The Flavors of Southern Italy - Hardcover

by Erica de Mane (Author)

Praise for Erica De Mane

Front Jacket

If you love the pungent aroma of simmering garlic, the rich tang of spicy tomato sauce, or the salty bite of Parmesan cheese, you're already well on your way to mastering the secrets of Southern Italian cooking. Now, you can learn to improvise with these enticing flavors and combine them in new and exciting ways that bring variety and vitality to every delicious dish you create.

With her unique flavor-based approach to Southern Italian cooking, celebrated Italian chef and author Erica De Mane shows how to use the simplest techniques and purest ingredients to create surprisingly innovative dishes that add new dimension to the flavors you savor most.

Insisting that the best results occur when we cook from the heart, the memory, and the senses, De Mane returns to the culinary region of her ancestry to rediscover the enchanting tastes that form the foundation of Southern Italian family recipes. She unveils the secrets of blending sweet and sour flavors; using wild mint to accent the flavors of meat and pasta; and adding distinctive character to stews and soups with cinnamon, saffron, and other spices that Americans may not associate with the cooking of Southern Italy.

More than 250 recipes highlight the versatility and subtlety of this immensely popular regional cuisine-from Fusilli with Sauteed Green Olives and Bread Crumbs to Tuna Tartare Crostini with Capers and Avocado. You'll perfect techniques for preparing vegetables, meat and poultry, tarts, soups, pasta, desserts, and more.

De Mane's delightful meditations on the art of cooking and the ways in which flavors combine give you both the inspiration and the understanding necessary to dream up your own innovative and delectable dishes.

Complete with colorful anecdotes on the history of Southern Italian cooking, useful instructions on traditional preparation methods, and helpful tips on how to hunt down the freshest ingredients, The Flavors of Southern Italy fills your kitchen with the tempting aromas, exquisite textures, and bold and vibrant flavors of the cuisine you love best-at its very, very best!

Back Jacket

Praise for Erica De Mane

"Erica De Mane is an experienced, generous home cook who understands how both Italians and Americans like to eat, and she deftly manages to bridge the two cultures."
-Corby Kummer, The New York Times

"De Mane tells you things you need to know. . . . Her philosophy is contagious. The tone is friendly. The result is liberating. The confidence can't help but build."
-Ronalie C. Peterson, The Washington Post

"I found myself nodding in appreciation of Erica De Mane's willingness to hand over the keys to being a good cook."
-Susie Middleton, Fine Cooking magazine

Savor the rich flavors of Southern Italy with this exciting collection from experienced cook and food writer Erica De Mane. From classic recipes to new interpretations, from multi-course meals to easy antipasti, here are dishes for cooks of all levels that capture the taste and spirit of one of the world's most beloved cuisines.

Author Biography

ERICA DE MANE writes on Italian cooking for Food & Wine, Fine Cooking, Saveur, the New York Times, Gourmet, and Marie Claire. She contributed to Joy of Cooking and is the author of Pasta, as well as Pasta Improvvisata. A member of the New York Culinary Historians and the Italian-based International Slow Food Movement, she lives in New York City.