Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking

`Rustico' by Italian food journalist Micol Negrin is a better than average book of regional Italian recipes in a world filled with good books on regional Italian recipes. The book's subtitle specifies that the book concentrates on `Country' cooking. And, although the book is very nicely done by region, it has no pretensions to being a scholarly work such as Waverley Root's `The Foods of Italy' or even a journalistic coverage of the subject as in Claudia Roden's very worthy `The Food of Italy'. In fact, the absence of pretension adds to the pleasant satisfaction one gets in reading the book, as it is not without merit as an introduction to the culinary world of Italy. In my mind, the book is immediately superior to Susan Herrmann Loomis' very good book `Italian Farmhouse Cookbook' in that it does deal with recipes by region with an introduction that explains the geographical, historical, and climactic reasons for the prevailing cuisine in each region. Rome (Latium), for example, is all about sheep (as the city was founded by a tribe of nomadic sheepherders) and pigs (since from the time of the Roman Empire, the city of Rome was the center of hog butchering for the region. Similarly, Genoa and its region, Liguria, is shown to have a cuisine which is very similar to southern Italy due to the role of Genoa as a major medieval port and source of imported foods. In addition to recipes and culinary history, the book gives an excellent overview of the wines and cheeses of each region. The coverage of cheeses is especially interesting to someone who knows a lot more about cheeses and the differences between cows and sheep than he does about grapes. The book makes clear, for example, why a cheese like Fontina is a distinctive product of the alpine region of Val d'Aosta, tucked in the seam between France and German speaking Switzerland. Good Italian Fontina is a great cross between the semihard Swiss Gruyeres and Emmentalers and the soft French bries. The book also gives some sidebar coverage to the types of breads native to the regions. These comments are a bit frustrating, as it seems it would have been almost as easy to give us the recipe for Grissini (Piedmontese breadsticks) as to tell us the historical origin of these little lovelies. But, bread is a very big subject and Carol Field's superb `The Italian Baker' has five pages devoted to Grissini recipes. All of Negrin's other virtues would still leave us with a rather thin book if she had chosen to give us recipes for the well-known specialities of each region. Another book with spaghetti Carbonara, artichokes ala Judica, saltimbocca, and potato gnocchi in the chapter on Latium would have been very dull indeed, as these four recipes show up in every book I have seen on the cooking of Rome, and there are many of these books already available. Some well-known regional classics are here, such as Campania's (Naples) Pizza Margherita and Venice's Risi e Bisi (rice and peas), but many of the dishes are n

Okay, my title may be a LITTLE over the top, but I'm not even a foodie and I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into this tome. Yet another of the five cookbooks I bought as Christmas presents, this one looks to be the winner. It's a trip through Italy by each region's food. The color photography is stunning. But I feel as if I can LEARN all manner of fascinating details reading this book (thank goodness I bought it for my husband so I don't have to give it away). And, most thoughtfully, after making us salivate to sample each region's fare, the author gives us lists of "Favorite Restaurants, Shops and Places" for each locale. Italy's travel industry should be sponsoring Micol Negrin. What a find!

Rustico is one of the few cookbooks I have actually sat down with a cup of coffee and read pretty much cover to cover. I felt as though Ms. Negrin was sitting across the table from me narrating a story. She has the unique talent of personable writing that comes across in her anecdotes relating to every region she visited. I trust her extensive knowlege of regional cooking, and feel transported from place to place as the book tells the tales of so many aspects of cooking and living in such different areas of Italy. From the delicious braised venison with creamy grappa sauce of Val d'Aosta, to the beet-filled ravioli with poppy seeds of the Veneto, to the mint and lemon laced cheese pillows in chestnut honey of Sardinia, this book hands us traditional recipes only someone with uneditied access to kitchens in the homes of Italians of every region could gather. The book's beautiful photography of both inspiring dishes as well as day to day living in Italy convey a sort of warmth and familiarity reminiscent of Ms. Negrin's writing. I highly recommend the book to anyone looking to discover the legacy of regional Italian cooking.

Having followed Negrin's work for years, this book comes as no surprise: she is definitely the most knowledgeable author on Italian cuisine today! As usual, her writing is captivating, yet packed with content. "Rustico" is a comprehensive source of information about Italy and its regions, cooking tips, and fascinating tidbits on ingredients. Negrin's recipes are wonderfully simple to follow, bringing out the best in Italian cuisine - simplicity, regionality, and exquisite flavors. This book is a true gem!

Micol Negrin's wonderful new creation "Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking" has two qualities that set it apart from other cookbooks that I've used. The first and most important is the way recipes are showcased. The recipes are so well written and focused that any cook from novice to chef can appreciate the way ingredients come together in each dish. Some of the recipes are basic favorites while others are unusual, tempting, and inventive. The added cultural notes, cooking tips, and gorgeous photography really shows the cultural importance and deep connect to food that the author has experienced in her travels.