Rating: 
Summary: Simple, yes.
Review: First, I should warn you. I am a college student. I live in a cramped apartment with two roommates, and we are poor. BUT, we live in a place with lower rent so that we can afford groceries, and we take turns cooking during the week. Basiclly, we are not too typical college students. Among a collection of handed down cookbooks, we have Patricia Wells' Trattoria. The kick here, which I think inspired my mother to get it for me, is that it has simple recipes and its Italian food. This should be a win-win situation: I crave spaghetti daily. But this cookbook is dissapointing. Among the recipes that do not acquire Lamb, Saffron, Mussels, Pancetta, Crab, Swordfish, Rabbit, or Oxtail, are a few that sound absolutely ridicuously easy. Examples; "Pan Fried Potatoes with Olives," (Potatoes, Olive Oil, Olives, Salt & Pepper) or "Tajarin with Rosemary-Infused Butter." (Unsalted Butter, Rosemary, Salt, Tagliatelle, Parmagiana-Romana Cheese)
After following the sometimes meticulous, but still easy steps, we found ourselves chewing and thinking "Is that it?" Of course our friend in culinary school would point out that we are not using the freshest of ingredients, but we got what we could. Even he thought what we had was uneventful. Why three stars? Last night we had some very good chicken, and, again, the recipes are easy to make. Overall the results from this book were good enough to eat, but nothing special enough to write a cookbook about.
Rating: 
Summary: Hearty and simple Italian fare
Review: For anyone who has traveled to Italy (or who dreams of it), this cookbook brings the simple yet effective trattoria fare into the kitchen. As Wells states in her preface, "Homey, unpretentious, honest, and homemade, that's the heart and soul of Italian trattoria cooking." The recipes she includes embrace this philosophy, and while some recipes are slightly more complicated than others, most are straightforward and easy to prepare.
She includes robust fare such as "White Bean Salad with Fresh Sage and Thyme", "Pan-fried Potatoes with Black Olives," and "Cubed Pork with Garlic, Spinach, and Spice Chick Peas" along with more exotic "Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup," "Saffron Butterflies", and "Individual Gorgonzola Soufflés" She provides recipes for dishes more familiar to Americans as well, such as handmade pizza, penne with vodka, and macaroons. Her "Speedy Lasagna" is a boon to the harried weekday cook. The skimpiest section covers fish courses, with only seven recipes.
None of the recipes I've tried have failed, although I like some better than others. All recipes are preceded by a descriptive passage of Wells's emotional connection to the dish, and some include a quote from a famous person. Small boxes with such subjects as "Eating Risotto" highlight local customs pertaining to the dish. The only thing this cookbook lacks is extensive color plates; the few it includes are often jammed with several dishes. At first I thought this was a mistake, but now I realize homey trattoria food does not love the camera. Most of these dishes won't earn high marks for presentation, but they will for taste.
Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous food!
Review: I bought this cookbook on a whim and have never looked back! Shortly after perusing this book I thought "hmmm. Italian anti-pasti party!" I gave that party five times, and almost every dish I made for the parties was from this book. I have not made one single thing that wasn't delicious. Try the caponata, or Aunt Flora's olive salad, or the chicken with red peppers, or the mushroom orange risotto, or the fragrant orange lemon bundt cake, or the ricotta cheesecake....okay, I'm getting carried away, but from someone who cooks a lot, has taken many, many cooking classes and practically collects cookbooks, this book is incredible!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous food!
Review: I bought this cookbook on a whim and have never looked back! Shortly after perusing this book I thought "hmmm. Italian anti-pasti party!" I gave that party five times, and almost every dish I made for the parties was from this book. I have not made one single thing that wasn't delicious. Try the caponata, or Aunt Flora's olive salad, or the chicken with red peppers, or the mushroom orange risotto, or the fragrant orange lemon bundt cake, or the ricotta cheesecake....okay, I'm getting carried away, but from someone who cooks a lot, has taken many, many cooking classes and practically collects cookbooks, this book is incredible!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I was given this book as a gift several years ago. I've mostly made the deserts, which alone make the book worth getting. My family requests the biscotti every Christmas, and the lemon rice cake is wonderful. So is the fragrant orange and lemon cake.
Rating:
Summary: Classic, Simple Italian
Review: I'll preempt this review by stating that i'm used to excellent Italian cooking created by my Italian mom, my 3 Italian aunts, my 2 Italian grandmothers...all excellent cooks. With that in mind, i thoroughly enjoyed Trattoria. What makes it so wonderful is that not only are the recipes tasty and simple to make but they're also authentic, just what she boasts on the book's front cover. This is what Trattoria or simple Italian cooking is all about. Think a few fresh, quality (those are both very important words) ingredients...fruity extra virgin olive oil, tender fresh mozzarella, plump summer tomatoes...mixed just so to create magic. HEre are a few examples: Aunt Flora's olive salad, a spicy mix of olives, hot pepper flakes and olive oil is very close to what i look forward to every Christmas Eve except my mom adds some diced red bell pepper. The baked sea bass is very close to the bluefish my grams used to make, except she used halved tomatoes pierced with spikes of garlic in place of the artichokes. And the lemon risotto, beautiful in its simplicity, is perfect in the summertime with simply grilled chicken. These three recipes are very simple , very authentic and very delicious, typical of all of Trattoria. What's not to love about that? This cookbook is also a great starting point for anyone that is just learning to cook, especially if you love Italian.
Rating:
Summary: Classic, Simple Italian
Review: I'll preempt this review by stating that i'm used to excellent Italian cooking created by my Italian mom, my 3 Italian aunts, my 2 Italian grandmothers...all excellent cooks. With that in mind, i thoroughly enjoyed Trattoria. What makes it so wonderful is that not only are the recipes tasty and simple to make but they're also authentic, just what she boasts on the book's front cover. This is what Trattoria or simple Italian cooking is all about. Think a few fresh, quality (those are both very important words) ingredients...fruity extra virgin olive oil, tender fresh mozzarella, plump summer tomatoes...mixed just so to create magic. HEre are a few examples: Aunt Flora's olive salad, a spicy mix of olives, hot pepper flakes and olive oil is very close to what i look forward to every Christmas Eve except my mom adds some diced red bell pepper. The baked sea bass is very close to the bluefish my grams used to make, except she used halved tomatoes pierced with spikes of garlic in place of the artichokes. And the lemon risotto, beautiful in its simplicity, is perfect in the summertime with simply grilled chicken. These three recipes are very simple , very authentic and very delicious, typical of all of Trattoria. What's not to love about that? This cookbook is also a great starting point for anyone that is just learning to cook, especially if you love Italian.
Rating:
Summary: Finally: Italy is in my hands!
Review: Since I returned from a trip to Italy a year ago, I have sought high and low for a cookbook that would put Italy into my hands as it was when I was there. This is that book! I've had it two weeks and used it six times already. I learned in Italy that there is Italian food, and then there is American Italian food (think "Olive Garden" chain restaurant). A true Italian "trattoria" is small, intimate, and completely reliant on the ingredients of freshness and simplicity. Dried pasta isn't forbidden, and fresh pasta isn't unheard of. Many of these recipes have only a half dozen ingredients. The techniques are simple, and you need have only a medium level of confidence to turn out the most savory and aromatic food of your life. The recipes run the entire course: appetizers to dessert. Additionally, there are sources for hard-to-find ingredients and equipment. Some sample dishes: Lemon Risotto, Goat Cheese and Carlic Spread, White Bean Salad with Fresh Sage and Thyme; Tuscan Five-Bean Soup; Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup; Roasted Rosemary Potatoes; Individual Eggplant Parmesans; Penne with Vodka and Spicy Tomato-Cream Sauce; Saffron Butterflies; Tagliarini with Lemon Sauce; Risotto with Tomatoes and Parmesan; Orange, Sage and Mushroom Risotto; several bread recipes; Fried Calamari; Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Sage; Chicken Cooked Under Bricks...oh, enough. Are you salivating yet? Mille grazie, Patricia! And a big bacia to you for this wonderful, loving tribute to Italy. If I can't be in Italy, I can pretend.
Rating:
Summary: "Vodka Pasta" to make you sing Italian love songs!
Review: The book was loaned to me by a friend. Just one look plus making the fast and easy "Vodka Pasta" on page 92 convinced me I needed to own the book. I will be mentioning it again in my food column in September for an on line magazine...Check it out and pardon the plug. It's a great and very witty little magazine published in Seattle on--according to their header--"Natural and unnatural events".
Rating:
Summary: Simple but elegant Italian cooking
Review: This book features an excellent range of homey Italian dishes. The recipes for vodka pasta, eggplant parmesan, and saffron butterflies are all favorites in our house. The author's explanations of ingredients are very helpful.
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