Return to Tuscany or Artisanal Cooking

Return to Tuscany: Recipes from a Tuscan Cookery School

Author: Giancarlo Caldesi

A marvelous compendium of recipes, cooking instruction, and insights into the culture and culinary traditions of Tuscany.

Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, the team behind two of London's most popular Tuscan restaurants, decided to relocate to Tuscany for a few months--to rediscover Giancarlo's culinary roots and to run a series of courses in traditional Tuscan cooking. Return to Tuscany is a delightful record of their sojourn. Each chapter begins with a lesson, echoing the different stages of their cooking course, guiding you through the basic techniques of making pasta, assembling an antipasti platter, cooking meat on an open fire, and baking your own focaccia. In 80 regional recipes--from Jam Crostata and Pici with Arrabiata Sauce to Chicken with Cinnamon and Lemon--Giancarlo and Katie reveal methods passed down through generations of the Caldesi family. Evocatively illustrated throughout with color photos of the food and the landscape, Return to Tuscany is an inspiring introduction to the culture and culinary traditions of this fabled region of Italy.

See also: Organizzazioni di Reframing: Livello artistico, scelta e direzione, terza edizione

Artisanal Cooking: A Chef Shares His Passion for Handcrafting Great Meals at Home

Author: Terrance Brennan

Terrance Brennan's passion for simple yet flavorful cuisine has fueled the success of his two acclaimed New York City restaurants, Picholine and Artisanal. In this long-awaited cookbook, Brennan shares his approach to what he calls "artisanal cooking," reflecting a devotion to detail and reverence for the freshest ingredients, simple presentations, and an inspired blend of tradition and creativity, all of which leads to memorable meals at home.

Artisanal Cooking features 150 tantalizing recipes ranging from hors d'oeuvres and entrees - such as Miniature Grilled Cheddar, Apple, and Bacon Sandwiches; Soft-Shell Crabs with Mustard Sauce; and Beef Short Ribs with Olives and Orange-Cumin Carrots - to desserts, including Brennan's signature cheesecake and Chocolate Fondue. A cheese connoisseur, Brennan describes more than 30 of his favorites and suggests wines to pair with them. The cookbook is also a visual feast, with 75 lush color photographs by renowned food photographer Christopher Hirsheimer. Throughout, there are valuable tips that cooks can use to adapt Brennan's recipes or improve their own cooking, including:

TERMS AND TECHNIQUES: information about terms like "sweetbreads" and technique tips, such as a simple way to roll dough over a tart

THE REASON: explanations for why good cooks do things such as truss a chicken or let meats rest between cooking and serving

VARIATIONS: ideas for changing recipes to accommodate seasonal ingredients and personal taste

EMBELLISHMENTS: inventive ways to enhance the recipes

The book's extensive pantry section, including recipes and how-to photos, furtherillustrates Brennan's point that delicious meals start with quality flavors and elemental techniques. Taking pleasure in the ingredients and the process makes cooking - and sharing the results - a joy.

Publishers Weekly

Brennan's first book makes it clear why his New York restaurants Picholine and Artisanal have such devoted followings. Drawing heavily on his French training but also taking inspiration from the full range of Mediterranean cuisine, the chef emphasizes traditional techniques, good seasonal ingredients--and cheerful invention. He breathes new life into classics from Goug res (cheese puffs) to Cheese Souffles, and makes them seem easy to prepare. His fans, however, will thrill to find so many of his signature dishes, including Chestnut-Fennel Soup with Apple Walnut Chutney, Duck and Morel Risotto, and Daube of Short Ribs with Olives and Orange-Cumin Carrots. Cheese plays a leading role in Brennan's repertoire, and he offers a guide to serving and storing as well as an overview of his 36 favorite varieties. An opening section called "The Artisanal Pantry" functions as a roadmap to ingredients and an introduction to the craft of making stocks, chutneys, compotes and flavored butters. Brennan is a skillful teacher whose recipes are models of clarity, with special notes on techniques, embellishments, and the reason behind certain steps. All in all, though cheese lovers may wish for more from the cheese section, this is a mouth-watering read that brings a great chef's energy and intelligence to life on the page. 75 color, 15 b&w photos. Agent, Angela Miller. (Sept. 5) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.