Simply Tuscan : Recipes for a Well-Lived Life

Rating:
Summary: A delightful looking book. Works less well as a cookbook
Review: 'Simply Tuscan' is one of several books based on Tuscan cuisine by restaurateur / author Pino Luongo. While his latest book, 'La Mia Cucina Toscana' is pointedly about dishes at his restaurants which are based on Tuscan dishes or at least ideas about Tuscan dishes, this book would appear to simply be about Tuscan dishes. If you read the fine print, however, you see that recipes in this book are also not authentically Tuscan. They are also not authentically Pino Luongo, as they are credited to the author's executive chef, Marta Pulini.

These little dissemblences can, of course, all be explained away, especially since this book is intended to be as much a memoir and invocation of life in Tuscany as it is a cookbook.

The best way to conjure up an image of the author's depiction of life in Tuscany is to see Hannibal Lector's lifestyle in Florence at the beginning of the movie 'Hannibal'. Through skillfully placed photographs; watercolor paintings; pen and ink drawings on sepia colored, water streaked paper; and flip-flopping between an artistic, Arabic looking font and a crude Courier font, the book gives a rustic background to narrative on the pleasures of living in Tuscany. I have no doubt whatsoever that Tuscany is simply one of the more beautiful places on Earth. As the author points out, it is also one of the fountainheads of the Renaissance.

But if Tuscany is such an idyllic location, why did the author emigrate to the murky canyons of New York City. The author routinely travels back to Tuscany, however I suspect it is as much to mine a business resource as it is to be refreshed by the Tuscan sun. Part of the author's business organization is a shop of Tuscan merchandise in Rockafeller Center.

The book's culinary content is organized by season and, within season, by menu fitting various occasions. This enhances the flow of the book as memoir of Tuscan life, but it does not help those of us who wish to mine the book for authentic Tuscan recipes. The arty layout of recipes in crude Courier font intermixed with pictures with no captions compounds the difficulty to use this book as a culinary tool.

The culinary memoir which, in my experience, comes the closest to this book is Vincent Schiavelli's 'Many Beautiful Things'. Schiavelli's book is immensely more successful as a memoir by being much more modest in its graphics and much more personal and informative in its narrative.

Luongo's book also has some odd inconsistencies in recipe weights and measures. In most cases, flour is measured by cup, but in some, it is measured by weight, with no explanation of the difference.

Luongo's book deserves a browse for the charming drawings. I would look elsewhere for sources of authentic, useable Tuscan recipes.

Rating:
Summary: Like to travel? Like to cook? Do both!
Review: Do NOT be intimidated - I am barely starting to do more than very basic cooking and the cuisine of Tuscany is my favorite. The instructions are clear, I had with me a friend who is a very good cook and this book worked for us both, doesn't talk down to you and it doesn't make you feel like an idiot.

Perfect timing, too - start with summer and spring recipes, I find those not only more appropriate but a bit easier.

Rating:
Summary: Like to travel? Like to cook? Do both!
Review: Do NOT be intimidated - I am barely starting to do more than very basic cooking and the cuisine of Tuscany is my favorite. The instructions are clear, I had with me a friend who is a very good cook and this book worked for us both, doesn't talk down to you and it doesn't make you feel like an idiot.

Perfect timing, too - start with summer and spring recipes, I find those not only more appropriate but a bit easier.

Rating:
Summary: For Those Who Love Tuscany, This Book Has It All
Review: This book is much more than a mere cookbook, as Pino Luongo shares his love of Tuscany in a friendly informal way that I found particularly appealing. The book is divided into the four seasons as Mr. Luongo feels this best reflects nature's lead. The recipes are very easy to follow, containing easy to find ingredients, and he has added a number of menu selections sprinkled through each chapter. Having lived in Italy for 8 years myself, Tuscany was one of my favorite regions, and I thoroughly enjoyed traveling back there with Mr. Luongo in this book. If You love Tuscany and it's food, you'll enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Well Done!!!
Review: This book is so beautiful and the recipes are so wonderful! I highly reccommend this book for anyone who loves Tuscany, fine cuisine or just a lesson on culture and history. Great reading and Even Better Cooking!!!

Rating:
Summary: A delightful looking book. Works less well as a cookbook
Review: `Simply Tuscan' is one of several books based on Tuscan cuisine by restaurateur / author Pino Luongo. While his latest book, `La Mia Cucina Toscana' is pointedly about dishes at his restaurants which are based on Tuscan dishes or at least ideas about Tuscan dishes, this book would appear to simply be about Tuscan dishes. If you read the fine print, however, you see that recipes in this book are also not authentically Tuscan. They are also not authentically Pino Luongo, as they are credited to the author's executive chef, Marta Pulini.

These little dissemblences can, of course, all be explained away, especially since this book is intended to be as much a memoir and invocation of life in Tuscany as it is a cookbook.

The best way to conjure up an image of the author's depiction of life in Tuscany is to see Hannibal Lector's lifestyle in Florence at the beginning of the movie `Hannibal'. Through skillfully placed photographs; watercolor paintings; pen and ink drawings on sepia colored, water streaked paper; and flip-flopping between an artistic, Arabic looking font and a crude Courier font, the book gives a rustic background to narrative on the pleasures of living in Tuscany. I have no doubt whatsoever that Tuscany is simply one of the more beautiful places on Earth. As the author points out, it is also one of the fountainheads of the Renaissance.

But if Tuscany is such an idyllic location, why did the author emigrate to the murky canyons of New York City. The author routinely travels back to Tuscany, however I suspect it is as much to mine a business resource as it is to be refreshed by the Tuscan sun. Part of the author's business organization is a shop of Tuscan merchandise in Rockafeller Center.

The book's culinary content is organized by season and, within season, by menu fitting various occasions. This enhances the flow of the book as memoir of Tuscan life, but it does not help those of us who wish to mine the book for authentic Tuscan recipes. The arty layout of recipes in crude Courier font intermixed with pictures with no captions compounds the difficulty to use this book as a culinary tool.

The culinary memoir which, in my experience, comes the closest to this book is Vincent Schiavelli's `Many Beautiful Things'. Schiavelli's book is immensely more successful as a memoir by being much more modest in its graphics and much more personal and informative in its narrative.

Luongo's book also has some odd inconsistencies in recipe weights and measures. In most cases, flour is measured by cup, but in some, it is measured by weight, with no explanation of the difference.

Luongo's book deserves a browse for the charming drawings. I would look elsewhere for sources of authentic, useable Tuscan recipes.