Italian Slow and Savory

I've only owned this book for a little more than a month, yet it has, along with Marcella Hazan's wonderful, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, become a continual source of information and inspiration. As other reviewers have stated, the photos are superb and tempt us into the particular dish. The book is well laid out, the recipes clear and well written. I enjoy reading a good cookbook cover to cover, as the authors tend to impart small gems and develop connecting tissue between recipes, and this fine book is no different - that's how I found her tomato salad. Good reading, good cooking

I must admit that I own more cookbooks by Joyce Goldstein than any other author. I read them cover to cover. I am an experienced home chef and always learn new things from her books. I find they not only contain well written recipes but are educational and interesting. Italian Slow and Savory is a wonderful cookbook that covers territory not found in many other Italian cookbooks I have seen. The introduction contains brief descriptions of the cuisine and wine from each of the Italian regions. The selected recipes are from both well and lesser known regions. They are well written, easy to follow, and accurate with informative introductions. Notes at the end of each recipe provide specific wine recommendations with descriptions of the wine and information as to why the wines work with the dish. Some of my particular favorite recipes include: Braised Tuna with Tomato, Garlic, and Mint from the Island of Favigna; Farro with Butternut Squash and Chestnuts from Tuscany; Sardinian Clam Soup with Fregola; and Agnello Brucialingua (Lamb to Burn Your Tongue) from the Abruzzo. Over the winter, I look forward to trying many of the stews and braising recipes using lamb and pork shoulder. Italian Slow and Savory has been the perfect holiday gift for my friends and family who love to cook (both experienced and inexperienced home chefs) and are interested in Italian cuisiine.

I own too many Italian cookbooks, so I wasn't looking for another one, but my my sister gave me Joyce Goldstein's Italian Slow and Savory and I love it. In fact, it's now my favorite. Given my aforementioned Italian cookbook habit, that is saying a lot. The author has traveled extensively through Italy and the recipes reflect an excellent palate and impressive knowledge of Italy's culinary history. Yet these aren't the same recipes that you see in other cookbooks over and over again. I'm a fairly experienced home cook, but I have little patience for over-produced dishes. Slow and Savory translates to easy and delicious. Also this is a beautiful book. The photographs are stunning and I love the way the recipes are laid out on the page. This is a cookbook I will use over and over again and will give as gifts-even to my friends who have too many cookbooks.

For those who were fortunate to be regulars at Joyce Goldstein's Square One restaurant in San Francisco in the 1980s-90s, her cookbooks are a wonderful way to stay attached to this brilliant chef and her art. She was a leader in merging Mediterranean and California cuisine and continues to emphasize the best of Italy especially. Like all of Goldstein's cookbooks, this new one, "Italian Slow and Savory, is full of delicious, authentic recipes; a very readable and well-researched history of the cultural and social basis of the cuisine; and a celebration of the flavors - the foods and wines of each region of Italy. The recipes are easy-to-follow; the ingredients are readily available and not expensive, and there are suggestions for the wines to serve with each dish. This is a perfect book for the novice cook as well as for the most experienced cook and most seasoned traveler to Italy. `Italian Slow and Savory' truly gives the reader the opportunity to cook and eat the way Italians do. For most of its history much of Italy has been poor, and the dishes of most regions reflect the poverty which gave rise to great creativity. It takes real talent to make the meager grain and vegetable and the scarcity of meat and fat into the most savory heart-warming dishes we see in this book. There is plentiful color photography of the dishes to make your mouth water. The book is organized by food type. We won't list all of our favorite recipes, but here are a few: the artichoke recipes, the entire chapter on grains, the fish soups and stews, and the Parmigiano di Zucca. Bob Long & Pat Perini, Long Vineyards, Napa Valley,CA

With dishes like Sicilian Stuffed Beef Roll with Tomatoes and Red Wine, Goldstein's lush "slow food" tour of regional Italy will make you appreciate the cold weather and the savory aromas that warm a home like nothing else. Organized by course, each traditional dish is prefaced with some history or advice on technique and accompanied by wine advice. Many include variations. The "slow food" movement calls for memorable, leisurely cooking and dining, and Goldstein's instructions flow deliberate and clear, as relaxing to read as to cook. The sauce chapter includes meat sauces from Naples, Bologna, Trieste and Tuscany, a Mushroom Sauce from Lombardy and an Artichoke Sauce from Liguria, as well as a Fish Sauce for Pasta. All recipes manage to be both homey and luxurious. Among the main dishes are Baked Sturgeon with Pancetta and Marsala, Duck in a Sweet and Strong Sauce, Lamb Stew with Bitter Greens and Sheep's Milk Cheese, Pork Stew with Apples. Vegetables include Steamed Asparagus Pudding (puree and eggs) and Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes and side dishes include Wild Fennel and Bread Soup, and Polenta Ring with Cheese Fondue and Truffles. The photographs are large and lush and there are useful notes on ingredients and kitchen equipment as well as a culinary tour of Italy's regions. Simply gorgeous.