[.uk] Cucina Di Calabria: Treasured Recipes and Family ... (ISBN 0571199186)

Amazon.com Review:
For centuries, one of Italy's best-kept culinary secrets has been the cooking of Calabria, that region occupying the toe of the Italian boot. But in Cucina di Calabria, Mary Amabile Palmer boldly breaks the silence and introduces an exciting new cuisine to the world. Located just across the Mediterranean from North Africa--not far from Greece and Asia Minor--Calabria has long been the target of invasion and occupation; whatever the political fallout of such incursions, Calabrian cooking is all the richer for the introduction of foreign cuisine and ingredients (olives from the Greeks; eggplants and pine nuts from the Arabs)--that contribute a succulent and daring mélange of taste and texture. In addition to the recipes themselves, Mary Amabile Palmer, a first- generation Italian American, includes anecdotes about Calabrian culture, history, traditions, and festivals, as well as recollections from her childhood. These delightful snippets provide context to the more than 200 Calabrian dishes detailed in Cucina di Calabria, making the book as much fun to read as it is to cook from.

Pleasing recipes but more modern Italian than Calabrian.:
I enjoyed a number of the recipes, and for the most part they keep in the spirit of cucina povera, but I was looking for Calabrian dishes that are strictly from Calabria. For example, parmesan and Parma ham are both Northern creations and a description stating that the latter is a Southern creation seems ill-informed. Overall I feel a bit guilty having to give this three stars but I felt a bit misled by the other reviews. By all means buy this book for good, authentic modern Italian, but for distinctly Calabrian recipes, I would look elsewhere.

Calabria:
This is the 4th time I've bought this book Loved it & makes a great gift. Not only good recipes but interesting facts re: Calabria

A feeling of the past:
This cookbook helps me to reconnect with my father who passed away in 1984, he was from Calabria Italy. He loved every ingredient in this book. I was amazed to see zucchini flowers breaded and fried. My mother and father used to make them and every kid in the neighborhood loved them, I thought my father was crazy to cook those flowers, but now that I saw them in this cookbook it makes me realize how much of his heritage was in them. This cookbook is for anyone who wants a truly authentic cookbook!

Cucina di Calabria:
I really like this cookbook because my ancestors are from Calabria and it outlines many of my family's favoriate Italian recipes.

Very pleased:
Both of my parents came from Calabria. I was surprised and delighted to find so many recipes that my parents made. This cookbook is a treasure to me.