Cucina Povera

February 15, 2023
Tuscan-born cooking instructor and food blogger Scarpaleggia presents cucina povera, traditional peasant cooking, with the reverence it deserves and treats it as an art to be studied. No food shall be wasted, be it beans or tubers, bread, dairy and eggs, the quinto quarto (least desirable cuts of meat), or the tiniest of fish. She provides an enjoyable tour of Italy, highlighting how similar ingredients get a slightly different treatment depending on where they originate. Vegetables and dairy become mouthwatering spinach and cheese strangolapreti in Alto Adige, while in Tuscany, chard or kale is blended with ricotta to form gnudi, a satisfying dumpling. Dishes like oxtail stew with rigatoni show how la cucina povera has a newly elevated level of mass appeal, as it's now a popular and sought after restaurant dish. This book is an invaluable cultural guide and history lesson in the foundations of Italian cooking that enthusiasts will not want to miss.

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February 20, 2023
Juls’ Kitchen blogger Scarpaleggia (From the Markets of Tuscany) celebrates “the art of making do with what you’ve got” in this nifty collection of Italian peasant-style recipes. This centuries-old cooking tradition relies on simple but high-quality ingredients and the creative repurposing of leftovers: stale bread, for example, can be used as fried breadcrumbs for bread-and-anchovy-stuffed sweet green peppers, sandwich bread for fried mozzarella sandwiches, or a hearty element in bean and lacinato kale soup. Scarpaleggia’s array of regional recipes—including Sicilian watermelon pudding, Genoese chickpea and chard stew, and Basilicata-style baked salt cod with potatoes—emphasizes the expansive flavors of la cucina povera and will appeal to plenty of palates. Crowd-pleasers include minestrone soup and chicken cacciatore, while dishes like roasted pork liver skewers and veal tongue with parsley sauce will lure the more adventurous. Engaging sidebars add enlightening context (both the feminine “arancine” and masculine “arancini” are correct names for Sicilian fried rice balls) as well as helpful tips (if short on time, store-bought puff pastry can replace a homemade pie shell for the spinach and ricotta pie). For resourceful home cooks who prefer a farm-to-table approach and Italian flair, this book is a must.

March 1, 2023

Head deep into the art of traditional Italian cooking from before the modern conveniences of supermarkets and refrigeration, when every morsel was an important part of meal planning, with Tuscan food writer and instructor Scarpaleggia (From the Markets of Tuscany). Sectioned by each humble beginning, it is easy to find a recipe by what is in the pantry or what one is craving, but it should be noted that not all these staples are readily available in the modern market. The contemporary design provides a nice contrast to the lush food photography, posed on rustic wooden tables. The simple nature of the ingredients should not deceive that this is a cookbook for a beginner, as instructions include making homemade pasta and cleaning artichokes. The clever home chef will appreciate the attention to detail and be able to find ways to adapt recipes if needed--and will be rewarded with delicious results. Recommended for Italophile home chefs who are looking for challenging recipes. VERDICT Italian cooking that delves deep into traditions and rustic cuisine will be a hit with patrons looking for challenging recipes that go beyond pasta.--Sarah Tansley

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