Nick Stellino's Family Kitchen
Can it be that there are no bad cooks in Italy and Sicily? Or maybe there are only a few really good cooks, while the rest aren't so much mediocre as simply ordinary. But it's the children of the really good cooks who end up on TV cooking shows and in magazines and writing cookbooks, much likeNick Stellino's Family Kitchen, that skew what's real.Nick Stellino has made a living in print and on TV selling the Italian family table, and this book is very much in that same vein--a little more personal, if nothing else. In often overly sentimental vignettes, Stellino shares with the reader the soul of his own family, the generations of aunts and uncles and grandparents, all of them seemingly either living in or very close to the kitchen. From this experience the reader can glean some helpful tips on how to prepare foods to cook in the Italian kitchen, how to plan meals, how to enjoy good food, and, of course, how to enjoy life: follow your dreams, follow your heart, money comes and goes but family is there forever. Stuff like that.Stellino prides himself on presenting Italian dishes in simple, quickly assembled recipes, and that's whatNick Stellino's Family Kitchenis all about. The text is divided into chapters that include appetizers, soup, salad, and side dishes; pasta, entrees, desserts, basics; and menus. You'll find Braised Artichokes, Mussel Soup with Curry, Spinach Cannelloni, Chicken Scaloppine with Mushroom Sauce, Swordfish Scaloppine "Pizza Style," and Ricotta Cake with Coffee and Chocolate.--Schuyler Ingle