Description:
In Italy, eating is about much more than simple nourishment--it is a pastime, an art. Italians love to eat, and love even more to share with others the authentic dishes of their regions. Here, Maurizio Mazzon, executive chef of Il Fornaio's almost two dozen restaurants, indulges that cultural urge with a collection of his own favorite recipes gathered from all 20 regions of Italy. Not just another pasta book, this one offers unusual recipes that you won't likely find outside of Italy: Beet-Flavored Pasta Stuffed with a Ricotta-Beet Filling Topped with Brown Butter and Poppy Seeds, Eggplant-Potato Dumplings with a Tomato-Basil Sauce, and Pasta Stuffed with a Wild-Greens Filling and Topped with a Buttermilk Sauce, to name just a few. Mazzon also includes simple yet elegant versions of classics found in Italian restaurants throughout the U.S., such as Spaghettini with Tomato-Basil Sauce, Prawns and Pasta Ribbons with Pesto, and Buccatini alla Carbonara. Many of the recipes are quite complicated, but the elegant results are well worth the effort. One of Mazzon's favorite Italian proverbs says, "When the stomach is full, the heart is happy." If this is true, Mazzon's book is sure to leave a trail of happy hearts. --Robin Donovan
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