Seasons of Sicily |
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Natalia Ravida
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Pages: 208 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1741104599
Pub: New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd
Pub date: 2007-03-01
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 237441
Reader Reviews:
Delightful Sicilian Recipes (0/0 people found this helpful)
I adore this book. I collect southern-Italian cookery books and this is a real gem - lovely homely recipes and a pretty book (with a wipe-clean cover).
Most of the ingredients are easy to source in the UK, with help from 'Seeds of Italy' I'm growing some of the more unusual vegetables on my balcony (courgette flowers etc), although I'm still searching for a mold for making marzipan sheep (a traditional easter treat) which I can't find in the UK.
The photos and text give an insight to life at the beautiful faded elegance of Villa Ravida (the writer's ancestral home - where the delicious olive oil comes from - spotted in Waitrose and worth the investment). Interesting that the author was a journalist in the UK. The recipes are rustic and rely on a few good quality ingredients - nothing too fussy - all easy and fun to make, delicious, and (mostly) healthy. Favourites - Lamb & Potato Roast, Watermelon Pudding, Sardine Pasta, Courgette Flower Frittata.
My other favourite books on Sicilian food are 'Cucina Sicilliana' (Christina Hyman) and 'Salute, Food Wine and Travel in Southern Italy' (Donovan, Donovan and Castellani) - the latter includes a chapter describing Villa Ravida along with atmospheric photos. For historical background to the evolvement of Sicilian food alongwith ancient recipes 'Sicilian Food, Recipes from Italy's Abundant Isle' (Mary Taylor-Simeti) is also an fascinating read.
What makes the Ravida book stand out is that it feels less 'cheffy' and more about day-to-day food in the region. I've recommended the book to friends who in turn have bought it for others as gifts. My sister has been inspired to the point of booking a Sicilian holiday (charged with the quest for a much-wanted marzipan sheep mold).
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Food & Drink -> National & International Cookery -> Italian
Books -> Subjects -> Food & Drink -> National & International Cookery -> Mediterranean