaver. Their recipes are so similar it's like having a bit of home every time you open up the book. We can't look through it without getting hungry! Every recipe we've tried is excellent, and I love the family anecdotes and pictures. This is a staple for every cookbook collection.

My sister had this book and made the Manicotti Crepes and meatballs for a family dinner. I liked it so much, I bought my own copy of the book. Elodia's recipes are great, they are old-fashioned good but suited to the busy working cook.

This is a fantastic book. The number of pages at first daunted me, but (after the first few which are kind of so-so), the book just takes off! He not only talks about the campaigns that he fought in, but he also breaks down what he learned and what should and should not have been in each one. What should have been done from those up above and how his enemy either defeated him (I agree fully on his conclusions about Montgomery's victories over him) or lost to him.

He goes on (around the end of certain chapters) to go on about what a commander should and SHOULD NOT be to his men and to himself--EXCELLENT stuff!.

What I found most interesting though, was that (unlike many other works I have read) Rommel really was ONE HELL OF A WRITER. His words are enticing and chapter after chapter I'm just compelled to go on.

I've read 'Panzer Leader', 'Lost Victories', 'Panzer Commander' and a host of other books from former Wehrmacht officers and none of them really NAIL it all like this one does (though, I HIGHLY recommend Erhard Raus' 'Panzer Operations' as it does for the Ostfront as this does for Africa and French theaters--'41 and '44).

If you want a great book on the tachtical methods of the German army in World War II--this is for you.
If you're a military man or buff who's looking for (what I believe) is a blueprint fror any 'commander' to follow--this is for you.
If you're just a regulatr Joe--or Jane--who's just looking for a great read about what it's like behind the lines, in the front with your men and all places in-between--then this is for you, too.

Like my review title says, I HIGHLY recommend this book. Get it! You won't be disappointed.

A well written book about Rommels experiences in WW2 taken from his notes made during his campaigns and from letters written to his wife with additional narration or corrections by the author. If you have read ATTACKS by Rommel you will like this book.

great book written from the surviving papers after his death there would have been more but a lot of his stuff was taken by the Nazis, and much more was lost to the US Army but his wife and son saved some and from this B.H. LIDDELL-HART was with the help of the wife and son to put his great skill as a battlefield commander in a new light A must read for any student of WWII also checkout ATTACKS by Rommel this book is about his time as a young lieutenant in WW I

This is one of those books that made the shivers run down my spine while reading it. It felt like being right there in the thick of it with this amazing field commander. This man is a born leader and has the audacity and knighthood to fight an honest fight. He did what he believed was right and he is portrayed as human as possible in this text. War is a terrible thing, but it still is a part of our way of life. This cannot be denied! These memoirs are of the highest value and a must-read for anyone interested in the war in Northern Africa.

This book is one of the best memoirs I have read. It is Erwin Rommel's account of the Second World War from start through finish. The best and most interesting thing about this book are Rommel's thoughts. He talks about all of his battles, and experiences throughout the war, but he weaves in personal things as well which make this a superb piece of writing. You will definately not be disappointed in purchasing this book. Anyone interested in Rommel, the German view of WWII, or WWII in general, should buy this book, hands down.

Mr. Mate's charming and funny story of realizing his dream to own a vineyard in Tuscany is not to be missed, and is even better than his earlier book, The Hills of Tuscany. Mr. Mate's humor, warmth and friendliness come shining through in his wonderful tales of his Italian friends and neighbors, the Italian way of life, and his exploits renovating an ancient friary and developing an award-winning winery in the beautiful town of Montalcino.

Based on the other reviews, I had high hopes for this book; I expected a more thorough story of his experience starting his own vineyard, people he had interacted with and the "terrior" of his vineyard embedded with light-hearted anecdotes. Instead, I found the details lacking. Little time is spent on the characters who appeared in the book, the restoration of the estate, planting and cultivating of the vineyard, wine-making decisions, and his (and his family's) tie to the place. The fact that this book is written in many short chapters averaging less than 10 pages each should have been the first sign. I do not doubt that Mr. Mate will be an interesting guy to have a drink with, and I am sure that he has many interesting stories to tell. But after reading this book, I get a feeling that this is a tale of a wealthy individual (despite his repetitive mentioning of being/getting poor as a result of this endeavor) who spent his way to have people make great wines from a land he has purchased. While this statement may not do him justice, and perhaps that is what this book is meant to be, but more on the people, more on the place, more on his (or the wine maker/consultant's) philosophy of how to cultivate the land and make a great wine will greatly improve the book.

A Vinyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Mate is the second in a series on life in Tuscany. In a genre loosely known as expats move to Tuscany, Mate is truly in a class by himself. If Frances Mayes is the standard ,then Ferenc Mate far excells her in poetry , lyrical description , humor and sensitivity. If after reading this book, you don't want his life then you better check your pulse. A love song to Tuscany and the art of wine, makes Frances Mayes akin to watching paint dry. Read The Hills of Tuscany as well which he wrote about first moving there 20 years ago.

Ferenc Mate's second book on Italy (buy the first one "Hills of Tuscany" also, they are distinctly a matched set to be enjoyed one after the other) is, if possible, even better than the first one. He had a wonderful understanding of Italian culture and is able to convey that to his reader. If you have ever visited Italy, or are planning to, then his books are a must read. One of the things I really like about Mr. Mate's writing is it is appealing to both men and women. I love being able to discuss a book with my husband. In fact with this one, it is the first time I have heard my husband laugh out loud while reading. At first I thought he was choking and when I ran into the room he said "honey, it's the part where he is driving the tractor". Michael and I spend two weeks in Tuscany every May and truly, in this book, the essence of the Montalcino area is captured and wrapped up like a Christmas present for the reader.

Out of all the book I have read on Italy, A Vineyard in Tuscany is the funniest and at the same time the most informing book about life in this southern part of Tuscany. Ma`te` has a great ways with words and offers a rare glimpse into secret world of Italian Culture. Other reviewers have summarized the book; I will not do that now. Instead I will speak of how the book affected me. Just the mere thought of the word "Bulls eye" puts a broad smile on my face. When I first read the passage where it's located, I laughed so loudly my wife rushed into the room to see if I were ok. Ma'te' lets us see the dry subtle humor of the people in this area. Although it does a great job of showing the warmth and passion of Tuscans when it comes to food, wine and business, the region itself is the star of book.
On our first trip to Italy 5 years ago, my wife and I did the usual Milan, Venice, Rome triangle with one day in Tuscany kind of trip. By luck we had chosen the Banfi Castle to dine in and stayed in the near-by hill town of Montalcino for just one night. My wife and I concluded that this 24 hour period was the best of the entire trip. Every year since then we have returned to the tiny village of San Angelo Scolo for days of relaxation, great hospitality, food, wine and the beautiful land of Tuscany. Little did we know that Ma`te` had restored his estate, planted a vineyard and discovered ancient cities and springs just minutes away. Tuscany is that kind of place where adventure and surprises lurk around every turn. Reading his book brought back fantastic experiences of our trips there. We will be back to San Angelo Scolo in 37 days, after reading this book I wish I were there now. I highly recommend it to people who are dreaming of a trip to Tuscany or experienced travelers.

We are accustomed to viewing excellent documentaries on the TV and the big screen. It is nice to find a literary documentary just as enjoyable. The mid 19th century was an incredible time for change. Europe was adjusting to the post Napoleonic ideals of political and religious freedom. The United States was fighting against the secular immorality of slavery. Prussia was building a military machine to dominate Europe. Italy was struggling with a unification which would require shedding the medieval yoke of the Catholic Church. In the midst of these changes a 6 year old Jewish boy , Edgardo Mortara, is kidnapped within the Papal States under orders of the Inquisition. The charge is that the boy has been secretly baptized. The baptism cannot be undone and therefore the boy cannot continue to live with his Jewish parents. Governments from around the world protest the kidnapping and Pope Pius IX responds with traditional dogma. This is a wonderful researched narrative which brings together themes which will be of interest to Christians, Jews and any reader curious about the changing role of the Roman Catholic Church in this period of European history.

The excellent DVD, "Secret Files of the Inquisition", (available from Amazon and Netflix) dramatizes part of this story and includes commentary by the author, David Kertzer.

Simply one of the most insightful books I have ever read. Thank you Mr. Kertzer for illuminating this fascinating event in our history.

Douglas Wood has already summarized and evaluated this book, justly praising its historical worth. I'd like to add a note about its shock value; in a moment of history when anti-semitism seems to be a joke in some people's minds, surely this is a book that might make the pain and folly of bigotry "real" in terms of a single family, and therefore accessible to readers who can't empathize with mass tragedy.
It's also quite a thrilling book to read, by the way, a better detective story by far than Dan Brown could manufacture.

A Jewish family's illiterate Catholic housekeeper sprinkles well-water over an infant child and furtively mumbles the baptismal sacrament. When the Inquisitor learns of the deed, he orders the kidnapping of the then six-year-old Jewish boy. This foul deed is almost certainly sanctioned by the highest levels of the Catholic hierarchy. The police forcibly remove the child from his family's Bologna home and swiftly transport him to the Church's House of Catechumens in Rome for reeducation. Despite all protests from the boy's family and the Jewish community and in the face of a destabilizing international uproar, the Holy Father refuses to yield. By holy grace, the boy has been miraculously saved and the Church keeps him, inculcates him in the Catholic Christian religion, and assiduously converts the boy.

The boy kidnapped in the name of religion? Edgardo Mortara. The Holy Father in question? Pope Pius IX. The year? 1858. That's right 1858, not 1458, not 1658, but smack dab in the middle of 19th century Europe.

Historian David Kertzer tells the complete tale in his excellent work, `The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.' As Kertzer relates in the epilogue he learned to his surprise that there was no reliable work on this topic. Kertzer sets out to remedy this gap and succeeds by examining the episode in fine detail. Using detailed court and police investigation records, Kertzer explores numerous evidentiary questions such as whether the baptism took place at all, whether the proper conditions for a valid lay baptism existed, who put the girl up to it, and how did the Inquisition find out about it?

The story is told against the background of the movement to unify Italy under secular rule. And here is yet another surprise for the uninitiated reader, including this one: until 1861 the Pope was still the temporal ruler of a wide swath of the Italian peninsula (this rule continued on a lesser scale to 1870). The treatment of young Edgardo was one of the factors that helped build support across Italy and internationally for the Risorgimento or Italian reunification.

The episode also hastened Pius IX's evolution, shall we say, to reactionary beliefs. Pius IX not only made papal infallibility part of Church dogma, but he also issued his infamous Syllabus of Errors in 1864, a broad attack on rationalism, science, and religious freedom - really a frontal assault on the Enlightenment and most other signs of progress in the previous three centuries. If Kertzer's book does nothing more than direct his reader's attention to this astonishing document, he has succeeded in the historian's task.

Kertzer examines the trial of the Inquisitor in detail and the formidable difficulties facing the prosecution. For example, what crime did the Inquisitor commit when his acts were legal at the time he committed them? Would the new government prove willing to violate the fundamental principle that the accused must have had notice of the illegality of his acts?

As for Edgardo, he remained with the Church fathers until he reached his majority and by then his conversion had firmly taken hold. He went on to become a famed proselytizer for Catholicism especially among the Jewish peoples. This role may help explain why this story has remained untold: it embarrassed Jews and Catholics alike.

Some readers may find the detail devoted to the investigations and trials to be excessive, but bear in mind that Kertzer is writing the seminal history of Edgardo's kidnapping. A fascinating tale full of surprises, very highly recommended.

I can't help but think that millions who do not know that they are interested in the history of the Italian Risorgimento would suddenly find themselves incapable of putting this book down. David Kertzer kept my attention while helping to answer my questions regarding how a country that is predominately Roman Catholic can name streets, buildings, and piazzas after the heroes of the Risorgimento who took by force most of the lands ruled by the Pope while Pope Pius IX called upon all the faithful to oppose them. I am now closer to seeing how statues and monuments honoring Garibaldi, Mazzini, Cavour, and King Victor Emmanuel can share the beautiful Italian landscape with cathedrals and the Vatican.
Historical events are impossible to understand without learning of the human issues of the times in which they transpired. Such a study should not be a dry recounting of the facts when it can be, as Kertzer demonstrates, a living, breathing, gut-wrenching encounter with those who created that compelling history.
I know it's almost cliché to say that this reads like a good novel, but it's true.
The trial of Momolo Mortara rivals any of the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and it is all the more riveting in the context of the amazing events that led to it. Sherlock Holmes could not have used his powers of deduction more skillfully than Momolo's attorney used his unbiased mind to separate facts from prejudiced and selective interpretations.
I give this book my highest recommendation. I hope that THE KIDNAPPING OF EDGARDO MORTARA has been or will be translated into Italian. Perhaps a greater awareness of the past can positively influence current challenges in Italy involving the assimilation of other cultures and religious beliefs - brought on by mass immigrations in recent years.

This is the best most spectacular book on leonardo to date.What can i say that hasnt already been said in the reviews above except that i cant believe that a couple of reviews gave 3 outof5 stars for this book. I think the book deserves 10 out of 10. The book is a masterpiece in itself. Keep up the great work.

I first saw this outstanding book at the Palm Springs Air Museum's Da Vinci exhibit last month. It is a comprehensive and beautiful tribute to Da Vinci's genius that young and old alike can enjoy for decades. Spending an hour glancing through its pages is a visual treat; reading it to more deeply appreciate his multiple talents will take years. Though the price of the book may seem high, it is an unique volume and worth the price.

without studying Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest Italian Renaissance artist and would-be inventor of all time. He left us a legacy of paintings, drawings, diagrams, inventions, and even sculpture for all to see. He's known more than the Mona Lisa painting, he's an inventor of sorts as well as a very fine draughtsman.

This book should be a required course for art students everywhere.

this book is a daily source of admiration, exposed on our table and we change the page practically every day to have a new work of wonder to admire every day. combined with more and deeper information on leonardo da Vinci the true art becomes clear.

The massive size of this book is only dwarfed by the enormous amount of information it contains. Did you know Leonardo Da Vinci conceptualized the helicopter...or the x-ray machine...or even the engine???? He did indeed and it's all in this comprehensive anthem. I highly recommend this book for the Da Vinci neophyte as well as the most avid "Leo scholar" as both will be awed and amazed.

I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel! This book is fantastic historical fiction. I thought it was going to be a historical romance but, oh no. It's not. If that's what you're looking for, read this anyway. I've never been more enthralled by battle scenes, politics and, oh, the drama! It's witty, smart and poignant. There's nothing to disappoint, aside from having to wait for the next installment!

This book is the perfect gift for any Shakespeare buff. I can't wait for a sequel.

I wont reiterate all the fine praise that all the other reviewers have input here, all the reviews state exactly how I feel. I just feel the need to say Bravo Mr. Blixt! This debut IS, a literary masterpiece. Clap clap clap, let's all give a standing ovation. Historial fiction does not get any better than this. The reader is immediately pulled in and the author does not let you go until you close that last page almost 600 pages later. A reader picking up this novel will get everything a novel has to offer. Action, adventure, murder, mystery, romance, family feuds, battles, duels, politics, kidnapping, humor and real people who lived at this time of the 1300s Renaissance Italy. Jammed packed with all you could ask for and I doubt that any reader would be disappointed. Sensational!! I am eagerly awaiting a second book.

Lots of reviews praise David Blixt for his historical accuracy, and they involk the 'Shakespeare buff' label...yeah, yeah, yeah - they are right BUT don't let that scare you - if you are not a 'Shakespeare Buff' or history buff - you will also LOVE this book. Mr. Blixt writes about history, but the way he writes is full of adventure, imagry, and intrigue. He's right up there with Clive Cussler, Dan Brown and Tom Clancy - only its better because you feel SMARTER after you read Master of Verona. I can't wait until Orlando Bloom makes the movie.

This book is a masterpiece. To call it a mere historical novel is like calling the Iliad or the Divine Comedy adventure stories. They're that-- and a great deal more. So is this book. It interweaves historical characters with characters from Shakespeare (some of whom were also real people) and still others from the author's own imagination.

The period detail is superb, the dialogue sparkles; the personalities of the main characters are subtle and complex; the action sequences stunning in their vividness and realism.

Even the minor players are intriguing, and the reader comes to care about their fates as well. I found myself rooting for the bluff and decent Bailardino Nogarola (a historical figure), and feeling a grudging respect for the cynical, hardbitten, but at heart ethical warrior, Asdente, a fictional creation who bears the name of a character from Dante's "Inferno."

Towering over all the other characters, though, is the master of Verona himself: Cangrande della Scala. Blixt's portrait of this larger-than-life historical figure is brilliant and unforgettable. He's the linch-pin of the story-- a medieval Julius Caesar at once utterly charming and totally devious, who embodies a fascinating combination of nobility, ruthlessness and steely authority.

The author also touches on an area ignored by historians: who were the mothers of the numerous out-of-wedlock children fathered by Cangrande? We get a glimpse of the anguish of one such woman-- clearly not a peasant or a prostitute, but a woman of some social standing-- as Cangrande (whose marriage was childless) coldly claims the son he fathered with her and takes the child away to be raised as his heir. The author offers an explanation when he mentions later in the book how certain men eagerly pimped their wives and daughters to Cangrande in exchange for a piece of property or an advantageous business deal. You don't find this kind of insight in the average historical novel.

Another excellent feature of this novel is that the author
clearly defines for us what is fact and what is fiction. His list of characters at the beginning indicates which are historical figures, which are from Shakespeare, and which ones are fictional creations. There's also a useful Afterword where the author cites his sources, separates the factual and fictional aspects of his story, and defends (very successfully, I think) his decision to mix the two in his narrative.

In my review title, I suggest that readers bring at least a little knowledge of Shakespeare's Italian plays to their reading of this book. Oh, you don't HAVE to, but it's fun to spot characters and phrases from those plays scattered throughout the text. Of course there's the obvious Romeo and Juliet "back-story," but there are a lot of other Shakespearean bits. It doesn't hurt to know some Dante, as well, although no knowledge of either poet is required in order to enjoy the book.

More than merely interesting, this work is absolutely mesmerizing, and is an even more amazing achievement when you find out it's the author's first novel. Despite its length I finished it in a couple of days and was sorry when it ended. I'll look forward to the sequel, and hope Blixt won't make the mistake of killing off Cangrande. Without him, the sequel will be as disappointing as the second season of HBO's "Rome" without Julius Caesar.

The book is more than an excellent cook book. Besides good cooking tips it has a lot of gastronomical information concerning Naples.

Gracia mille to Mr. Arthur Schwartz for his most wonderful volume on the cooking of Naples and Campania. It made my mouth water from the first I opened it, even the paper feels good. The first thing I read, quite by chance was the charming ode to Neopolitan food from a book of stories by Giambattista Basile , "My Broccoli" (p.309). I was hooked!! Lucky Mr. Schwartz that he was able to make the opportunity to travel all through the Campania to research the recipes for this book. It is once again an example of Italian food as an uncomplicated, unfussed with cuisine that only requires of you an understanding of the technique and ingredients of impeccable freshness. There are great things in this book for all the seasons. This winter I was greedy for his "Orecheiette con Broccoli di Rapa" (p.168) and the "Pastiera Rustica di Taglioni" (p.188). I've done the Monkfish Mediterranean Style (p231) enough times to not have look at the recipe and it is delicious (rave reviews from guests). One night I had some left over spaghetti and was needing a quick supper so I tried the "Frittata di Spaghetti"(p.222) and find it's wonderful for all kinds of occasions with lots of variations. All of the recipies have a very clear 1.2.3. procedure with Mr.Schwartz being careful to tell you of any pitfalls. There is a lusty quality to the book, just like there is in Naples and the Campania, that makes this book a pleasure to use. I'm really looking forward to his next book. Sicily perhaps? This book? Highly recommended!

Whenever we tend to think Italian, the first things to come to mind are pizza, pasta, (especially spaghetti) and marvelously rich desserts and pastries. Now, in this tell-all compilation by acclaimed cookbook author, restauranteur and "Food Maven" radio talk-show host Arthur Schwartz, these dreams are brought to life. Whether you crave any variation of innumerable pastas with tomato sauce or that other distinctly Neapolitan favorite, the iconic pizza, this book provides the reader/cook with page after page of historic information and culinary tips from perhaps Italy's most bountiful region. This is the "true" Italian cuisine we have all grown up eating and making yet another staple to the American way of living. Aside from all the classic recipes spanning over one hundred years in the American cucina, this book is laced with dozens of contemporary monzu (a corruption of the French monsieur, in Italian refers to any respected gourmand or culinary bureaucrat) classics, including Paccheri alle Cardinale, Pizza alla Campofranco (a more extravagant style of pizza, made with brioche and prosciutto) and timballo, a "drum" of pasta baked with ragu in lavish pastry. Naples is also home to fritto misto, a wide range of tempting fried foods that has rightfully been granted its own distinct caliber within the region's clientele. But perhaps the author's greatest achievement is the equally sinful array of dolce, from classic tiramisu and rich torta caprese to the most-loved of all Neapolitan pastries, Sfogliatelle. Savor the experience and celebrate the wonderful cucina and hospitality that inspired Dean Martin to "That's Amore".

Arthur Schwartz presents authentic,regional recipes with wit and style. His knowledge of the region, its products and customs makes this as close to cooking with your mother on Sunday afternoon as possible.

`Naples at Table' by Arthur Schwartz is another addition to that excellent collection of books on regional Italian cooking by, for example, Lynne Rossetto Kasper on Emilia-Romagna in `The Splendid Table', David Downie on Lazio in `Cooking the Roman Way', and Lydia Bastianich on Istria in `La Cucina di Lydia'. Even allowing for the fact that there are a number of only fair titles dealing, especially with Tuscany, the crop of books on Italy's regional cuisine is truly marvelous.

While my overall impression of the book was very good from the moment I opened it, I knew I was on to something when I encountered Herr Schwartz' statement that in Campania, cooks rarely use both garlic and onions in the same dish. This is something I have never heard (or do not remember hearing) or reading, even from my guiding star of Italian cookery, Mario Batali on his show, `Molto Mario'.

Unlike many of these books, even very good ones, the author takes the time to give us a history of Naples and Campania. While I can't say for certain, there is a hint here that part of the reason tomatoes found a home in the cuisine of Naples is based on the fact that Campania, Sicily, and other parts of southern Italy were ruled by the Spanish in the 200 years following the importing of new foods, including tomatoes, from the new world by the Spanish. I suspect the rich growing conditions for tomatoes in Campania had as much or more to do with the situation, but the potential connection is a rich subject of speculation.

I also get a strong sense of believability in Schwartz' description of this cuisine based on his statement that the residents of Campania rarely think of themselves as natives of this Italian governmental region. Rather, they think of themselves as residents of the smaller province, city, or island such as Naples, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, Salerno, Amalfi, Capri, and Ischia.

This is the cuisine on which practically all `Italian-American' cooking is based, since most Italian immigrants to America were from Campania, Sicily, and other parts of southern Italy. It is also true that two of the most popular types of dishes in the world, dried semolina pasta and pizza, were created in Naples. Unlike other good books on other regions, Schwartz also goes into a lot of the history of these and other types of dishes. For example, his treatment of `puttanesca' is virtually the only one that gives at least two different perfectly reasonable explanations for the source of the name.

The book is laid out in very traditional chapters, covering antipasti and fried foods; classic sauces; pizza and savory breads; soups; pasta; cheese and eggs; fish and seafood; meat and poultry; vegetables; and desserts. His pasta chapter even includes two different recipes for the famous timballo baked pasta pie, which made such a big impression in Stanley Tucci's movie, `Big Night'. The best thing about his recipes is that they are not the same as the two in Lynne Rossetto Kaspar's `The Italian Country Table', although there are strong family resemblences. The most interesting thing about his `Timballo di Tagliolini is that it has a pastry rather than a pasta crust.

There is not a single dish I associate with Naples that cannot be found in this book. There is even a great recipe for `Torta di ricotta Gregoriano', the southern Italian take on cheesecake, based on ricotta and including citrus flavorings.

While this book does have a few heartwarming stories about convivial dinners with Italian friends, this book is much more about business, and it is easily one of the best three to five books I have seen on a particular Italian provincial cuisine.

Highly recommended.