Big Flavors from Italian America

January 20, 2020
America’s Test Kitchen diligently digs into red-sauce favorites in this fun and flavorful collection. Suitably for the homey cuisine, many recipes are simple—meatball subs are assembled on store-bought rolls, possibly using jarred tomato sauce, but a helpful sidebar offers tips for selecting the best sauce available. A contextual overview by Cook’s Country editor Tucker Shaw; profiles of figures such as Phil DiGirolamo, who owns a casual fish market and restaurant; and a talk with Basil DeLuca of Philadelphia’s Villa di Roma, who makes 145 meatballs a day, infuse some personality into the somewhat predictable proceedings. Indeed, it’s the regional details that are most intriguing. A chapter on pizza outlines the differences between New York thin-crust, Chicago deep-dish, and unleavened Saint Louis pies. The editors provide clever tips throughout: for pasta alla Norma, zap eggplant in the microwave to dry it before frying, and use slices of tenderloin pounded thin for pork Milanese. The book ends with a section on desserts that includes a recipe for fried zeppole—popular at New York City’s San Gennaro Festival—and rainbow cookies, which are “meant to look like miniature Italian flags” and treated to a chocolate topping. This is an exercise in nostalgia, but a successful one.

March 1, 2020

Nostalgia merges with history and family in this latest from America's Test Kitchen (ATK) to bring out the flavors that one remembers from the past. Recipes begin with a section, "why this recipe works," as a way to introduce the ATK process. Detroit pizza, Philadelphia tomato pie, and St. Louis pizza, among others, round out the pizza section. Many variations of pasta are considered, including spaghetti aglio e olio and spaghetti with fresh clams. The editors also profile relevant businesses. La Campagna from Westlake, OH, offers its signature eggplant pecorino recipe. Specific brands of ingredients, including giardiniera, prosciutto, and cheese are recommended. Dishes that range from appetizers (marinated olives) through desserts (zeppoles) are featured throughout, and full-color photographs emphasize the tasty options. VERDICT Public libraries can expand their collection with this guide by serving both fans of Italian food and America's Test Kitchen. Easy-to-make recipes abound and the nod to regionalism is an intriguing, exciting angle.--Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

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