Soffritto: Tradition and Innovation in Tuscan Cooking

By Benedetta Vitali

Take an inside look at Tuscany by stepping into the kitchen of Benedetta Vitali. This text offers an intimate look at both Old World and contemporary Tuscany - see the images of daily life, smell the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580082580
• ISBN13: 9781580082587
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 2.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.3" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful Taste of Tuscany

I blame it on my husband, Walter. ... He made me buy another Italian cookbook. But, is it fair to call "Soffritto" just another Italian cookbook?"Soffritto: Tradition & Innovation in Tuscan Cooking" ... authored by Tuscan restaurateur Benedetta Vitali, is like a respite in Tuscany between two beautifully illustrated covers. The artwork by Antonio Andreucci, in fact, initially attracted Walter, but the contemporary, yet authentic recipes and cooking suggestions won my admiration. Cary Wollinsky's color photographs of Tuscan vistas, Florentine street scenes, food artisans, and restaurant dishes complete the appetizing volume.Vitali, a lifelong Florentine, is the co-founder and former partner at the famed trattoria Cibreo. Now, she cooks at her own country restaurant Zibibbo, emphasizing fresh produce from the area's small farms and gardens. Guess where I'm dining on my next trip to Florence?By the way, soffritto translates as "under fried." A sautéed medley of aromatic vegetables, soffritto is the flavoring cornerstone of many Italian dishes.

Beautifully produced, excellent recipes

I recently purchased both Soffritto and A Tuscan Seduction. They couldn't be more different books. Soffritto is full of beautiful photographs and is well laid out; it's a very well produced book, and the recipes are fantastic! If you're going to buy one Tuscan cookbook I highly recommend this one.

For the love of eating.

Benedetta Vitali begins her book by asking, "Who gives a damn about cooking?" Her book will leave you no doubt about the fact that she not only adores cooking but considers it essential to the sensuous lifestyle of rural Tuscany. Benedetta teaches us how the love of eating good food can bring out the best cook in each of us.