These encyclopedias provide recipes of Italian cuisine as well as brief descriptions of the ingredients commonly used. They also include brief explanations of the many different regions in Italy and the kinds of dishes indigenous to them. If more information is desired about the different regions of Italy, a geographical source should be consulted.
Capalbo, C.,
Whiteman, K., Wright, J., & Boggiano A. (1997). The Italian Cooking
Encyclopedia. New York: Hermes House.
CAM 641.5945
This encyclopedia contains a short introduction that touches on the importance of food in Italian culture and the diversity of the food found in different regions. It has a large section devoted to Italian ingredients from meats to breads and including all the staples in between. These entries are heavily illustrated with color photographs and include definitions, histories, how to buy and store, and how to prepare the ingredients. The second half is devoted to recipes and directions to prepare authentic Italian dishes. The work also contains a large index.
Wright, J. (Ed.).
(1986). The Encyclopedia of Italian cooking. New York: Crescent Books.
CAM 641.5945
This one volume
encyclopedia contains an introduction that includes a brief history of food
in Italy, as well as several pages describing the various regions and the
type of cuisine that can be found there. There is also a glossary of special
ingredients and a section each for the cured meats and sausages, cheeses,
and wines of Italy. The rest of the encyclopedia is comprised of recipes that
are simply written. The recipes are all labeled with the region where they
originated. The encyclopedia is beautifully illustrated with color photographs
on each page and it contains a comprehensive index.
Fyto, J. (1993).
The Diners dictionary: food and drink from A to Z. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
DAVIS REF TX349.A86 1993.
This dictionary is arranged alphabetically and contains a wide range of international food terms and dishes. As well as defining the dishes the entries state where and how the words have come from and if applicable how the meanings have changed.
Sinclair, C.
(1998). International Dictionary of food and cooking. Chicago: Fitzroy
Dearborn Publishers.
DAVIS REF TX349.S55 1998
This dictionary contains 24,000 entries. The breadth includes classical dishes,
ingredients, cooking processes, cooking implements and equipment. It also
includes scientific, botanical, medical, technological, hygienic, and nutritional
terms. It covers a wide range moving from simple cooking terms like pare,
which means to thinly peel thinly, to defining the Italian dish acciugne contadina,
an anchovy salad wit h onions, capers and olives.
Cecconi, A. (2000).
Betty Crocker's Italian cookbook. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide.
CAM 641.5945
This cookbook begins with a brief description of the regions of Italy and the types of food that can be found in them. It also contains a short glossary of ingredients commonly found in Italian cuisine. The main body of the work is split into chapters according the different categories of dishes, such as before the meal, vegetables, main courses and desserts. The type is big and easy to read, and the instructions in the recipes are clear and simply put. The recipes include preparation times and cooking times, and there are helpful hints and tidbits of relevant information at the bottom of the pages. The book is illustrated on nearly every page with colored photographs of the dishes. The last section of the book contains menus, a glossary of cooking terms, a metric conversion guide, and nutrition information. There is also an index.
Hazan, M. (1997).
Marcella Cucina. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc.
CAM 641.5945
This cookbook begins with the introduction from the author, an Italian woman who moved to America when she was in her 30's. It encapsulates her philosophy toward Italian food, the importance of fresh produce and her thoughts on how to choose and what types of Italian ingredients should be purchased. The rest of the cookbook is split into sections according to type of meal, appetizers, meat, and the like. The recipes are all prefaced with a personal story or a cooking tip. These recipes are slightly more complex with more ingredients and longer instructions. The collection has amazing breadth and covers dishes from the everyday to the exotic. It is heavily illustrated with color photographs and includes an index.
Loomis, S. H.
(2000).Italian farmhouse cookbook. New York: Workman Publishing.
CAM 641.5945
This cookbook contains over 250 recipes. As is typical of cookbooks the recipes are arranged by courses. Before each recipe the author tells a story of where she got the recipe and often a little history about the dish or the ingredients involved. The recipes are comprised of simple ingredients, with instructions in plain language. There is often a wine suggestion included. The book includes an introduction that explains the author's travels to Italian farmhouses to collect the authentic recipes that follow.
Root, W.(1968).
The cooking of Italy. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books.
CAM 641.5945
This recipe collection
begins with an excellent lengthy introduction. The introduction covers the
author's personal philosophy and experiences with the food in Italy. It also
includes a history of Italian food beginning in 1533 and ending in the 18th
century. Following this history are recipes of this era. The second chapter
focuses on Modern Italian cuisine, the basics of modern Italian cooking, with
recipes to follow. The strength of this collection is the rest of the book,
which is divided up into regions with a lengthy description of the types of
food one might find there and recipes instructing how to make these. This
cookbook is illustrated with color photographs and includes a recipe index,
general index, and a glossary.
Jenkins, N.H.
(1997, September 17). From Italy the truth about pasta. The New York Times,
p. F1.
ACADEMIC UNIVERSE
This article focuses on the differences between the way Americans eat and prepare pasta and the way pasta is prepared in Italy. The article contains directions for properly cooking dried pasta and a list of good pasta brands available in the United States. Four recipes for pasta with various sauces follow the article.
Olney, J. (1993,
September). Eating well Italian style. Prevention, 45, 82-95.
Academic Search FullTEXT Elite
This article focuses on the health benefits gained from a Mediterranean diet. The article describes the basics of typical Italian meals, and why these principles may benefit overall health. Several recipes follow the article with nutritional information included.
Staller, J. (
1997, June). As American as pizza pie. Smithsonian, 28, 138-147.
Academic Search FullTEXT Elite
This article
focuses on the beloved pizza. Pizza is examined as an American phenomenon,
which has spread worldwide. The history of pizza is given starting with ancient
Middle Eastern flatbreads, continuing up to the birth of modern pizza in Naples,
and ending with the introduction of pizza in America after World War II. The
article also analyzes pizza in current times from New York pizza to Dominos.
Camporesi, P. (1993). The Magic Harvest: food folklore and society
(J. Hall, Trans.). Cambridge: Polity Press.
DAVIS GT2853. I 8 C3613 1993
This history focuses on the folklore of food in Italy as well as the evolution of Italian cuisine. It begins in the pre-industrial period and ends with the dietary customs of modern day Italy.
Cipriani, A.
(1996). Harry's bar: The life and times of the legendary Venice landmark.
New York: Arcade Publishing.
DAVIS TX945.5.H37
This is both a history and a biography of the famous bar and restaurant in Venice, and of the family who owned it. The book is full of the owner's philosophies of food, drink and service, and gives a peek into the daily life of owning and running a restaurant in Italy. It chronicles the life of the first owner Giuseppe Cipriani, and then the life of his son who took over the business and opened a second bar in New York.
Merchant, Ismail.
(2001). Ismail Merchant's Florence: filming and feasting in Tuscany.
New York: Henry N. Abrams, Inc.
DAVIS PN19997.R575653 M47 2001
This is an autobiography by Ismail Merchant and chronicles the time he spent in Florence making the movie A Room With A View. This book is notable for its beautiful and abundant photography of the landscape and foods of Florence. The stories of making the film are interspersed with tales of the feasts they were served and the food they consumed. Several pages of simple recipes follow at the end.
Rinaldi, M. &Vicini,
M. Buon appetito, your holiness: the secrets of the papal table. New
York: Arcade Publishing
DAVIS TX723.R5274
This history chronicles the evolution of food in Rome by describing the dishes
of popularity at the time each pope. The book starts with St. Peter, and ends
with Pope John Paul II. For each notable figure it gives a description, often
ending with an anecdote tying the figure in some way to food. Recipes follow
each of foods that would have been prepare and eaten in that place and time.
Academic Search
FullTEXT Elite. Ipswich, MA: EBSCO Publishing. Electronic Access.
http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/
- select Academic FullTEXT Elite
This database contains information from a wide range of academic areas. Some of these areas include business, social sciences, multicultural topics, and general academic topics. It contains full text articles from over 1,000 journals and abstracts and indexing for over 2,3000 scholarly journals as well as coverage of many important newspapers. This is an excellent source to find articles on the cooking of Italy, and on Italy in general.
Academic Universe. Dayton OH: Lexis/Nexis and the Congressional Information
Service. Electronic Access.
http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/
- select Academic Universe
This database
covers general, regional, and international news, as well as company news,
legal information, and biographical information. Many of the articles are
full text. This is a useful source to find Italian restaurant reviews and
cookbook reviews as well as other articles about the cuisine of Italy.
Cole, J.P. (1964).
Italy: An Introductory geography. New York: Frederick A. Praeger.
HILL DG417 C 6
This geography contains several points of interest that directly affect the cuisine of Italy such as sections on the agriculture and fishing of Italy, as well as a section on food and drink. There is also a section on each of the regions of Italy, explaining geographical features as well as key industries and agriculture of each region.
Hammond Atlas
of the World (2nd ed.). (1999). Maplewood, NJ: Hammond.
HILL REF GEOGRAPHY g1021.H2665 1999
This atlas contains brightly colored maps of different parts of Italy that may be examined to discover where the different regions are located geographically.
Steve, Rick.
(2001). Rick Steve's Italy 2001. Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel Publishing.
CAM 914.5 RICK
This guidebook
splits Italy into regions and provides in depth tourist information for each
such as how to get around, what sights to see, and where to stay. In each
section there are also suggestions of where to eat. The introduction to the
guide includes maps, information about exchange rates, and a brief synopsis
about the cuisine and restaurants of Italy.
Global Gourmet.
(2001). The electronic Gourmet Guide Inc.
http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/italy/
This site contains a bit of history and information about the geography of Italy. It contains several links that are useful if one is planning to visit Italy, such as how to order Italian coffee, and where and when to eat. The most useful aspect of this site is a long list of links to Italian cookbooks, and a list of links to Italian recipes. The homepage also contains contact information, contributors to the website, and awards the website has won.
In Italy.com.
(1993-2001). Words in Pictures, Inc.
http://www.initaly.com/regions/regions.htm
The most useful part of this site is a map and a list of the various regions
of Italy. Once clicked upon there is an article for each one with a little
history, some accommodation suggestions, festivals that take place there,
and food specialties of the particular region.
Italy1.com.
(15 July 1997). Italy1.
http://italy1.com/cuisine/english
This site has several excellent interactive features. There is an online chat forum, as well as a cooking board, on which people can post questions and comments as well as respond to others. There is a recipes sampler with recipes for Italian appetizers, meats, pasta, vegetables, and desserts. This site also contains a search mechanism.
Sally's Place.com.
(2001) Sally's Place.
http://www.sallys-place.com/food/ethnic_cuisine/italy.htm
On this site's
homepage Sally's credentials are listed as well as the contributors to the
site, which can be clicked upon to display their credentials. The Italy page
has an article with background information on Italy. There is some geography,
history and a discussion of the different regions. Part of the article focuses
on the food and how it differs regionally, how to choose Italian ingredients,
and eating customs. It also contains some information about festivals in Italy,
cooking vacations offered in Italy and some suggestions for accommodation.
The site offers a list of recipes and some information on Italian neighborhoods
in the United States.
