Cover Image: Italian Cooking for Beginners

Italian Cooking for Beginners

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Do you like Italian food? This is a cookbook that shows you the joy of cooking Italian food. There is an art to making the food look delicious and edible! I love Italian food so I was delighted to find this cookbook. At first I was hesitant to try making the recipes but I did. I loved what recipes I made. I must admit to choosing ones that at first were just a couple of appetizers, then a few main course and a dessert. It was fun for me to try and make Italian food. The recipes have illustrations of what the dish looks like. I forgot to mention that snacks recipes are included. They were good! I also made tiramisu — there were no leftovers! It’s great how the author made this a truly beginner’s cookbook. I am definitely buying it to join my very limited cookbook shelf. I can’t recommend how great this cookbook is!

Was this review helpful?

Every page was more delicious than the last! I enjoyed the format and the easy explanation of tools and other needed supplies. I can't wait to begin cooking, particularly the Spaghetti Carbonara.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A great cookbook with classic recipes. I would love to see the titles of the recipes in Italian, but appreciate the English translation. For the most part, the recipes are made with easy to find ingredients. If it calls for something special, alternatives are offered in case you don’t have a specialty store near by. Loved the food photography and little stories woven throughout. Didn’t care for the clipart.

Was this review helpful?

I love a good cookbook! Anna Prandoni did a good job of making the recipes easy to grasp ,taking pictures of the recipes and making us appreciate Italian food . I recommend this book to beginner cooks ,Italian food novice and just cookbook enthusiastic

I received a complimentary copy and opinions expressed are entirely my own

Was this review helpful?

A beautiful cookbook with gorgeous pictures of Italy as well as the foods the recipes make.

Table of contents includes: Starters, First Course, Vegetables, Second Course, Desserts, and Snacks. For each, she tells an interesting story about how the courses work in Italy. In addition, before each recipe, she explains the Italian tradition behind the recipe. At the end of the book, she includes menu ideas and blank recipe cards for you to write your own Italian recipes down for future generations. A clever idea and meaningful.

I made the Vermicelli with Tomato Sauce and it was a simple dish with subtle flavors. The instructions were easy to follow, and it took very little time to make the dish.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

Was this review helpful?

When I’m not reading, (or working) the next place you’ll find me is the kitchen! For me, there’s nothing better than creating something that fills home with incredible smells and delicious tastes. Very calming as well!

One of my favorite culinary curiosities is Italian! So when I saw this I knew I had to get my hands on it.

It’s presented as Italian for beginners, but I may have actually underestimated my abilities. I found many of the recipes just a bit too simple for me. I had hoped for a bit more challenging, complex dishes. But hey…they did say beginners.

The photos were the headliner for me. Plentiful and mouth-watering. (Okay, drool-worthy!)

The instructions for each recipe were detailed and extremely easy to follow. Each labeled for difficulty as easy or medium so you can pick and choose according to your comfort level.

Listed from appetizers to main courses through to dessert. The author also includes menu ideas and an area at the back of the book where you can add your own Italian recipes. I thought that was an ingenious idea.

Looking forward to testing a few of these recipes for dishes that I’ve yet to conquer. First up, will the cheese focaccia bread. Quickly followed by potato gnocchi. These are two dishes I love but have never attempted to make myself… until now. Wish me luck!🤞

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry

Was this review helpful?

I grew up in an Italian American family so I’m not a beginner but I thought this looked like an interesting book. Ehh I’m not sure I would recommend this for beginners. Most recipes have a medium difficulty level so I worry for beginners they may be off put.

That being said this is a very good book.

Was this review helpful?

I am a massive fan of Italian food, but I tend to keep cooking the same dishes over and over. So when Italian Cooking for Beginners came up for review, I snapped up the chance to expand my cooking. There's a variety of new dishes to try within these pages, as well as mouth watering photography to tempt you. What I particularly enjoyed was the paragraph at the beginning of each recipe explaining the nature of the recipe and why it represents a certain region of Italy - for example, Genovese basil smelling like the sea.

The instructions for the recipes are clear though sometimes overly specific - why can the saffron risotto only be stirred clockwise? Also I wasn't overly comfortable with the recipes that feature Veal, given the cruelty associated with it, Veal is used often within the book..

The dessert section is amazing. I was tempted by each and every recipe. It's helpful to have the menu planner at the end of the book with ideas for lots of different types occasion.. There's space for you to record your own Italian recipes too.

Thanks to Anna Prandoni, Quarry publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I am quite picky about my cookbooks and I like to have a picture for every recipe because I don't just choose what to cook by recipe, I usually choose based on pictures. This one had pictures for every recipe and I loved it. I will definitely be making some of these wonderful dishes because they sound like they taste amazing! I love that there's also pages in the back to add some of your own recipes.

Was this review helpful?

A priceless collection of simple Italian recipes perfect for beginners. With all the information included, you should be well set up to enter this fascinating cooking style and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Nice little cookbook for Italian cooking beginners. Pizza, and other various dishes with an easy to follow recipe. Great pictures and an ideal gift for people learning to cook.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and I voluntarily left this review.

Was this review helpful?

Italian Cooking for Beginners is full of clear, easy to follow classic Italian recipes that are not just for beginners.

I was given a copy of Italian Cooking for Beginners by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

This is a wonderful first book of Italian cooking, there are tasty recipes and stories to accompany them!
The authors' mother disliked cooking, but her daughter loved to cook, had grandmothers who cooked and she now has two ovens !
The recipes are divided into first and second courses, snacks, starters and desserts. There are degrees of difficulty in preparing the recipes, so read the directions carefully and have fun trying something new !
There is a recipe for cheese focaccia that uses fresh cheese, flour,
olive oil and sea salt that are made into a two sheets, filled with cheese and served for breakfast that looks delicious!
There is a simple pizza recipe that uses homemade pizza dough, fresh mozzarella balls and anchovies.
There are recipes that use veal, chicken, fish and beef, so you have a variety of meals to choose from. You can make your own gnocchi and pesto and there is a risotto recipe that is easy to follow and it uses a pinch of saffron for taste.
For dessert, there is a recipe for tiramisu that uses ladyfingers, coffee, rictta cheese, eggs, cookies and cocoa that looks scrumptious!

Was this review helpful?

Excellent book for beginners and a refresh for intermediate cooks. Colour photos simple language, nothing too complicated, lovely typically Italian recipes. Thank you #NetGalley for the book to review.

Was this review helpful?

I was disappointed in this book. There are fewer than 35 recipes total. Some of the chapters only had 3 or 4 recipes. I expected the book to have more, and it felt like it was really lacking. The author says the book contains her family recipes and stories, but the intro to the book and the intros to each section are just about a page each, so there is not additional info filling the book up.
Recipes were divided into chapters on Starters, First Course, Vegetables, Second Course, Desserts, and Snacks. Each recipe had a full color photo, but unfortunately some of them were of ingredients rather than completed dishes.
The book ends with multiple pages of empty lines to add in your own recipes. I would rather there have been more already included.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is a nice book to master some Italian simple dishes, and as an Italian, I can guarantee it. It's not a cookbook with a lot of recipes, but it has enough to satisfy everyone's taste. I already tried a couple ones, and they turned out pretty good.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely love Italian food, so when I saw the title of this book, I knew I needed to read it! Each recipe has clear, concise step by step instructions with accompanying photographs to guide you through. They don’t need too many ingredients, are easily achievable in your own kitchen, and there’s a wide variety to suit all tastes. This recipe book is simple, and delicious - what more could you want?

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry and Netgalley for an eARC of this book to read and review

Was this review helpful?

I know from having Italian guests in my home (my brother in law is Italian & I ran an Airbnb in Spain that attracted many more Italians than other nationalities. Food was always a hot topic when we ate together & shared recipes. Favorite regional dishes were always fiercely debated both with technique and ingredients.

The recipies in this book, reflect the regions of Lombardy in the north of Italy and that the authors husband's family from Sicily.

Don’t like:
For a beginners, I found the recipes had overly long preparation times
Ingredients difficult to source outside of Italy ie crescenza (however she did suggest substitutes)
The market for vegans & other diets has changed the landscape of recipe books since 2016, this book does not reflect any
Expensive

Like:
The beautiful photography.
Nicely presented recipes with photos of the finished piece
She keeps the narrative short between recipes
The author’s personal stories about food are engaging
The order of eating is very important to Italians & her recipe order shows this formality.
It would make a good coffee table book
Use of fresh ingredients

My thanks to NetGalley, Anna Prandoni the authror, and the publisher Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry, New Shoe Press, for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of Italian Cooking for Beginners. It was previously published in 2016 titled Let’s Cook Italian.

Was this review helpful?

Easy Italian recipes, step by step directions, and beautiful photos. This book is a must for any beginner home cook.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a quick read that it said I was 10% through as I passed the table of contents. The pictures are great and there is one for every recipe, which I personally love. The book is broken down in sections, having to do with starters, course,vegetables and desserts. Also, along with the name of each recipe and the amount of time it takes, the author put what difficulty the recipe is...easy, medium or high. Honestly, there were quite a few that I personally would not feel are for beginners. There were quite a few recipes that I saved but there were also quite a few that involved foods I don't even eat or wouldn't want to try. I read it in digital format but if you buy the paper version, there is an area at the back where you can plan menus and write your own recipes. All in all, a good cookbook though :)

Was this review helpful?