The book “is meant to be used as a kitchen manual for cooks of any ability who seek an accessible and comprehensive guide to the products, the techniques, and the recipes that make imperishable Italian food,” as Hazan puts it.

With more than 35 entirely new recipes, this revision and update of her two prior “classic” Italian cookbooks offer dishes created “not in quest of novelty, but of deliciousness.” The adjective “classic” is used in cookbooks almost as frequently as the terms “low-fat” and “no-cholesterol.” But in this instance, the esteemed Hazan (More Classic Italian Cooking) adds a classic to the growing body of literature on Italian cooking. Who could ask for more from Essentials of Italian Cooking than fresh chapters and recipes? Recipes have been altered to contain less fat, and a brand-new chapter has been introduced that is filled with important data on the herbs, spices, and cheeses used in Italian cuisine as well as instructions on how to choose particular items. This book is a fundamental guide for cooks of all levels and includes a tasty assortment of dishes. In Essentials of Italian Cooking, Marcella Hazan merges her two earlier works into one updated and expanded volume to introduce her style of cooking to a new generation. But over time, these traditional foods have won the hearts of many families. Such dishes were groundbreaking when Hazan initially burst onto the American scene twenty years ago with The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking. This isn’t spaghetti and meatballs, folks. Hazan’s cuisine includes polenta, risotto, squid cooked with tomatoes and white wine, and sautéed swiss chard with olive oil and garlic.

More than anyone else, Marcella Hazan is likely to blame for introducing Italian food to American kitchens. There is no one more skilled at teaching us exactly what we need to know about the taste and texture of a dish and how to achieve it, and there is no one more passionate and inspiring about authentic Italian food, as home cooks who have used Marcella’s classic books for years (and whose copies are now splattered and worn) know. It was created as a fundamental manual for cooks of all levels of competence, from novices to established experts. It includes both an easy and thorough reference to techniques and ingredients as well as a compilation of the tastiest dishes from the Italian repertoire. The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, two of Marcella Hazan’s best-selling cookbooks, are combined in Essentials of Italian Cooking, a single volume that serves as a culinary bible for anybody wanting to master the art of Italian cooking. A culinary guidebook for anybody wishing to master the art of Italian cuisine, from the bestselling, award-winning “queen of Italian cooking” (Chicago Tribune).

Classic italian cooking marcella hazan