Cucina Rustica

The book itself was as represented.

Like another reviewer, I spent a few weeks this past summer in Italy. In a small town near Rome I had one of the most memorable meals of my life. In Naples I had a plate of spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and basil so good if I'd dropped dead right then and there, I would have died a contented man. When I got home, I wanted to recreate the food I had in Italy. This book, and all the others La Place has written, showed me how. I have other Italian cookbooks and I love them all. What distinguishes LaPlace's books is that she makes cooking a simple, quick undertaking so you don't feel like every meal's the final exam at Cordon Bleu. Along with speed and simplicity, she captures the improvisational, unpretentious essence of the best Italian cooking. Flavors are allowed to speak for themselves, they get amplified, not sauced over or cooked out of existence. The results of her recipes are dishes so fresh, easy, and authentic if I sit back afterwards over a cup of authentic Italian coffee (made according to La Place's directions in the excellent La Bella Cucina), I can almost hear Vesuvius rumble, almost hear the waves in the Bay of Naples. No one who buys any of La Place's books will regret it.

Having just spent a month in Italy, Cucina Rustica takes me back every time I use it. The recipes are simple to make and delicious. Especially wonderful is the Ribollita, zuppa di ceci and all the fagioli. The Spaghetti al Pomodoro Arrostito is the easiest to make and best tasting sauce ever. It's the only one my teenage son will eat (and he "hates" tomatoes)! Be sure to use fresh ingredients and shop at an Italian grocery store if possible.