Thread: Suggestions
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Chemiker Chemiker is offline
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Default Suggestions

:
I asked the same question some years ago, and was told
by a food professional to think Tuscan, for starters. Their
emphasis on simplicity and freshness provides great
lessons on what really counts in cookery. I went with
Marcella Hazan, a food editor, definitely Italian, but
living in the US. Unlike Jeff Smith (remember him?),
who with his friend Craig Americanized recipes of not
only Italy, but probably half the world, Marcella's
are more legacy-type. Also consider Bugialli.

You have to ask yourself *which* Italian cooking
you want to learn:

1. Trusted legacy originals (some of which, like minestrone)
defy being nailed down with exactitude.

2. Grandma's recipes being made with "evoluaionary"
changes by her descendents, and which the dear old
woman would no longer recognize. True of old recipes
that call for ingredients not readily available in your
area.

3. Modern Italian recipes as they are really cooked by
women who work outside the home, and are pressed
for time. Nowadays you can expect more use of frozen,
canned and otherwise semi-prepared ingredients that
our Grand-mere's never had.

When I was in the czech republic, slovakia, austria and
hungary in October, I noticed that what Americans
consider *real* ethnic food is increasingly hard to find.

Veal cutlets have become chicken-fried steak. Roasted
potatoes come out of a freezer bag and are baked in
convection ovens or (yuk!) deep-fried in almost-fresh
oil. Many breads, muffins, etc now call for "instantized"
flour. Roux is bought in jars rather than being made
fresh. Veggie stock and court-bouillion are made with
Vegeta and water in a microwave. Viennese veal
cutlets (Be'csi szeletek) are breaded in Panko, for Gawd's
sake! The list is endless.

You can see this by comparing Hungarian cookery
as per Elek Magyar compared to that of Gundel,
Geo. Lang or Ilona Horvath.

Hell-fire, rant mode off....

I use I Talismano, Hazan's three books and Bugialli
for reference, then tweak to get the right and bright
flavors. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

HTH

Alex

BTW: Hazan hated the Olive Garden dishes... claimed
they were nowhere near accurate, though OG claims to
have their test kitchens and cooking school in Italy.