Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients Into Unforgettable Meals

The Italians call itl'arte dell'arrangiarsi, or the "art of making do with what you've got." This centuries-old approach to ingredients and techniques, known as cucina povera, or peasant cooking, reveals the soul of Italian food at its best.

Publisher Marketing: CONTENTS Introduction The Italian Pantry Vegetables: Cooking from the Garden Roasted Pepper Rolls Stuffed with Tuna and Capers Vegetable Soup Onion Soup from Calabria Rice and Pea Soup Roasted Squash Risotto Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe Foraged Herb Tortelli with Walnut Pesto Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes Potato-and-Mushroom-Stuffed Zucchini Bread-and-Cheese-Stuffed Eggplant Bread-and-Anchovy-Stuffed Green Sweet Peppers Artichoke, Fava Bean, Pea, and Lettuce Stew Summer Vegetable Stew Vegetable Stock Beef, Pork, and Lamb: Offal and Affordable Cuts of Meat Beef Stock and Boiled Beef Veal Tongue with Parsley Sauce Oxtail Stew with Rigatoni Stewed Tripe Milanese-Style Braised Veal Shank with Saffron Risotto Florentine Beef Stew Onion-Stewed Calf's Liver Pork Stew with Savoy Cabbage Pork Stew Braised in White Wine Roasted Pork Liver Skewers Stewed Lamb with Eggs and Cheese Savory Swiss Chard and Parmigiano-Reggiano Pie Poultry and Rabbit: Recipes from the Farmyard Chicken Liver Spread Rabbit Preserved in Olive Oil Chicken Stock Roman Egg Drop Soup Boiled Chicken Salad Chicken Cacciatore Frittata Cooked in Tomato Sauce Flatbread with Tomato Sauce and Poached Eggs Chicken and Pork Lasagne Stuffed Turkey Breast Roulade Roasted Squab Fish and Seafood: Italian Pesce Povero Anchovy and Garlic Dip Sweet-and-Sour Sardines with Onions Potato and Dried Stockfish Puree Pasta with Anchovy, Onion, and Black Pepper Sauce Squid Ink Risotto Mussel, Potato, and Rice Gratin Fish Soup Baked Salt Cod with Potatoes Grilled Mackerel with Salmoriglio Sauce Sea Bream Stewed with Tomatoes Milk and Cheese: Dairy-Based Meals Pecorino and Pear Crostoni Cheese-and-Egg Balls Stewed in Tomato Sauce Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches Cheese and Potato Cake Nettle and Ricotta Gnudi Hand-Pulled Pici Pasta with Cheese and Black Pepper Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Cheese Passatelli with Parmigiano-Reggiano Sauce Fontina and Savoy Cabbage Bread Casserole Ligurian Spinach and Ricotta Pie Beans, Chickpeas, Fava Beans, and Lentils: Plant-Based Proteins Bean and Tuna Salad Tuscan Chickpea Cake Chickpea Flour Fritters in Sesame Seed Buns Fava Bean Puree with Chicory Pasta and Bean Soup Fresh Pasta and Chickpea Soup Umbrian Lentil Stew Chickpea and Chard Stew Bean and Lacinato Kale Soup Kale and Borlotti Polenta Bake Potatoes, Corn, and Chestnuts: Staples from the Mountain Regions Pasta with Potatoes and Provolone Cheese Savoy Cabbage and Barley Soup Baked Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Chestnut and Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Walnut Sauce Sardinia Potato and Cheese Tortelli Beet Tortelli with Poppy Seed Sauce Summer Borlotti Bean and Corn Soup Polenta with Butter and Cheese Potato, Chestnut, and Porcini Soup Chestnut Flour Maltagliati with Porcini Sauce Leftovers: Making the Most of What You've Got Roman Fried Rice Balls Sicilian Fried Rice Balls Sausage and Cheese Bake Tomato Bread Soup Tomato Bread Salad Bitter Greens and Semolina Bread Soup Bread Dumplings Spinach Bread Dumplings with Butter and Sage Sauce Ricotta Pasta Parcels Fried Beef and Mortadella Meatballs Beef Stew with Onions and Tomatoes Spaghetti Frittata Desserts: Making Do for Cakes, Tarts, Puddings, and Cookies Too Apple Olive Oil Cake Bread Pudding Cake Grape Focaccia Chestnut Flour Cake Short-Crust Pastry Tart with Jam Pumpkin Tart Amaretti and Milk Pudding Pastry Cream and Chocolate Trifle Sicilian Almond Milk Pudding Sicilian Watermelon Pudding Elderflower Fritters Polenta Cookies with Dried Elderflowers Nut Biscotti Wine and Olive Oil Cookies Preserves: Saving the Seasons Tuscan Fresh Herb Salt Dried Salt-Cured Black Olives Baby Artichokes Preserved in Olive Oil Mixed Pickled Vegetables Pickled Peppers in Vinegar Garlicky Tomato Sauce Blackberry Jam Quince Paste Quince, Pear, and Fig Compote Almond-Stuffed Dried Figs Spiced Green Walnut Liqueur Lemon Liqueur Bread: Our Daily Loaves Tuscan Bread Semolina Bread Potato Bread Chestnut Flour Bread Olive Oil Focaccia Ring-Shaped Crackers with Fennel Seeds Twice-Baked Ring-Shaped Bread Thin Flatbread from Romagna Biographical Note : Giulia Scarpaleggia is a Tuscan-born and -bred home cook. She is a food writer, podcaster, and cooking school instructor and the author of Cucina Povera (Artisan, 2023), along with five other cookbooks in Italian. Her blog, Juls' Kitchen , was named by Saveur as 2019's best food culture blog. Scarpaleggia lives in Tuscany in her family country house with husband, photographer Tommaso Galli, and daughter, Livia. Find her on Instagram at @julskitchen and via her newsletter at www.lettersfromtuscany.com. Review Quotes : "Italian cooks are known for their ability to turn humble ingredients into delicious food. But in the hands (and kitchen) of Tuscan food writer Giulia Scarpaleggia, the art of la cucina povera shines with new allure. Giulia's deep knowledge of and respect for her native country's culinary traditions come through in every recipe of this beautifully photographed book."-- Domenica Marchetti, author of Preserving Italy Review Quotes : "I rarely open a cookbook and want to make several recipes immediately. But it happened! Here is a creative yet practical book with stunning photos. The produce-forward dishes remind me of Cal-Ital cooking in upscale restaurants, yet the ingredients are humble. It's a cookbook worth adding to your stack."-- Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food Review Quotes : " Cucina Povera invites you into the heart of Italian home cooking with open arms, and reminds you that good food is--and always has been--simple, sustainable, and cheap. Giulia's writing is as beautiful and warm as the dishes she makes; this book is an essential resource for any Italian-food lover, but it'll also make you want to run to the kitchen and cook."-- Meryl Feinstein, founder of Pasta Social Club Brief Description : "Cucina povera, Italian peasant cooking, is the art of making do with what you've got. This centuries-old cooking style transforms humble ingredients and leftovers into hearty, satisfying meals. Cucina Povera will be the definitive cookbook on the subject and feature recipes from all regions of Italy. Readers will learn how modern this traditional way of cooking can be: the economical approach means that many of the dishes are vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free; all of the dishes follow a waste-not approach. The key ingredients-from beans and cheese to polenta and potatoes-are available no matter where you are. Author Giulia Scarpaleggia is a Tuscan home cook, food writer, and cooking instructor. To her, cucina povera is not just a unique approach to cooking and ingredients but also a way of life based on the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the women who came before her. Whether it's a tomato and bread salad or a frittata, the main principle of cucina povera prevails: transform humble ingredients into dishes that are more than the sum of their parts. The book is structured into chapters reflecting the key themes of cucina povera: Cook from the garden with Minestrone Soup; eat plant-based proteins for filling, economical meals, including Fried Chickpea Polenta; make preserves to enjoy Tomato Sauce and Pickled Vegetables all year long. Cooking with a waste-not approach means that leftovers become a key ingredient to make new comforting dishes the next day. Days-old bread, leftover pasta and rice, and boiled meats are transformed into tasty bites like fried arancini, a pasta omelet, and meatballs. The make-do approach applies to desserts as well: Bread Pudding Cake and a Jam Crostata are made using whatever ingredients are on hand"-- Review Quotes : "For resourceful home cooks who prefer a farm-to-table approach and Italian flair, this book is a must."-- Publishers Weekly Publisher Marketing : Tuscan native and accomplished home cook Giulia Scarpaleggia shares the wholesome, comforting, and nostalgic recipes of cucina povera--Italian peasant cooking that is equal parts thrifty, nourishing, and delicious. The Italians call it l'arte dell'arrangiarsi , or the "art of making do with what you've got." This centuries-old approach to ingredients and techniques, known as cucina povera, or peasant cooking, reveals the soul of Italian food at its best. It starts with the humblest components--beans and lentils, inexpensive fish and cuts of meat, vegetables from the garden, rice, pasta, leftovers--and through the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the cook, results in unforgettably delicious and satisfying meals. In 100 recipes, Cucina Povera celebrates the best of this tradition, from the author's favorite, pappa al pomodoro (aka leftover bread and tomato soup), to Florentine Beef Stew, Nettle and Ricotta Gnudi, and Sicilian Watermelon Pudding. Soul satisfying, super healthy, budget-friendly, and easy to make, it's exactly how so many of us want to eat today. Review Citations: Booklist 02/15/2023 pg. 11 (EAN 9781648290565, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 02/20/2023 (EAN 9781648290565, Hardcover) Library Journal 03/01/2023 pg. 153 (EAN 9781648290565, Hardcover) Contributor Bio: Scarpaleggia, Giulia Giulia Scarpaleggia is a Tuscan-born and -bred home cook. She is a food writer, podcaster, and cooking school instructor who has written five cookbooks in Italian. Her blog, Juls' Kitchen, was named by Saveur as 2019's best food culture blog. Scarpaleggia lives in Tuscany with her parents; grandparents; husband/photographer, Tommaso; and daughter, Livia. Her favorite comfort food is pappa al pomodoro (Tuscan tomato soup)--the ultimate in cucina povera. Find her on Instagram at @julskitchen.

Format: Hardcover | Pages: 320 | Publication Date: 2023-04-04