Big Night in: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends Italian Style

THIS BOOK IS WONDERFUL!!! Recipes are original (just when I thought I'd read them all; Hazan, Batali, rosetto casper, bugialli, etc.) Domenica Marchetti writes for the home cook who wants authenticity, panache but not too complicated. Worth its weight in gold. This is my new go-to book.

I'm really enjoying the recipes in this book. I like the combinations of ingredients and flavors. Many of the recipes have been handed down through generations. Easy to follow..simple ingredients make for delicious meals. I've been gifting this book to friends that enjoy cooking. Hope Dominica follows up with another book soon.

After having more than a year to enjoy her Glorious Soups and Stews I was really looking forward to anther chance to taste what Domenica was cooking up for this intriguing new cookbook. Big Night In, so aptly titled has exceeded my expectations. First of all it is such an easy layout- so well designed to help you plan and prepare a special meal. I love the colorful segmented ingredients lists which make it pleasing to the eye and make it convenient to plan. The tips, ingredient descriptions and equipment suggestions at the top of the book are very helpful. Domenica also has a lovely way of personalizing food and entertaining; just like you would exchange ideas with a good friend. So having said that, the best part: the recipes! I got the book just prior to my turn to host my monthly book club. This is a group of 5 women who have been meeting and exchanging hosting dinners for over 10 years. We take pride in trying to create something special for each other each time we meet. I was excited to plan a Big Night In experience for them. After pouring over all the menus I decided on the Spicy Seafood Chowder, Spinach & Apple Salad and Frank's Garlic Bread. One reason I picked this was because we have a non meat eater in the group but also it was something I could mostly prepare ahead of time so I would not be fussing in the kitchen when my friends arrived. Domenica takes care to give "Do Ahead" tips that facilitate planning. Well what a hit it was! Our conversation was frequently interrupted with exclamations of praise over each dish. I had made an entire loaf of the garlic bread thinking I would have leftovers. Well, there were nary a few crusts left. No one turned down an offer to take some of the chowder home either for themselves or their spouses, which I was of course delighted to provide, yet selfishly realized the next day I would not get to enjoy it as many subsequent times as I hoped! Exciting recipes, easy to follow instructions, warm and helpful commentary and gorgeous photos, make this a winner of a book. I know what I am giving as a Christmas gift to many folks on my list this year!

It has been a long time since we have worked with a cookbook that everyone has loved unequivocally. Despite the fact that most of the recipes we made were labor intensive, time consuming and sometimes involved making 2-3 recipes for a recipe, everyone said that they would continue to cook from the book and re-visit the recipes they had made again. With music from the movie Big Night streaming in the background, we gathered at the table and spent 3 hours sharing stories about what we made and sampling each dish one by one. In the end, it was impossible to choose our top 3-5 like we usually do, everything was so good. This book is thoughtfully written and well laid out. We appreciated the front matter with Tips for Planning a Big Night In, Equipment, and Ingredient Information. Domenica makes meal planning a cinch with the Menu Suggestions in the back which were well thought out. Full of mouth-watering photography and appealing recipes, it was hard to choose which to make. We ended up making 18 dishes (19 if you count 2 Minestrone soups) - now that's what I call a Big Night In - Italian family style! The Cooks Notes, Do Ahead advice, and Goes With sections that were included in most recipes were constructive and wise. They gave us a good feeling for Domenica, at times we felt like she was in the kitchen with us or had become a friend whom we could phone if we needed cooking advice. Overall, we liked the layout and design elements of the book. A couple people found the ingredient font size too small and hard to read especially with the darker colored ingredient boxes. Our meal was served in three courses. Soup and Salad Minestrone Soup - made by 2 people Smoky Ham and Corn Chowder Winter Endive and Orange Salad Farro Salad Calabrian Fennel Salad Main Courses and Sides Eggplant Parmagina Three-Cheese Stuffed Red and Yellow Peppers Fresh Tuna Stew with Olives and Herbs Roast Pork Loin with Carrots, Fennel and Onions Roasted Squash Wedges September Gratin Tomato and Cheese Tart Frank's Garlic Bread Dessert Blood Orange Granita Baked Farro Pudding Toasted Coconut Crostata Drunken Strawberries Harvest Crostata Quotes heard through out the night:"There were so many great recipes for dinner parties" "This was a pain to make but it is so good I'll make it again" "The recipes were straightforward and ingredients easy to find." "I enjoyed reading the head notes" "The pictures were great and so many of the recipes looked so good it was hard to choose what to make" "Loved the Do Ahead notes" "Many of the head notes were great to read because the author would tell the reader how the recipe was personal." Stay tuned for some of the recipes. They will be featured on MyKitchenMyTable throughout December.

I bought this after a friend's recommendation, and am so pleased with it. The recipes are a mix of easy ones as well as more involved ones. The photos are beautiful and I like how the book is organized. So far I've tried the carrot soup, loved the splash of rice, what a unique addition. Normally carrot soup recipes are too bland, but this has a nice kick to it. I also made her ham and corn chowder with great success. Great book for holidays.