Antonio & Lucia

A pile of this gorgeous book at The Village Bookshop, Matakana last Saturday was like a magnet to The Bookman!
Riccardo Momesso's parents, Antonio and Lucia, moved from Calabria to Australia in the 1950s, bringing with them a rich history of Calabrian cooking traditions – foraging, hunting, fishing, preserving and, most importantly, the tradition of sharing food with family and friends.
At its heart, the food of Calabria is peasant food – simple, rustic and generous. Calabrian cuisine is spicier than that of many other Italian regions, and the focus is on creating lots of different dishes from just a handful of seasonal ingredients. Calabrians are also master preservers, their pantries filled with rows of bottled tomato sauce, eggplants preserved in oil, strings of dried chillies and preserved meats such as the distinctive terracotta-coloured Calabrese salami.
Antonio & Lucia shows you how to makes these smallgoods, preserves and sauces that are at the heart of Calabrian cooking and much more, with other chapters covering stuzzichini (shared plates), soup, pasta, seafood, meat and dessert. Authentic and delicious recipes include Oven-Dried Black Olives, Baked Eggplant Filled with Lamb and Pecorino, Rigatoni with Handmade Sausage and Mascarpone, Murray Cod with Capers and Green Olives, Prickly Pear Salad and Traditional Ricotta Cannoli.
This book is a warm and accessible journey to the heart of the rich cuisine and culture of Calabria. With gorgeous imagery and 90 simple, rustic recipes, home cooks will be able to create their own Calabrian feasts.
I'm starting with the Sambiase pork chops, judging by the photo it will be a feast in itself. And fortunately as the fig season is over the recipe calls for dried figs rather than fresh. Yes!

Author the author

Riccardo's interest in food began as a child, growing up with his Calabrian parents on a farm in Victoria. He began to cook from a very young age, learning about Calabrian techniques and traditions such as foraging, hunting and preserving. Riccardo began working in the food industry at the age of 16, undertaking his apprenticeship at iconic Melbourne restaurants Cafe Cucina, Il Bacaro and Est Est Est. He worked in Italy and France before taking on the position of head chef and partner at Melbourne's Sarti. Since opening in 2009, Sarti has received one hat in The Age Good Food Guide every year.

Published by Pan Macmillan Australia under their Plum imprint. A beautiful hardback book for foodies to read, use, and treasure.