Italians this is for you!

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

By: Marcella Hazan

Why should u care?

Because if your Italian and haven't grown up in Italy all you life chances are you don't exactly have authentic recipes on your brain. And you probably have no idea what to make if your craving Italian, well boy do I have the book for you! This book is huge and choke full of tons of recipes for that special Italian dish your craving. This book is perfect for beginners and everyday professional cooks and every level in between.

What does it contain?

This book contains a ton of recipe from desserts to appetizers. Soups, pastas, gnocchi, polenta, fish and shellfish recipes are all included. And that's not even all the kinds of recipes!This book is very detail orientated and explains how things like how to make pasta or things like how to carve the meat that you cooked. And not only that, but this book has little black and white pictures, which I like because it not only demonstrates easily how to do whatever it says in the recipe, but it also gives the eyes something to look at besides just pages and pages of words.

Pictures not from book

How did I get it?

I got this book for Christmas last year from my boyfriend because he knew how much I love to cook and how much I love recipe books. 

Price Range

$10-30

More Books by the Author

Marcella's Italian Kitchen

Marcella Cucina

More Classic Italian Cooking

Potatoes Potatoes and more Potatoes!

Cook's Library Potatoes

How is it useful?

I find this book especially useful because if your like me you love potatoes and everything about them. And you wish you could have more! It helps you come up with ideas on how to get rid of your rotting potatoes. Not only does it do that, but it lists delicious recipes for them too.

How I got it?

I got this for Christmas 2003 and the only reason why I know that is because my mom wrote a note on the front page saying, Alyssa, I hope you love to cook potatoes as much as you love to eat them. Love, Mom XO. I remember the whole year before that Christmas I always told my parents that all I wanted to was recipe book, any recipe book at all. And this was because I knew that I could use them in the future. But ever since I got this book I really have come to love potatoes THAT much more!

What kind of recipes are in it? (Pictures not from actual book)

Soups,salads, and appetizers

Fava bean and Mint soup

Sweet Potato and Onion Soup               

Light meals and side dishes

 Fritters with Garlic Sauce

Mixed mushroom cakes

Vegetarian and vegan suppers

Potato and Vegetable Curry 

Sweet Potato Cakes

Vegetables savories

Twice- Baked Pesto Potatoes, Potato and Eggplant Gratin 

Fish dishes

Broiled Red Mullet, Poached Rainbow Trout

Poultry and meat 

Potato and Turkey Pie, Potato Ravioli

Bread and cakes

Sweet Potato Bread, Fruity Potato Cake

Other Books Like it

The Potato Book

The Great Potato Cookbook

Potato Cookbook

Price Range

$4-10

(4 on amazon)

My first recommendation

Take 5 Ingredients

By: James Tanner

Why I like it? and YOU should too!

Simplicity 

Everything in his book is very easy to make and easy directions to follow. And the fact that he has 95 recipes in this book makes it EVEN BETTER! And in most of his recipes they are very common ingredients that you can buy at any grocery store.

Price for recipe's ingredients

Not only are there 5 to 10 ingredients to each recipe, the ingredients are generally inexpensive (depending on what recipe you choose) For example: there is a crab linguine recipe (that you can view on Epicurious.com) and we ALL know how expensive crab is these days. 

Great pictures and directions

His book has amazing detailed pictures that make your mouth water and help increase the chance that you WILL make it. Also his instructions for his recipes are extremely easy to follow.

My favorite Recipes

Green Curry

I love this curry recipe especially because it's so delicious and simple! I made it a couple times and every time it turns out perfect. It makes it so that you don't have to make curry paste from scratch and it only has 6 ingredients.

Gnocchi with Bacon & Peas 

I have not made this recipe yet, but I have made gnocchi before and it is very easy. And it only has six ingredients (including salt and pepper). I mean who can resist a recipe with BACON in it?

Other Books by the Author

• For Chocolate Lovers - Published 5 October 2006, co-written by Chris Tanner
• Ice Cream - Published 25 March 2008, co-written by Chris Tanner
• James Tanner Takes 5: Delicious Dishes Using Just 5 Ingredients - Published 30 September 2010
• Old Favourites, New Twists: 100 classic recipes with a difference - Published 11 July 2013

Price Range for the Book

$5-10 (Depending on where you look)