Italian Farmer's Table: Authentic Recipes and Local Lore from Northern Italy

by Matthew Scialabba, Melissa Pellegrino

Overview

The Italian Farmer’s Table is a sumptuously illustrated cookbook featuring authentic recipes from over thirty agriturismi (working family farms that provide room & board to travelers) in northern Italy, where the cuisine served epitomizes the farm-fresh movement underway in the United States, the UK, and beyond. Visitors to agriturismi, who come from all over Europe and North America, indulge in such delights as fresh ricotta cheese made the same morning, prosciutto from free-range pigs, and organic vegetables picked minutes before serving.

 

Professional chefs who are fluent in Italian, Matteo and Melissa have transcribed more than 150 authentic northern Italian recipes from these family farms—few of which are found in cookbooks available outside of Italy. Full-color photographs and anecdotes about the farms and their residents bring Italy’s glorious countryside to life and complement such recipes as Onion Tarts, Fried Butternut Squash Ravioli, Piemontese Beef Stew, and Goat Cheese Gnocchi with Walnut Butter. All recipe ingredients are given in both U.S. and metric measurements.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762785537
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/10/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Matthew Scialabba and Melissa Pellegrino, a husband-and-wife cooking and writing team, met while living in Italy. Their shared passion for Italian food and culture led them on many culinary journeys, including apprenticeships at a Roman bakery, studying winemaking at a Ligurian vineyard, graduating from professional culinary schools in Manhattan and Florence, and working and cooking together at several Italian agriturismi.

Read an Excerpt

Zabaglione Fredda

Zabaglione is a warm egg custard laced with marsala wine and often served over fresh berries. Lighten up this classic with fresh whipped cream and serve it chilled, so it resembles an airy mousse. Serves six.

Ingredients:

- 6 large egg yolks

- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

- 2 tablespoons (1 fl. oz. / 30 ml) dry marsala wine

- 2 tablespoons (1 fl. oz. / 30 ml) white wine

- 1 cup (8 fl. oz. / 240 ml) heavy whipping cream

- Mixed berries or amaretti cookies

Procedure:

1. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and thickened. Add the white wine and Marsala and continue to whisk until well incorporated.

2. Heat water to a gentle simmer over low heat in the pan of a double boiler. Place bowl with egg yolk mixture over the water bath and whisk constantly until the mixture has doubled in volume and has thickened to light foamy custard. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Whip the cream either by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold into the zabaglione. Spoon the custard into individual glass bowls and chill until ready to serve.

Serve with either fresh mixed berries or amaretti cookies.