Cucina Essenziale: Essential Cooking

Rating:
Summary: A Completely Unique Italian Cookbook
Review: I liked this cookbook a lot, although I know it would not be for everyone. Mr. Cavallini trained under the famed master chef, or Grand Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi and shares his passion for Italian cuisine by creating recipes that would be fit for Michelin three star restaurants rather than a typical Italian kitchen. If you are looking for recipes basic hearty soups, traditional pastas, and simple entrees than you would not buy this book. However, if you enjoy truly wonderful food on a gourmet level, than this book will help you to create dishes that you normally would only find in fancy restaurants right in your own kitchen.

Mr. Cavallini explains Essential Cooking, or "La Cucina Essenziale" as being derived from research into ancient Italian culinary traditions that are reinterpreted in the light of today's taste and way of life. His recipes replace heavy sauces, fats, and cream with vegetable broth, olive oil, and other light ingredients. His cooking techniques are chosen to maintain the integrity of the ingredients, and the dishes are simply yet dramatically presented.

The book includes a well thought out chapter of basic recipes that are used to create more developed recipes throughout the rest of the book. Although the ingredient list for some recipes may be a challenge for some who do not have access to such luxuries as partridge, or foie gras, there are many other recipes that could easily be created from ingredients found in your local grocery store. Even reading through the recipes that contain ingredients I would never use, I was able to take away some new ideas on how to use more common ingredients in unique ways.

I would recommend this cookbook to anyone that shares a passion for truly wonderful food, likes to experiment in the kitchen, and for those who are interested in preparing gourmet quality food at home. Novice cooks interested in basic, traditional Italian recipes would probably not find this cookbook helpful. I think of Mr. Cavallini as my "Italian" Charlie Trotter.