Pasta masters make it so easy
Dip into Ann and Franco Taruschio's 100 Great Pasta Dishes at random and, no matter which page you pick, you'll find at least one tip, anecdote, idea or recipe to justify buying the book.
For example, sizzle the tomatoes in oil to extract the sugars when making passata; the earliest reference to spaghetti dates from 1824; small violet artichokes have no choke; "the soul of pesto may be basil but its heart is garlic"; fried breadcrumbs are known as "poor man's cheese" in Palermo; add a touch of chilli to a minestre of pasta and fagioli.
Whereas the typical punter cookery book is worthy but boring and the average professional chef book is trying oh-so-hard to prove what a genius the author is, this is just page after page of yummy food.
The frontispiece shows the Taruschios side by side, thumbing through an Italian cookery book. It's an unusual picture - here's a couple who admit to borrowing, sometimes from the printed word, often from restaurants they've enjoyed on their travels to every region of Italy, and yet every recipe has a distinctive personal stamp.
Their instructions are economical, accurate and helpful, and there are chapters on each of the more popular pastas: lasagne, spaghetti, cannelloni and ravioli, tagliatelle and penne.
They don't go in for funny shapes or cutting-edge combinations. The "timballi" and "pasticci" (pasta pies and cakes) are more complicated but not beyond any professional's competence. A section on Cold Pasta ("Jews evolved cold pasta dishes to eat on Shabbat, when they were not allowed to cook") puts to shame the ugly pasta-mayo salads served on too many restaurant buffets.
100 Great Pasta Dishes is a good-looking book, not least because of the work by home economist Janie Suthering. Usually, it's the photographers who steal the credit, but she prepares food for the camera in such a way that readers trust the recipes and want to head straight for the kitchen.
Michael Raffael, food writer
100 Great Pasta Dishes by Ann and Franco Taruschio
Kyle Cathie, £14.99
ISBN 1-85626-463-7
Special offer
You can order the Taruschios' book at the special price of £12.99 (including package and postage). Just ring 01903 828503 and quote reference C/GPD, or e-mail: mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk
