When she was 17, Nigella Lawson decided she wanted to be Italian. She applied to study Italian at Oxford, and spent her gap year working as a chambermaid in a family-run pensione in Florence, earning meager wages but learning a wealth of hands-on knowledge in Italian cooking from “Nonna—the paternal grandmother, straight from Central Casting”—in the kitchen. Today, Nigella brings as much of Italy as she can into her own kitchen, and now, she celebrates the pleasures of Italian food with you in her first Italian cookbook Nigellissima: Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes (Clarkson Potter; $35.00; on sale February 12, 2013).
A sentimental journey for the internationally bestselling author and food celebrity, Nigellissima is filled with 120 mouthwatering, simple, fast recipes, combining the richness of Italian culinary tradition with Nigella’s own distinctive twists: insights learned from Nonna and experience for a light touch and full taste.
To Nigella, no ingredient belongs in a recipe—or in the pantry for that matter—unless it really earns its place, and in Nigellissima she shows readers how a weeknight dish can be a heartfelt interpretation of traditional Italian fare without involving a lot of steps or ingredients.
Going beyond Bolognese, Nigellissima inspires us to dress our tables with the savory flavors of Italy in chapters that include: Pasta (Sicilian Pasta with Tomato, Garlic, and Almonds; Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Marsala, and Mascarpone); Flesh, Fish & Fowl (Pork Loin with Parma Ham and Oregano; Shortcut Sausage Meatballs; Italian Tempura Prawns), Vegetables & Sides (Green Beans with Pistachio Pesto; Roast Butternut Squash with Sage and Pine Nuts), Sweet Things (One-Step No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream, Iced Berries with Limencello White Chocolate Sauce), and Italian-Inspired Christmas, perfect for the entire holiday season (Turkey Breast Stuffed with Italian Sausage & Marsala-Steeped Cranberries, Pappardelle with Chestnuts & Pancetta). Rounding out Nigella’s Italian quick-cook tour are festive ideas for party foods, like Parmesan Shortbreads and Polenta Triangles with Chili Tomato Sauce.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nigella Lawsom, food enthusiast, television personality, and journalist, is the author of eight bestselling books including Nigella Kitchen, Nigella Fresh, Nigella Christmas, Nigella Bites, Feast, How to Be a Domestic Goddess and How to Eat, which have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Her books and groundbreaking iPhone app and television shows on Food Network, E! Entertainment Television, and Style have made her a household name globally. She hosts an innovative new culinary competition series, “The Taste,” with Anthony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebvre, and Brian Malarkey that premieres in early 2013 on The ABC Television Network. She lives in London with her family.
With essential notes on everything you will need to make your daily Italian-inspired cooking life easier, and fully illustrated with beautiful color photographs, Nigella Lawson reveals in Nigellissima, with gusto, how we can all bring Italy into our kitchens.