The Classic Italian Cook Book The Art of Italian Cooking and the Italian Art of Eating by Marcella Hazan

Hardcover / 1973 edition

Marcella Hazan (April 15, 1924 – September 29, 2013) was an Italian cookery writer who wrote in English. Her cookbooks are credited with introducing the public in the United States and Britain to the techniques of traditional Italian cooking. She was widely considered by chefs and fellow food writers to be one of the foremost authorities on Italian cuisine. Among the techniques Hazan suggests are: Choose vegetables that are in season and plan the entire meal around them. Soak vegetables in cold water for half an hour before cooking to remove all trace of grit. Cook them until they are tender, but not mushy, so that they have a rich flavour. When sauteéing onions, put them in a cold pan with oil and heat them gently; this will make them release their flavour gradually and give them a mellower taste than starting them in a hot pan. Although some types of pasta, like tagliatelle, are best made freshly at home, others, like spaghetti, should be bought dried. Pasta should be matched carefully to sauce. Olive oil isn't always the best choice for frying; in delicately flavoured dishes, a combination of butter and vegetable oil should be used. Garlic presses should be avoided at all costs.