Product Description

Stefano Cavallini is a Michelin-starred chef who produces modern, stylish Italian dishes with flair and precision. His flavours are bold and concentrated, yet the overall effect is light and complementary. Cavallini calls this balance "cucina essenziale"-essential cooking.

Chapters proceed from starters to fish to desserts, with masterclass recipes for creating perfect risotto and cooking fresh pasta. The step-by-step instructions are accompanied by David Brittain's inspiring photographs in a clean and sophisticated layout. With over 100 recipes, this volume is the essential sourcebook for modern Italian cooking.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1395070 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Caterer and Hotelkeeper
"Stefano Cavallini is a great chef, and his book will result in many happy mealtimes."

From the Publisher
Stefano Cavallini is one of the most talented and original young Italian chefs cooking in London today, creating modern Italian dishes with focus and precision. His approach is bold and concentrated—flavors are exquisitely intense, yet the overall effect is light and perfectly balanced. In Cucina Essenziale, Cavallini presents his signature dishes, including a selection of step–by–step “masterclass” recipes that demonstrate key techniques. Among the recipes, which range from antipasti to dolci, are a salad of foie gras with baby spinach and balsamic vinegar; eggplant and taleggio ravioli with butter and pine nuts; leg of lamb with artichoke sauce and roast potatoes; and a lemon mousse with thyme syrup. Elegantly designed and filled with color photos, Cucina Essenziale offers a fresh look at authentic Italian cooking.

About the Author
Stefano Cavallini learned to cook under many Italian chefs, including Gualtiero Marchesi at Milan's Hotel Brunelleschi. He moved to London as the head chef at the Halkin Hotel, whose restaurant was renamed in his honour in 1997.

Customer Reviews

A Completely Unique Italian Cookbook
I liked this cookbook a lot, although I know it would not be for everyone. Mr. Cavallini trained under the famed master chef, or Grand Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi and shares his passion for Italian cuisine by creating recipes that would be fit for Michelin three star restaurants rather than a typical Italian kitchen. If you are looking for recipes basic hearty soups, traditional pastas, and simple entrees than you would not buy this book. However, if you enjoy truly wonderful food on a gourmet level, than this book will help you to create dishes that you normally would only find in fancy restaurants right in your own kitchen.

Mr. Cavallini explains Essential Cooking, or "La Cucina Essenziale" as being derived from research into ancient Italian culinary traditions that are reinterpreted in the light of today's taste and way of life. His recipes replace heavy sauces, fats, and cream with vegetable broth, olive oil, and other light ingredients. His cooking techniques are chosen to maintain the integrity of the ingredients, and the dishes are simply yet dramatically presented.

The book includes a well thought out chapter of basic recipes that are used to create more developed recipes throughout the rest of the book. Although the ingredient list for some recipes may be a challenge for some who do not have access to such luxuries as partridge, or foie gras, there are many other recipes that could easily be created from ingredients found in your local grocery store. Even reading through the recipes that contain ingredients I would never use, I was able to take away some new ideas on how to use more common ingredients in unique ways.

I would recommend this cookbook to anyone that shares a passion for truly wonderful food, likes to experiment in the kitchen, and for those who are interested in preparing gourmet quality food at home. Novice cooks interested in basic, traditional Italian recipes would probably not find this cookbook helpful. I think of Mr. Cavallini as my "Italian" Charlie Trotter.