Old World Italian: Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy: A Cookbook Hardcover – September 15, 2020

After seeing some of Mimi's recipes online, I wanted to check out this cookbook.Very good recipes. I also purchsed "French Country Cooking" which I love.

This new cookbook by Mimi Thorisson is simply wonderful. The exceptionally beautiful photographs, shot by the author's husband, Oddur Thorisson, are a perfect visual counterpoint to the lovely collection of recipes. This is one of those cookbooks that is as much a pleasure to read as it is to cook from. (scroll down to see the recipes I've so far tried)I have shelves full of Italian cookbooks, many of which also highlight the regions of Italy and recipes from those areas. But Ms. Thorisson's book, in particular, makes me feel as though I am holding a piece of Italy in my hands every time I open it. Readers who feel that Italy exerts a unique and inexplicable pull on them will especially appreciate Ms. Thorisson's lack of pretense when she describes how repeated trips with her family concluded in the decision to move there.The diverse and fiercely traditional regions of Italy can make it a difficult country to figure out. One of the best ways to do that is in the kitchens - whether with home cooks or restaurant chefs - and anyone who reads this book will be the beneficiary of the Thorissons deep curiosity and quest to discover the soul of each region through its food and drink.The book opens with the author's brief but beautiful description of life in Torino. Shortly after that comes her husband's delightful and informative chapter on Italian coffee culture, which was preceded by recipes for Bicerin and Shakerato, two of Torino's specialty coffee concoctions that easily make a trip to Torino worth it to have those alone. At that point, I was pretty well on the hook for this book, but it just kept getting better.As for the recipes - I have made many of Mimi Thorisson's French recipes from her blog, Manger, and two books featuring French food. But as good as those recipes were, I believe she has found her true groove in Italian food. There are so many wonderful recipes in this book that it's hard to know where to start. They are beautifully authentic - or are inspired by authentic techniques and ingredients - and thus run the gamut between simple and lengthy, so I decided to start with simple to see how flavorful simple could be.Recipes tried so far:- Tagliata with Radicchio. Maybe too simple I thought. Until my husband said "This is unbelievable." I could not find radicchio, so I substituted a close relative, Belgian endive. Absolutely delicious. (photo)- Scaloppine alla Perugina. I did not use the chicken livers because I could not find that small of an amount available, but the final result was nonetheless delicious. I imagine the chicken liver would have added subtle additional complexity and will try this again with, just out of curiosity.- Sage and Walnut Tagliatelle has an earthy unctuousness that we loved.- Tuna Salad with Green Beans and Mint is a delicious tuna salad with a super-simple vinaigrette. I used leftover roasted green beans because I had them and it turned out great. I would not make this with anything but tuna imported from Italy, which can be found in most grocery stores if you look.After trying those, putting the time into making the more involved recipes seems like a no-brainer at this point. This is a true winner of a cookbook, for cooks and for cookbook readers. It quickly became a personal classic.

The ingredients are staples and easy finds. The recipes are simple to follow. We have made some amazing dishes that feel authentic- something Nona would have made when we were kids. The personal narratives provided by the author and the beautiful photos that accompany are bonus.

Best book to learn staple Italian recepies and Greta to learn about them too

The author is not only a good cook, but she can write an engaging travel book too. It's in a category with A Year in Provence: here a couple leaves France and finds an apartment in Torino with dogs and kids, but it also includes recipes that capture the soul of regional Italian cooking, Calcio e Pepe is a perfect example-- four ingredients plus a secret that ramps up the flavor. The book has been out since 2020, and for me, reading it is bittersweet, because if it hadn't been for the Covid lockdowns of that year, I would be living in Sicily now, instead of my 1864 Pennsylvania farmhouse (much beloved, but not the life I had hoped for).

Without a doubt, this is a lovely book. Beautiful photos and charming narrative about the author's travels throughout Italy. If you want to learn a bit more about the various regions in Italy and how the cuisine differs from one to the other, then you'll enjoy this book. However, if you are a serious cookbook collector and/or home cook, this book will disappoint you a little. There are some very good recipes in this book but there are just too few of them. There are only a handful of seafood recipes and considering Italy is surrounded on 3 sides by water, that's hard to understand. Lovely book - light on the content I hoped for.

I hope Mimi Thorisson writes many more cookbooks, because I read them like novels, stare at the beautiful cookbooks and cook many of the recipes. Her French recipes are now some of our family favorites and I know the Italian ones are going to be too!

I initially bought this as a decor item for my kitchen. I flipped through it and the recipes looked so simple & delicious so I decided to give it a try. I made the Ragu Bolognese and it’s out of this world. We now make it every Sunday and eat the leftovers throughout the week. We’ve made the veggie stock & broccoli pasta as well. Both are fantastic. I love the history she includes throughout the book too.10/10 would recommend!