In Nonna's Kitchen : Recipes and Traditions from Italy's Grandmothers
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Description
In Italy, the Nonna is vanishing. These grandmothers have lived though hard times and devoted their lives to feeding their husbands and children. When they are gone, valuable links with the past will vanish with them unless their children or grandchildren take time to learn from them. Only then will someone continue to know where to find wild greens, how dough looks when it is just right, and how to prepare the dishes these inexhaustible women have made for decades. In Nonna's Kitchen is Carol Field's recording of the lives of some of these women and the food they cook. Whether they live in the countryside, in a small town, or in a big city, their dishes are specialties found only at home, where everything is made from scratch and it does not matter if a favorite recipe takes hours or days to make. As the title indicates, these women's stories are as important as their food. Putting the two together, Field captures both the essence of the Italian spirit and the soul of Italian cooking.
Book Description
With life in Italy becoming increasingly urbanized and Americanized, le nonne (Italian for "the grandmothers") are the last generation that knows the rich traditions and unique dishes of the country's towns, valleys and hilltops. Carol Field goes trolling through Italy's back roads to find these true guardians of the Italian culinary heritage, and weaves their stories, wisdom and dishes together in a wonderful cookbook that celebrates their history and preserves their timeless wisdom. In these pages are the authentic meals enjoyed by generations of Italians. There are savory breads such as Gnocco Ingrassato (made with crunchy cubes of pancetta), such fruit preserves as Le Pesche d'Estate (peaches in lemon and sugar syrup), sumptuous sauces like Salsa Piccante alla Senape (spicy mustard) and mouthwatering meat dishes like Agnello in Umido (braised lamb with green olives). And what's a meal without dessert? Tempting fare like Crema Bacchica (literally, Bacchuss pudding -- a cinnamon-and-clove-scented pudding flavored with wine) and Torta di Mandorle e Cioccolata (chocolate almond tart) will elicit heartfelt cheers of "magnifico" from grateful gourmets.
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