ISO: ISO flavorful ethnic cookbooks

[pam]

for my son's girlfriend.

She has Thai and Indian and wants Mediterranean, Cuban or Italian. I don't think she's a particularly experienced cook, just willing and eager.

 

[Marg CDN]

For Italian, I don't think you can go wrong with Marcella Hazan as a starter. Her first Classic

has lots of instruction and deals with basics and how to expand the basics into some excellent creations. Also good descriptions of all the pastas. Is she a starting cook?

As far as Mediterranean, do you mean as in ... southern France, northern Africa, maybe the North African influence on Sicily, Spanish, Greek? Not sure what you're thinking of there but there is a huge variety.

 

[janet-in-nc]

I particularly like her suggestions of what else to serve with each recipe. Not in the later edition

 

[Marg CDN]

Oh yes. Forgot that. A good plus.

 

[barb_b]

Three Guys from Miami and Miami Spice are great for Cuban flavors. What a thoughtful gift!

 

[meryl]

This is supposed to be an excellent book - Memories of a Cuban Kitchen

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0028609980/ref=s9subs_c1_14_img1-rfc_g1_si1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1K6T2M9ZYPQ19QG1F193&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383351&pf_rd_i=507846

 

[meryl]

Check this out: Simple Mediterranean Cookery

http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Mediterranean-Cookery-Claudia-Roden/dp/0563493275/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229454971&sr=8-1

 

[angak]

Isn't there a Jeff Smith cookbook with really good ethnic foods? I want to put that on my Amazon

list, but I can't rmember the name. Is it the Ancestor book??

 

[susie_mi]

I have Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines....

China, Greece and Rome. Is this the one you are thinking of? I picked it up at a library sale a few years ago. Great recipes and good background information for each type of cuisine.

 

[susie_mi]

Another great Cuban cookbook is Cuba Cocina by Joyce Lafray

I have made so many great dishes from this book. Easy to follow recipes

 

[susie_mi]

Paula Wolfert has written several cookbooks on Mediterranean cuisine....

I have Mediterranean Cooking and it has recipes from various regions. I love the recipes in this book!

 

[shaun-in-to]

Probably my favorite Italian is Piano, Piano, Pieno: Authentic Food from a Tuscan Farm. It now has a

U.S. publisher. I use this book several times a week. Great pasta-making and bread-making instructions. Very good recipes, well researched, tasty and honest food; good mix of rustic casual and more elegant "company" food; no hard-to-find ingredients; author is a talented chef; and it's beautifully written.

(Disclosure: I copy edited this book. But I've edited many cookbooks that I don't care to ever use. And while I was working on it, I wanted to make every single recipe, and that had never happened to me before. And I still want to make everything in it. Well, except Courtyard Animal Fricassee. Something about the title ...)

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_8_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=piano+piano+pieno+authentic+food+from+a+tuscan+farm&sprefix=piano+pi

 

[nan]

OH, that's one I have lost and must have again, thanks Susie & Merry Christmas!!!!!!

 

[susie_mi]

Nan, it's a funny coincidence that I just had this out on Sunday for the ....

Wonton Dumpling recipe. I love this cookbook! I hope you can find a copy of it again.

Merry Christmas to you too!!

 

[melissa-dallas]

Ang-it's the "Our Immigrant Ancestors" one. I have it and have used it frequently.

 

[angak]

thanks susie and melissa. I may just have to get a set of his books. I loved watching his shows.

 

[aajay]

My go-to Italian cookbook is Ada Boni, Italian Regional Cooking. I think it was published in the ..

1960s but is still one of the best. Gives recipes by region and has gorgeous pictures of food in regional settings. I checked and it's available on Amazon for less than 10.00.