The Vegetarian Table: Italy (Vegetarian Table)

By Julia della Croce

Book Overview

Creamy risottos, fragrant vegetable casseroles, lively pasta sauces -- these are just a few of the age-old pleasures of the Italian meal now brought vividly to life in this first volume of our new Vegetarian Table series. Written by one of America's experts on Italian food and illustrated with evocative color photographs, this collection of over 75 versatile recipes celebrates the simple ingredients and delicious diversity of one of the world's most appealing culinary traditions.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811804585
• ISBN13: 9780811804585
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (CA)
• Length: 167 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.7" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Traditional Italian cooking, vegetarian style. Another great addition to the series!

I'm getting big into cooking these days, after switching to a mostly vegetarian / low-fat / non-fat diet. So, I'm looking to spice up the cooking. Vegetarian doesn't mean "boring," in my book. Nor in this book. This book goes into quite a bit of Italian trivia and cooking traditions. It fills in the American audience on things like the difference between a Minestrone (big soup) and various other types of soups (smaller soups or more "brothy" soups), or the proper types and sizes of pasta to use a pesto with (hint: not angel hair; the sauce simply can't get / stay between the strands and ends up pooling on, under or around the pasta). For those vegetarians or omnis who like Italian food or worldly ethnic food, this will serve as a handy reference, alongside the Mexico, Thailand, India, America, Japan and other Vegetarian Table cookbooks. They seem to do an admirable job of capturing the flavors and traditions of the particular regions they topically cover. While vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean low-fat (using olive oil among other things), many of the recipes could probably be adapted fairly easily to a lower fat content by clever substitution or omission. Some of the recipes are a bit complicated, but I assume the results will be authentic and yummy, thus worth the added effort. Maybe not the best book for those just starting out cooking, but for those familiar with the kitchen, I think it's about the right speed and complexity.

A wonderful collection of delicious recipes

This cookbook was given to me by a good friend, and what a find! Several of the recipes in the book, especially the wild mushroom risotto, have made it into our regular menu here at home. The recipes are fairly easy to prepare, and the flavor combinations are delightful. These kinds of recipes are a much better way to eat vegetarian than trying to mimic meat dishes (e.g. garden burgers, etc.) because they are essentially and naturally meat-free. I highly recommend this title.

Tasteful no-meat Italian food treatments

I have an affection for this book and found the Kirkus Reviews panning of it altogethr slanted. This is a book for lacto-poulo vegetarians and food lovers who prefer moderation in the intake of foods containing fat over grim abstinence from the delights of cheese, olive oil and egg dishes. Given that, I found della Croce's book augmented my library of Italian cookbooks, including the complete works of Marcella Hazan. While some of the recipes are familiar (Pasta e Fagioli, eggplant parmigiana, broccoli with lemon) many are original and delightful. The fettucine with walnut sauce, spaghettini with uncooked lemon and black olive sauce and the coucous with stewed vegetables and chick-peas, Sicilian-Arab style have become crowd-pleasing staples. The book is attractively illustrated, and Ms. della Croce is a warm, friendly guide. This book does not supplant the works of established guides to the Italian kitchen. But it will beguile both the newcomer and the veteran.