Cooking with Italian Grandmothers: Recipes and Stories from Tuscany to Sicily - Jessica Theroux, Katrina Fried, Alice Waters

I have a confession. I collect cookbooks. That sounds like it's nothing but you need to understand, I have a serious cookbook addiction. As in, every time I order off Amazon, you can rest assured that a cookbook (or two) is heading my way. It's getting to the point where I might need to purchase more shelves. I love reading cookbooks like picturebooks, having a stack of post-its next to me so I can mark what recipes I'd like to try.

 

This particular cookbook helps my research and also satiates my wanderlust just a tad. That's why books are so amazing. How else could you travel the length of Italy in 24 hours?

 

My only complaint is that the story section of the cookbook seems a bit dry. I want to connect with all the grandmothers, their stories, their lives, but Ms. Theroux presents them with a certain journalistic distance that frustrated me.

 

As for the recipes, most of them are labor intensive. I can say from previous experience that making fresh pasta is not my thing and there is A LOT of fresh pasta in these recipes. However, the few recipes I selected, the ones I have yet to try, seem feasible enough. I will report back once I give them a try.