ITALIA - Simple recipes from the Italian Cook School

Every now and again a book comes along that really excites me, and this is one of those. To start with it is about Italian cooking and I love Italian food, secondly it is by Jo Seagar, a woman for whom I have great admiration, and thirdly the book is superbly designed with fabulous photos and enormous attention to detail; all these things combine beautifully here to make the book a huge pleasure to hold, read and cook from. Bravo Jo Seagar, bravo Random House NZ. I am glad to own it and proud to have it on my shelf.

Each year Jo Seagar takes a group to the small beautiful Umbrian village of Eggi where, under the watchful eye and tutelage of Mamma Fenisia Vittori, they recreate an amazing array of Italian dishes. This year Jo decided to bring the look, feel and inspiration of her Italian visits to cooks all over New Zealand by bringing together some of her favourite recipes in Italia: Simple recipes from the Italian Cook School. And after reading this superb book we will all be lining up to join Jo's tour next year.

The book is divided into sections: Italian Pantry, First tastes - antipasto & appertisers; Smaller or first courses and soups; Salads and vegetables; Gnochi, Risotto & Palenta; Pasta; Bread; Meat,Chciken,Game & Fish;Desserts; Baking: Drinks.

The Italian Pantry ection deals with olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, Cheeses, and meats.

Here are a couple of sample pages and illustrations from that section:

Italian Cheeses

Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan)

This is probably the most famous cheese in the world. European Community laws make it illegal to call a cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano unless it is produced to traditional specifications within a designated area. There are about 600 cheese manufacturers supplied by 10,000 dairies that are involved in Parmigiano-Reggiano production. The cheese is usually aged for two years.

Grana Padano

A very similar cheese to Parmigiano-Reggiano but made in a different area. It also has its own special identity and EC regulations. The Grana Padano area is much larger than that for Parmigiano-Reggiano, therefore the volume of cheese production is larger and the cheese less expensive. Mamma uses Grana Padano in cooking and saves the Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating at the table. Grana Padano is aged for between nine and eighteen months.

Pecorino

A hard, salted sheep’s milk cheese made all over Italy. Different regions have their own specific characteristics and pecorino is sold in varying degrees of ripeness, from young to mature, according to local styles. The mature cheese can be quite sweet and nutty and is delicious served with fruit and honey drizzled over as an appetiser or in lieu of dessert.

Asiago

This is a semi-fat cheese made from cow’s milk which has been made since the Middle Ages. There are two varieties. The young cheese — Asiago Pressato — has lots of holes in it and a springy rind. The older cheese — Asiago d’Allevo — is very delicate and tangy.

Fontina

A semi-soft cow’s milk cheese made mainly in Northern Italy. It has quite a nutty taste.

 Italian Meats — salumi
No, not salami. Salumi is the generic name given to cured meats. The making of salumi was a way of preserving meats before refrigeration and also a way of using up every part of the animal, even the blood.

As with many foods, every Italian region boasts typical local cured meats of extraordinary taste. Good salumi carry a DOP number, which indicates a protected designation of origin — like the classification for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Salami

Every region has its own special variety of salami. They are made with chopped meat and hard fat, seasoned and spiced, and forced into casings to hang and cure. Some have chillies, peppercorns and garlic added. They are usually sold finely sliced to order, wrapped in greaseproof paper. Best eaten on the day of slicing.

Prosciutto crudo

The word prosciutto simply means ham. Crudo means raw. These hams are salted and dried rather than cooked. Parma ham and prosciutto are one and the same. Different areas guard the making of their special hams religiously. They are all made in a similar way and air dried but the breed of pig and its diet, together with sunshine hours, air temperature, soil type etc, all influence the finished product.

Pancetta

This is cured belly pork or streaky bacon. It can be smoked, flat or rolled into rounds. Most is sold sliced to order. Pancetta coppata is made from the back of the neck of the pig and is usually less fatty than regular pancetta.

Then there are the recipes! The publishers have kindly allowed me to reproduce  the following recipes 
from the book:
Pear with Pecorino & Honey

Serves 6

3 pears, ripe but firm

1 cup coarsely shaved pecorino

6 thyme sprigs

2 handfuls baby rocket leaves

1 tablespoon honey (we used a lovely floral one, from hives near lavender fields)

 Heat the pizza oven or grill to high heat.

Slice the pears lengthways into 4–5 slices. Lay the slices flat on a pizza paddle or roasting dish.

Sprinkle the shaved pecorino over the pear slices, then pull the leaves off the thyme sprigs and sprinkle over the cheese. Place in the oven or under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese bubbles and browns. Remove from the heat and transfer to serving plates. Add a few rocket leaves and drizzle with the honey. Eat immediately.

Risotto Primavera - Spring Risotto

 Serves 4–6

2 litres well-flavoured chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup podded baby fava (broad) beans — no need to peel if young, small beans

1 cup baby peas (can be frozen)

handful thin asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced

½ cup olive oil

100 g butter

handful thin baby leeks, finely sliced

3 spring onions, finely sliced

400 g risotto rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped mint

½ cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

  salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the beans, peas and asparagus and cook for 2–3 minutes until tender. Drain in a colander, reserving the stock. Hold the vegetables under cold running water to cool and refresh. Return the stock to the heat and bring to a simmer.

In a large, deep sauté pan or saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the sliced leek and spring onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice. Stir to coat each grain in the oily mixture.

Turn the heat up and add the wine. Stir until all the liquid evaporates. Add the hot stock, a ladle at a time, continuing to stir as the rice absorbs the stock. After about 25 minutes, taste and check if the rice is cooked to your liking. You may need to add a little extra stock or hot water.

Add the cooked vegetables, parsley and mint. Remove from heat and cool for a minute before stirring through the grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. 
Serve in warmed bowls with a block of parmesan to grate or shave over. Fichi al Forno (Baked Figs) 

 Serves 6

24 firm but ripe figs

¾ cup caster sugar

¼ cup brandy or rum

grated rind of 1 orange

mascarpone to serve

 Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a large ovenproof dish or roasting tray with non-stick baking spray.

Wash the figs, then cut from the top as if into quarters, but stop halfway down the figs. Place in the prepared dish then sprinkle with the sugar, brandy and orange rind. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot with mascarpone
If you are a foodie don't miss this very special cookbook.
Finally I have to share this with you. When you take the French folded dust jacket off the book and open it out you find on the inside this most amazing poster:

This is a superb book, from beginning to end, publication is 7 October so order your copy now!

Random House NZ - $65.00