Pasta (Food)

Rating:
Summary: BEST PASTA BOOK EVER!
Review: I have to confess that this book has kept me up past my bedtime on more than a couple occasions. This was an impulse purchase on a gift certificate; I probably would not have gotten it since I have a library of cookbooks as it is, but I have to tell you this is one of the best cookbooks I've seen in years. Don't let the larger-than-life, coffee table format put you off. This is one very serious, yet concise and easy to follow cookbook. It takes you through what you need to know about the various pastas and other ingredients, and the equipment you need to use, then on to almost idiot proof directions for making your own pasta. Prefer to purchase your pasta? Not a problem ... this book is crammed with recipes for any concievable type of pasta you could buy. The recipes are easy but don't insult your intelligence. The gorgious, full-color photography shows you what your creation should look like at it's various stages of completion. You have your rustic fare and elegant dishes. Some are simple and others more complex (read 'costly'). There are your soups, your sauces, your baked pastas. You have sections devoted to meat and pasta and vegitables and pasta. And of course there are those to-die-for seafood and pasta dishes. I have fresh Mayport white shrimp and scallops in the frig at this very moment awaiting a simple application of heavy cream, cheese and ... what else -- PASTA! Depending on where in the country you reside, you may have touble obtaining some of the ingredients. So far, I have had difficulty finding some of the specialty, calorie laden goodies and other ingredients, however, the search is proving to be educational and my skills are being put to the test where substitutions are concerned. If you live in a more cosmopolitan area, you're in luck. I plan to purchase this book for my two sisters; one is a gourmet cook and the other tends towards the more simple fare. Both will enjoy 'Pasta' and, I'm sure, use it for many years to come.