| Marcella
Says… Italian Cooking Wisdom from the Legendary Teacher's
Master Classes, with 120 of Her Irresistible New Recipes
by
Marcella Hazan
(HarperCollins, October 2004)
Reviewed
by Kevin Schoeler
"Flavor
reaches into what may be our deepest source of pleasure.
The happiness that food can arouse is an endlessly renewable
resource and has the capacity to outlast every other drive
that propels our lives." Marcella Hazan in Marcella
Says…
The
"godmother of Italian cooking in America" has
written five important and comprehensive Italian cookbooks
since she started as a cooking teacher in 1969. But Marcella
Says…
is different in that its 120 dishes are cooking lessons,
as opposed to merely recipes. Instead of a list of ingredients
and procedures, Hazan provides familiar and friendly instruction
without wasting words or time. And, it all begins with the
key section, At Master Class, which stems from Hazan's legendary
cooking classes once held in her Venice home.
Although
At Master Class is a discourse on fundamentals, Hazan's
pace and tone keeps it engaging. But, make no mistake; she's
serious about doing it right. For instance, she aptly describes
insaporire as "what you do to draw out and develop
the flavor of a single or several ingredients." Then
she spends four pages defining it: Correct Use of Heat;
Applying Insaporire Sequentially; Blanching as a Prelude
to Insaporire; and How Insaporire Develops Flavor in Meat
Stews; and Risotto. Hazan applies the same rigor to issues
of doneness, frying, pasta, sauce, broth, beans and more.
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Marcella
Hazan |
After
her At Master Class briefing, Marcella Says…
is organized into sections like Crostini, Antipasti, Spuntini
and Pickles (prepare yourself for sinful Baked Squash and
Parmesan Cheese Pudding, or its nemesis, an equally toothsome
No-Butter, No-Cheese Zucchini and Basil Frittata). This
is the type of book where each dish begs to be noticed and
savored, from Soups of Rapini and Butternut Squash, to Carrot
Gnocchi and Fish dishes like Shrimp Braised with Tomato,
Chili Pepper and Capers, and Breaded Swordfish Scaloppine
Sauced with Garlic, Parsley and Lemon Juice. Hazan never
goes over the top, and every dish is a compelling lesson
in how to do Italian the right way.
Veal,
Beef, Pork, Lamb and Poultry chapters feature Fricasseed
Chicken with Almonds, and homey ventures like Pot Roast
of Beef with Garlic, Anchovies, Vinegar and Pancetta, and
Pan-Roasted Lamb Shanks with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Savoy
Cabbage. We would live on vegetables alone if Marcella Hazan
were in charge. We'd feast on Baked Leeks with Herbs
and Cheese, Braised Artichoke Wedges with Bacon and Sun-Dried
Tomatoes, and Baked Radicchio with Pancetta and Fontina.
Likewise, there are plenty of compelling salads like our
favorite Avocado and Red Bell Pepper Salad with Red Onion;
and Fennel and Orange Salad.
It
wouldn't be fair to skip a mention of Hazan's
excellent pasta sauces, from the perfect-for-pappardelle
Veal Pasta Sauce with Four Different Varieties of Mushrooms,
to Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Sauce—we
loved them all. But our favorite was also the fastest—a
garlicky Late Night Pasta Sauce with Pine Nuts and Raisins.
Fruits
are the star in Marcella's desserts, which are not
too sweet, not too heavy, but vibrant in character, depth
and flavor. Apple Cake with Raisins and Rum is a must and,
during that all-too-brief season, White Peach Gelato with
Lemon Zest.
It's
hard to find fault with a teacher like Marcella. She has
a lot to say and a lot to teach, but somehow she does this
without burdening us with too many words and recipes. Instead,
what we get is expert instruction, great, exciting Italian
food, and another reason to listen carefully to what Marcella
Says…
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