Patricia Wells' Trattoria

I'll preempt this review by stating that i'm used to excellent Italian cooking created by my Italian mom, my 3 Italian aunts, my 2 Italian grandmothers...all excellent cooks. With that in mind, i thoroughly enjoyed Trattoria.What makes it so wonderful is that not only are the recipes tasty and simple to make but they're also authentic, just what she boasts on the book's front cover. This is what Trattoria or simple Italian cooking is all about. Think a few fresh, quality (those are both very important words) ingredients...fruity extra virgin olive oil, tender fresh mozzarella, plump summer tomatoes...mixed just so to create magic. HEre are a few examples:Aunt Flora's olive salad, a spicy mix of olives, hot pepper flakes and olive oil is very close to what i look forward to every Christmas Eve except my mom adds some diced red bell pepper. The baked sea bass is very close to the bluefish my grams used to make, except she used halved tomatoes pierced with spikes of garlic in place of the artichokes. And the lemon risotto, beautiful in its simplicity, is perfect in the summertime with simply grilled chicken. These three recipes are very simple , very authentic and very delicious, typical of all of Trattoria. What's not to love about that?This cookbook is also a great starting point for anyone that is just learning to cook, especially if you love Italian.

Since I returned from a trip to Italy a year ago, I have sought high and low for a cookbook that would put Italy into my hands as it was when I was there. This is that book! I've had it two weeks and used it six times already. I learned in Italy that there is Italian food, and then there is American Italian food (think "Olive Garden" chain restaurant). A true Italian "trattoria" is small, intimate, and completely reliant on the ingredients of freshness and simplicity. Dried pasta isn't forbidden, and fresh pasta isn't unheard of. Many of these recipes have only a half dozen ingredients. The techniques are simple, and you need have only a medium level of confidence to turn out the most savory and aromatic food of your life. The recipes run the entire course: appetizers to dessert. Additionally, there are sources for hard-to-find ingredients and equipment. Some sample dishes: Lemon Risotto, Goat Cheese and Garlic Spread, White Bean Salad with Fresh Sage and Thyme; Tuscan Five-Bean Soup; Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup; Roasted Rosemary Potatoes; Individual Eggplant Parmesans; Penne with Vodka and Spicy Tomato-Cream Sauce; Saffron Butterflies; Tagliarini with Lemon Sauce; Risotto with Tomatoes and Parmesan; Orange, Sage and Mushroom Risotto; several bread recipes; Fried Calamari; Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Sage; Chicken Cooked Under Bricks...oh, enough. Are you salivating yet? Mille grazie, Patricia! And a big bacia to you for this wonderful, loving tribute to Italy. If I can't be in Italy, I can pretend.

this is it! This was recommended to me by a friend, and I have yet to be disappointed. The beauty to this book is in the fresh ingredients and the simplicity of the dishes. I have several favorites-the Pasta Putanesca, and the Rigatoni with Celery Meat Sauce. It's a great addition to your cooking library.

Every recipe is excellent. Beautifully written for every level of experience from neophyte to professional chef, there is no doubt that this cookbook will be among your personal favorites.

This is one of my favorite cook books. I bought her book after a trip to Italy and found that I was able to capture the essence of Trattoria cooking. I particularly like her Osso Bucco (Braised veal shanks) recipe and her recipe for crusty Italian bread.