A Cook's Tour of Italy

I am thrilled with A Cook's Tour of Italy! We have a family tradition of an Italian Christmas Eve and this year was my first time hosting this family event. I followed the Christmas Eve dinner in Naples and it was perfect! I have never heard so many compliments or requests for recipes before. The peppery shrimp are to die for and the spaghettini with clams, carrots, and wine was surprisingly easy and incredibly delicious! And the Panettone bread pudding topped off the night. This dessert is a tradition on Christmas Eve in Italy and will definitely be a tradition in our family now! I can't rave enough about how tasty all of the recipes turned out. It looks like I may be hosting every Christmas Eve now, thanks to my new cookbook! Everyone should have this book in their kitchen!

The sheer volume of mouth-watering recipes in this book is staggering. Mr. Famularo has an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject-- Italian cuisine and its regional sources. And what I appreciate most is its readability. It's an interesting,conversational read, with easy to follow recipes for the not-necessarily-accomplished cook. Who doesn't love Italian food and who couldn't find lots of wonderful recipes to take on? My wife and I are having a dinner party this coming Saturday featuring a full menu from this book. How can we miss? I only wish there were mouth-watering photos accompanying the mouth-watering recipes. We buy alot of cookbooks that sit on the shelf. This one we'll happily use!

This is a great cookbook. We enjoyed a dozen recipes from this book already and they are easy, easy, easy and so authentic and delicious no one will know you are a) not a chef or b) not Italian. And this is not the usual cookbook. It is filled with stories and customs from the different regions so that you feel that you are really touring Italy. Hence the title (duh!). And then there are meals already organized for things like a bachelor party for 4 (for people without too many friends), a Christmas Day dinner for 12, a Roman lunch for 6, fabulous one-dish meals, so simple. When you read this book, you really feel like you are in Italy. My husband, who thinks making instant oatmeal is cooking, has made some of these recipes and they tasted as interesting and complex as something from a great Italian restaurant. We have given this book to 6 people already as Christmas presents. Who knew we all needed another Italian cookbook. But then this isn't just another Italian cookbook.

As an Italian and a "foodie" (go figure, lol!) I was intrigued by the title of this book, as I have yet to come across a book that completely captures the exquisite subtleties of regional Italian cuisine. This book does it, and wonderfully.What makes this book so special though, is the way the author truly captures the flavor of each region by including a complete menu of the area's fare.....for example, in the Tuscanny section, there is Yellow Pepper Soup of Cibreos, Cornish hens with Ricotta and Tarragon, Green Beans with Pancetta and Savory and Tiramisu with Amaretto......where are my pans!!! The book is also filled with charming local anecdotes that add authenticity and warmth........bravo, Signor Famularo!

This book will take you on a fabulous culinary tour of Italy. The stories Famularo shares are enlightening and entertaining, and the recipes are wonderful and delicous. Many are simple to prepare and can be easily paired with others in the book to create fabulous Italian menus from all the many wonderful regions of Italy. A real treasure, and one that will be used often. Highly recommended for all cookbook collections.