Product Description

Tucked away on a remote Sicilian mountainside is Gangivecchio--once a Roman outpost, then a fourteenth-century Benedictine abbey, now a world-class restaurant and inn.

Poached Lemon-flavored Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter.  Arancine (the sublime rice croquettes of Sicily) Stuffed with Bechamel, Ham, and Mozzarella.  Veal and Pumpkin stew.  Sofficini (elegant little pastries, filled with warm lemon cream, that defy description.)  These are just a few of the spectacular dishes prepared at Gangivecchio for anyone lucky enough to dine at this magical spot, with its roaring fireplace, blossoming orchards, roaming animals, and acres of wild poppies.  For anyone not able to make this incredible journey, Wanda and Giovanna now have prepared La Cucina Siciliana di Gangivecchio, the ultimate country cookbook, with recipes culled from generations, handed down as part of the extraordinary and charming history of the family, the town, and the island of Sicily itself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #706721 in Books
• Published on: 1996-10-29
• Released on: 1996-10-29
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 9.53" h x 1.25" w x 8.13" l, 2.03 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

From Amazon.com
Giovanna Tornabene opened a restaurant in her home in the Madonie Mountains of Sicily in 1978 because it seemed the only way to hold on to her family's centuries-old estate. In La Cucina Siciliana di Gangivecchio, her daughter, Wanda, who helps run this restaurant on the secluded family estate, shares the history of their family, the estate and the colorful evolution of Sicilian cooking. Michele Evans captures the graceful generosity, spontaneity and charm of both mother and daughter in this work. It features veal and pumpkin stew made with just four ingredients; Swordfish in Umido, steamed with oregano and garlic; cauliflower drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil; a tart filled with sweetened ricotta studded with chocolate chips; and 200 other dishes. This is the simple yet deeply flavored, humbly sophisticated food that makes Sicily a culinary paradise.

From Publishers Weekly
The mother-and-daughter authors of this charming cookbook run a restaurant in a restored 14th-century monastery in rural Sicily. Their unique recipes will foil many common preconceptions about Sicilian cuisine: not on the Western part of the island, the Tornabenes exhibit little Arab influence; nor, being inland, do they rely heavily on fish. Rice Balls in Chicken Broth, Milk Croquettes and Quacelle-Style Fava Bean and Potato Casserole all make something delicious out of virtually nothing. A salad of Arugula with Pine Nuts and Pomegranate and the restaurant's signature Veal Rolls Stuffed with Ham, Provolone and Pecorino are more sophisticated. The Tornabenes throw in Sicilian classics like Baked Sardines Stuffed with Pine Nuts and Currants and two types of Rice Ball Croquettes. The company is as spirited as the food as, with help from cookbook and travel writer Evans, the Tornabenes spin engaging tales. On their first trip to New York, they transported a rolling pin and some cheese; occasionally, they've been too softhearted to eat the animals they've raised (including a wild boar named Giorgina); they describe a bread-making experiment conducted with friends who "need wine like cars need gasoline to work." Family photos and recipes from Paolo Tornabene (Wanda's son, Giovanna's brother) and his wife, Betty, who together run a nine-room inn in what was originally the stable, enhance this warm and friendly volume. 35,000 first printing.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
In a tiny town in the mountains of Sicily, the Tornabene family runs a restaurant whose authentic Sicilian fare has attracted international attention. In 1978, when the family fortunes were on the wane, matriarch Wanda decided to open a restaurant in the 13th-century abbey that was the ancestral home, serving her treasured recipes and those handed down from her mother-in-law, and her mother-in-law in turn, both talented cooks as well. The restaurant, expanded and thriving, is still serving those dishes today, with contributions as well from Giovanna, Wanda's daughter, and her son and daughter-in-law. Local produce and other ingredients figure strongly in their cooking, but with coauthor Evans, the Tornabenes have succeeded in making these recipes, from Sicilian Potato Croquettes to Gemelli with Aromatic Herbs to Peasant-Style Artichokes, accessible to the American home cook. Particularly because Wanda at first had no intention of sharing her family recipes with a wider public, this is a privileged look at a remote and personal adventure. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.