Frankie Dettori's Italian Family Cookbook

from a dynamic Italian best friend duo:-
jockey, Frankie Dettori and top chef, Marco PIerre White!

'Here they share their favourite recipes that they have been cooking at home for years, handed down from generation to generation..........'

From Marco's introduction:-
...'If this book ends up covered in flour and sticky finger prints and with the odd note in the margin, then and only then will you have realised its true value.'

From the back cover:-

'Simple, heart-warming and delicious. Nothing beats Frankie and Marco's good old-fashioned Italian recipes - just as their mammas use to make them.'

224 super high quality shiny pages split over 9 main chapters:-

Antipasta - Starters
Insalate - Salads
Pasta e Riso - Pasta and Rice
Carne - Meat
Pesce - Fish
Pizza e Pane - Pizza and Bread
Contorni - Side Dishes
Dolci - Desserts
Gelati - Ice Creams

sandwiched between an introduction and an index.

Each chapter opens with a list of the recipe titles, in both Italian and English, contained between vivid cover photographs.

Each recipe is well laid out with the bi-lingual titles (where applicable), the list of ingredients on the left hand side along with the number of servings, preparation time and cooking time. On the right is the clearly defined method.
Each recipe winds up with a tip from either Frankie or Marco.

Some of the dishes are accompanied by mouth-watering photography along with a significant number of on-location and family shots.

A taste of the recipes within (English title mainly):-

Lentil soup
Mozzarella and tomato Salad
Baked stuffed mussels
Cold veal with a tuna and caper sauce
Spaghetti Bolognese
Ravioli
Lasagna al forno
Tortellini with spinach leaves
Lobster and scampi risotto
Green salsa
Frankie's burger
Pan fried lamb with roasted aubergine
Rib-eye steak with rosemary, salt crystal and Béarnaise sauce
Confit of crispy duck with olives
Hunter's rabbit
Pot roasted chicken with herbs
Italian meatballs
Roast pork with fennel
Fish soup
Grilled seafood skewers
Salmon fillets in a tomato and garlic sauce
Grilled stuffed squid
Pizzas - various including base recipe
Garlic bread with rosemary
Asparagus with parmesan
Broccoli braised in red wine
Frittata
Zabaione
Tiramisu
Mascarpone crème brûlée
Chocolate mousse
Vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce

And, surprisingly, from 'Chef's Note', page xv:-
Even Marco admits to the odd `cheat' (and advertising plug) as in the use of Knorr chicken stock cubes in his general cooking, at times....plus......a general observation:-
'Too many chefs turn their noses up at certain products, but when you think about it a burger is not a burger without ketchup, an English breakfast is not a breakfast without HP sauce, fish and chips are not the same without malt vinegar, and that great British institution the ham sandwich is not a proper ham sandwich without English mustard.
Let's not forget that good food is all about flavour, so never be afraid to cook with these products. Many acclaimed restaurants have these ingredients and more in their dry good stores and chefs use them freely and without compunction.
Good eating. MPW'

So, I guess, good cooking does all boil down to the ultimate resultant flavours and what you are comfortable with, no matter who you are?

Frankie Dettori's Italian Family Cookbook (12/12 people found this helpful)

I am astonished this book isn't in the top 100 for Christmas because it is a gorgeous book
The recipes are simple and superb, the photography is beautiful
I found recipes my Italian Grandmother made and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic Italian cook book
Marco Peirre White also having an Italian backgorund helps

Mmmmm - and that's just the pictures! (12/12 people found this helpful)

With the proviso that I have yet to actually try any of the recipies, this book is a winner. From page one to the end, the photos alone are scrumptious. And I don't just mean the food either - I've been a Frankie fan for years now and some of the shots of him with his lovely children are a delight. I hope this book is a brilliant success and would urge you all to buy it, especially if you like Italy and Italian food.
PS It's a pity perhaps that a couple of the photo plates of Frankie appear to have been reversed (scar, ring and watch) - pages 59 and 181?

Frankie Dettori, Marco Pierre White, with Alexandra Antonioni

Editorial Review:

Reader Reviews:

100+ recipes (13/13 people found this helpful)

Frankie Dettori's Italian Family Cookbook (12/12 people found this helpful)

Mmmmm - and that's just the pictures! (12/12 people found this helpful)

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