Do I need this book?

Probably not, but I want it - it's an object of desire

Continuing with the pile of books on my desk I have mentioned this one a couple of times recently. So it's time to deal with it as a book, rather than dealing with any of the individual recipes within.

It's an op shop purchase, and you too may well find it in one somewhere. I don't go to op shops very much but when I do there is usually one in this long series of books. I don't really know why this should be because they are pretty wonderful books, particularly if you want an introduction to a particular country's cuisine.

Maybe it's because you tend to think of them as one of those mass-produced things made for the uneducated - a bit like a supermarket magazine in book form I guess.

After all the authors are almost a subsidiary thing, and unknown. Their names do not appear on the cover, which is somewhat offputting. If you don't know these people, why should you consider the book to be worthy of your attention. In this case the authors are Sophie Baimbridge and Jo Glynn - and the photographer is Chris L. Jones. I'm betting you don't know any of them. I certainly don't. So here they are below:

There are thousands of people working away in such books, and magazines. I have tried to pay more attention to those who do not become household names, particularly in the supermarket magazines I guess. Check out their names in the tiny print, printed vertically almost in the binding at the beginning of each recipe section. Emma Knowles, Jessica Brook and Sarah Hobbs are three recipe developers that spring to mind and that are worthy of mention, and Ben Dearnley and James Moffatt as photographers.

But what of this three. On the left is Sophie Baimbridge, who seems to now be running a successful cooking school and catering business in London. London based and trained by the Roux Brothers, she worked in some of its most trendy and prestigious restaurants. In 2003 she set up Sophie's Cooking Cube from where she now operates in a number of different ways that showcase her skills. And she has written more books than this one.

Jo Glynn - or rather, it seems Joanne Glynn is rather more shadowy - like the photograph which is cropped from a page of one of her books, where there is a brief biography - in the 1970s ran a cheese shop, then a catering business as well as writing articles for magazines such as Gourmet Traveller - which I assume means she is Australian. In 1985 she opened Passello a shop selling fresh pasta and Italian foods, with her husband. It doesn't seem to exist any more, neither does a Sydney restaurant of the same name, which may or may not be connected to her. Maybe she has retired as those dates imply that she must now be about as old as me - maybe a little younger.

Chris L. Jones, on the other hand, whose rather magnificent photography is on show in this book -perhaps its most compelling feature - seems to be a very successful professional photographer although he does less food photography these days, and more travel and portrait. Also originally a Londoner - he emigrated to Australia and is now based here.

I suppose that the two recipe creators and writers for this book are not in the celebrity chef league, as what they seem to do is to simply give their versions of tried and true classical dishes. But then what was Elizabeth David doing? Most of her recipes were not original in the mode of an Ottolenghi. Different times - we all sort of know how to make spaghetti bolognese now don't we? Which doesn't really stop the big Italian names - Guy Grossi for Australia, giving us their versions too. Maybe not every cook wants to be a celebrity chef.

But back to the book itself, whose crowning glories, as I said, are the photography and the inclusion of just about every classic Italian dish. Although some of them are less well-known, and some may not actually be truly Italian. I am a confessed sucker for beautiful photography. Each dish has a photograph in this book - most of them full page, but some smaller at the side of the text. And on every page there is at least one location, or product photo - the very best of travel photography. It is truly stunning - as demonstrated in this collage page opposite the first page of the introduction. The book is littered with such scenes, and so it is a kind of low key travelogue as well as a recipe book.

I first came across this series of books with an op shop gift from my friend Monika - The Food of France, which I loved, and although, truth to tell I do not often cook from it, I do use it a lot as a reference for photographs and some information for this blog. So no I don't need The Food of Italy, as a cookbook, but I do need it, for reference, and also just to enjoy the beauty. Which perhaps means inspiration. There is nothing like a ravishing photograph of some dish, to tempt you to have a go - as long as the recipe is not three pages long.

That said, I have actually made two recipes from this book already, have earmarked a couple more and have talked about two of them - the chicken poached in vinegar and a pasta dish - Pizzocheri - in this blog.

The dessert that I made was this Fresh pear tart, which one reviewer said was 'to die for'. I made it because I had some pears going soft, and it looked so beautiful. It was pretty easy to make - the pastry casing is just a sweet shortcrust, and I had some in the freezer. The base on which the pears sit is mascarpone, sugar and egg, with a touch of vanilla and flour. The nuts are toasted hazelnuts, and you finish made with jam and liqueur. Pretty simple, and pretty impressive, as well as really rather delicious. A no fail treat. Mine looked just as good really because it's actually quite difficult for it not to look good - and my pears were somewhat squidgy and not so symmetrical, because I had to cut out some bruised bits, But it didn't matter.

So some further examples. Two first recipes - Stuffed mushrooms and Chargrilled asparagus - low key classics both of them.

The stuffing for the mushrooms - shallots and garlic fried, chopped mushrooms and wine added and fried some more, then mixed with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, cream and tarragon before baking. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and parsley and serve. The asparagus is hardly a recipe really - tossed in olive oil and char-grilled, before drizzling with balsamic and topped with shaved Parmesan. To die for. Anyone, anyone can do this. You just need a pretty plate to serve it on. So classy looking.

Pizza rustica also caught my eye - it's not pizza but a pie, and I aim to write a post about it some time soon - together with its cousin Torte pasqualina, which is in my Ideas list somewhere.

It's also one of the dishes given its actual Italian name, rather than given the English translation - which may well indicate that this book is not aimed at the cognoscenti, the aficianados and the trendy, but actually the ordinary housewife, who might like to try one of her favourite Italian dishes, that she only knows by an English name, or an Italian one so classic that it's almost commonplace - like lasagne or tiramisu.

There are also no lengthy introductions to the recipes, just a few words occasionally about where it comes from.

So last example for today, which is probably not quite classic - well it's Praline semifreddo, so the semifreddo is classic. I'm not quite sure about the praline, although there's a recipe for chocolate semifreddo on the same page. But it looks glorious and when it gets warmer I'm going to make it.

I thought of donating this to my Italian food loving son, but in the end decided that, no, I would keep it - mostly for its sheer beauty. Without those photographs I suspect this might not be a very enticing book. All praise to the publishers - even though it's putting more money into the Murdoch coffers - for wrapping up, possibly relatively ordinary content - the recipes - in a coffee table book look, which ups it in the quality stakes. Lifts it to another level - above those nameless and cheaply produced books you see in the 'bargain' bins of shops like QBD. Not that I'm knocking QBD - it's children's section is first class for example. But they do have a whole lot of fairly featureless books on tables to suck you in. And if a photograph can be so enticing to tempt you to make the dish then surely this book is worth it for that alone.

Alas none of the recipes are online. The critical world of food bloggers and cookbook reviewers has passed this one by. The ladies who wrote and tested the recipes are unknown. The recipes, however, are brief, and clear and easily followed.

There's probably a whole post to be written on the value of the visual when it comes to cookbooks - although then again maybe not - because I have talked about it many times. And indeed what more can you say? I've just started Julia Baird's book Phosphorescence which I think, at some point may talk about the importance of beauty in life, so maybe something will come out of that.

All I can say is if you see this in an op shop somewhere buy it. It only cost me $4.00. And it's in perfect condition. I shall also buy any more in their series that I see - and the Italian one for my son. I've already got India sitting waiting for its time in the sun.

And yes, the sun has finally come out. Maybe I should go for a walk. No the sun has gone again - now it's raining. Such is the fleeting nature of - well - nature.

YEARS GONE BY

July 17

2024 - Nothing

2023 - Lucky number 7 - I got confused and thought this was my blog birthday that year

2022 - Nothing

2021 - Graters - from sex to high tech

2020 - Deleted

2019 - A postscript on spring greens from Jane Grigson

2018 - Nothing

2017 - Nothing

2016 - Oh to be skinny again