The Two Greedy Italians are the lovable, larger than life Antonio Carluccio and the lively and loud Neopolitan Gennaro Contaldo. This is the second book based on their BBC television series of the same name which is well worth watching if you can find the DVD. What these two great men bring to the table is passion. They live and breathe Italian food and it shows in every book either of them put their names to.
There are 3 main chapters to this book, Comfort Food From The Mountains contains historic and new recipes mainly from the Alps and Appenines with my favourites being the Insalata della Valtellina (Bresaola Salad) and the surprisingly spectacular Alpine Pizza, topped with creme fraiche rather than the more usual tomato sauce. Entertaining anecdotes litter the pages while beautiful pictures of the food and our two friends bring the book to life.
Fresh Flavours From The Coast is full of the most delicious seafood recipes with the stand out being Cacciucco, a seafood stew from Tuscany. There are also some great summer recipes augmented with more spectacular photos of the coast and islands of Italy. The final chapter is The Larder of The Rivers and Plains which also takes in the capital, Rome. Lots of comforting pasta dishes including a heart warming lasagne are joined by simpler but just as flavourful dishes like fried green peppers. There are plenty of desserts towards the end of the book and I shall be making the Hazelnut Cake very soon.
This book, along with its predecessor (Two Greedy Italians), are a must read for anyone interested in Italian food. The books are full of passion, humour and simple yet delicious recipes that will give you a unique insight into the real food of Lo Stivale.
Labels: Antonio Carluccio, Book Review, Gennaro Contaldo, Two Greedy Italians
