La Cucina
With a collection of cookbooks that numbers in the hundreds, I know a thing or two about cookbooks. La Cucina is a real winner. 2,000 recipes are labeled by region. And, when recipes overlap regions, multiple variations of the most common traditional recipes are available for comparison. La Cucina takes traditional Italian home cooking and raises it to a higher level. Authenticity is clearly the focus here.
Like many, I’m guilty of the crime of embellishing and enhancing recipes. La Cucina is a breath of fresh air in that regard. These recipes aren’t meant to be doctored. These recipes illustrate the elegance of simplicity. They are the recipes my grandmother prepared through rich and lean times. And, written in a style that she would use, they assume a general knowledge of Italian cooking. So, the recipes might appear brief to some. But, make no mistake, this is the real deal. Tradition beats trend hands down… no contest. This might be my favorite cookbook of the year.
Pros: Undoubtedly authentic, incredibly rich and diverse content, & 2000 recipes!
Cons: The encyclopedic size makes organization by chapter difficult. (The index by region is priceless) And, to the glossy picture lovers…. no pictures. But, personally, I’ll take additional content over glossy photos any day.
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