Cookbook Review of the Month - August 2007
This month's selection is Everyday Pasta. I choose this book because I am a fan of Giada DeLaurentiis and all of her cooking shows on The Food Network. She is one of my favorites; her recipes are fast, easy to make and delicious. It's hard to imagine that there could be any more pasta recipes out there, but Giada manages to find a few more and make them look so delicious, you can't help but try them. As with her other cookbooks, this one won't disappoint you. It is a great addition to your cookbook collection, especially if you are a pasta-holic like I am.
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This beautifully designed cookbook features many of Giada's pasta recipes from her TV show Everyday Italian. Most of the recipes are basic pasta recipes, but so easy that almost everyone with a little knowledge of cooking should be able to master them. Many of the recipes have a brief commentary with them, or a little hint or explanation. The directions are clear and easy to follow, and if it were possible to smell the delicious aroma to through the beautiful photographs, you'd probably be tempted to cook everything you see! I'm so glad I added this book to my collection of recipes. |
Sample Recipe from the book: I choose the Cornbread Panzanella as this recipe selection from the cookbook because I thought it would be a great summer recipe to try along with a barbequed steak on the grill! Giada states that "Panzanella is a staple of Tuscan cooking that is traditionally made with leftover stale bread." She suggests trying cornbread as a change of pace, and state that " It's best to use stale cornbread, but if you only have fresh cornbread, toast the cubes in the oven at 300 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes to dry them out; that way they won't fall apart and become mushy."
Cornbread Panzanella
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound cornbread, cut into 2 3/4-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup cubed fontina cheese (about 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1/2 hothouse cucumber, quartered and sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Dressing:
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine the cornbread, tomatoes, cheese and cucumber, and basil in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Stir togther and pour oover the salad. Toss very gently to combine. Serve immediately.
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