Vegitalian: Italian Vegetarian Cooking

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Summary: Reviewed by The Cookbook Collector, Jan.-Feb.-Mar. 1998
Review: If you like Italian food, you'll love this book. It's a wonderful guide to local cookery from every region of Italy. It's filled with 226 tasty vegetarian recipes with an Italian flair that say "try me!" Be sure to sample the Eggplant Rolls, p.29. We really liked them. Tasty, nourishing recipes and easy preparation will make this book by Floria Parmiani a favorite.

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Summary: Reviewed by Gail Golomb, Four Geez Press, 20 Oct. 1997
Review: If you like Italian with a vegetarian twist, let me tell you about Floria Parmiani's cookbook which includes hundreds of delicious and simple recipes for busy people. From a cook's point of view...it's absolutely delicious!...The book passed the most rigorous test possible at my home. Floria's book would also make a great gift (perhaps attached to a bottle of Italian wine?), as a wedding present, or Christmas/Chanukah (or my birthday) special time. I liked the vast resources provided...a table of cheeses and where each region is located, as well as an Italian wine list. Floria, congrats on a beuatiful publication that represents the highest standard of those of us independent publishing.

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Summary: Vegitalian: Vegetarian Cooking Italian Style
Review: The increasing popularity of vegetarian cooking has spurred a new cookbook market. Among those featuring Italian dishes, Floria Parmiani's Vegitalian is especially appealing for it can be read on two integrated levels. The author takes the narrow intersection of Italian cuisine and vegetarian cooking and places that interplay within the general context of Italian society. The result is a rich resource of la cucina italiana and a showcase for la cultura italiana. The art, history, and landmarks of many of Italy's twenty regions are discussed along with each region's particular culinary specialties. Reading that Sicily leads Europe in the production of citrus fruits, olives, grapes, and wines gave me much satisfaction. Both the accompanying photos of cities, art and architectures, and the cultural context serve to elevate the book above the usual mere listing of recipes. The introduction, as one example, has a poetic tone that paints colorful images in the reader's mind. The book's overall simplistic style emphasizes variety and wholesomeness. There are more than 200 recipes using commonly available ingredients. The recipes are grouped into large categories, such as vegetable creams, soups, sauces, antipastos, pasta and sauces, and salads and desserts. Most can be prepared quickly by the busy homemaker. Also included are helpful cooking hints, and lists of wines, cheeses, herbs, and spices. Floria Parmiani, a native of Florence, Italy, and currently a San Francisco resident, where she teaches and writes, has produced a masterpiece that is refreshingly free of mystical-sounding ingredients and complicated directions. However, I must append a gentle caveat to this review. Several times while perusing the delicious vegetarian dishes, I was interrupted by severe pangs of hunger.