Nora S. (biblegirl06) reviewed on 9/29/2014 + 92 more book reviews

I was pleasantly surprised when I received the review copy of this book. First of all I didn't realized this was the couple that has a cooking show on T.V. called Extra Virgin. Second, I loved all the color pictures and the recipes. They reminded me of food I had growing up in an Italian family. I was thrilled to learn of these lighter ways of cooking these wonderful meals.

I enjoyed hearing Gabriele and Debi's story about growing up and their relationship with food. Debi says, ââ¦New Yorkers talk about where your street could be a meeting place not just for people, but for aromas from seemingly all corners of the earth. There would be friend chicken from one window, spicy island dishes from another, and down the block something garlicky and peppery wafting out of an Italian's houses. And all that might be in the air while I was thinking about the dinner I was about to have in China Townâ¦.

When Debi turned 8 years old they moved to upstate N.Yâ¦.âWe had neighbors in Woodstock who were form Northern Italy and it was at their house that I had my first taste of freshly made pasta, which was always hanging over drying racksâ¦I always adored Italian cuisine and it's well-honed use of ingredientsâ¦but meeting and falling for Gabriele, I discovered how much great food also comes from a desire to feed the ones you love.â

Gabriele says, âThe recipes collected here represent my deep, abiding love for how Tuscan's approach cooking. It's a region devoted to honoring fresh, natural ingredients using them sparingly but wisely, cooking them with respect they deserve and letting their flavor shineâ¦Tuscan food is a language all to itself, and teaching that language as I was taught it by my family is what I hope to do with this book.â
I like when Gabriele says, âI don't believe good food needs to be expensive, or time-consuming. It doesn't even always have to be one hundred percent handmade, especially when more and more grocery stores offer plenty of quality ingredients and prepared items.â

They introduce themselves then they talk about the Tuscan Kitchen Essentials. Things that you should include in your pantry and refrigerator. Then they talk about cooking tools/appliances/vessels. In this section Debi says, âWe are big believers in spending money on great ingredients over expensive gadgetsâ¦â

The Chapters of this book are as follows Appetizers, Pasta and sauces, Risotto, Soups, Meat, Fish, Vegetables, Pizza, Panini, Desserts, Drinks.

There are beautiful color pictures throughout the book. There are pictures of food and some of Gabrielle and Debi cooking and times with their family. It's a fun combination. This book is not for beginners. You don't have to be a Chef to use and enjoy this book but they expect this to not be your first rodeo. Grin!

They each have something to say before each section for example: Pasta and Sauces. Debi says, âGabriele and I believe that pasta brings a family together at meal time like no other food. We get so much enjoyment out of the looks on our daughters faces when we dig into their favorite pastas that sometimes it feels like that bow of shells, and pesto, or penne and red sauce, is as Italian a way of saying, âI love youâ as blurting out âTi Amo!â Gabriele says, âPasta is at the heart of so many of our fondest memories.â

I liked the variety of dishes in this book. Some meals are for those days you have more time to prepare dinner than others. The dishes I made were Baked Pasta in Eggplant (I love eggplant and the picture of this in the book) Shrimp & Zucchini Risotto, Eggplant Parmesan, Sausage and beans (my family loves sausage) and Carnival Rice Fritters.

I loved getting to know the personalities behind the show Extra Virgin and I LOVED these dishes. I can't wait to make more of them. They reminded me of the Italian dishes I ate growing up. I liked that they were made with fresh ingredients and healthier. This is a beautiful hard back book with yummy recipes inside and fun chefs to hang out with. This book is a keeper or can be given as a gift. It's a win-win for everyone.

I received a free copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to give a positive review, and if you read my blog, you know I'm a tell-it-like it is kind of girl. I mean what I say and say what I mean, that holds true for my review.

Nora St.Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network Blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com

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