Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino: A Review.
What should we expect from a cookbook? With 1000s of recipes on the web, a cookbook must go beyond lists of ingredients and methodology. It must take us to places we have never been. It must teach us something. It should give us access to places that we never had access to before and, at the same time, provide a narrative that moves us to create the recipes. Rosetta Costantino, with the help of Jennie Schacht (an accomplished culinary writer and author of I Scream Sandwich and Farmers’ Market Desserts) and the folks at 10 Speed Press, deliver on all these points in the book Southern Italian Dessert: Rediscovering the Sweet Traditions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicily.
The Book
Costantino, a native of Calabria and 2011 IACP nominee for her book My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South, lovingly tells the history of southern Italian sweets explaining their regional differences and at what time of year the different desserts are most likely eaten. The book is well organized by region, with each chapter giving the ins and outs of typical desserts and special anecdotes. It has all the things you expect in a cookbook – discussion of ingredients, equipment and techniques, a “where to source ingredients” section, a solid index and conversion charts.
Zeppole di San Guiseppe – Fried
The book is an easy and enjoyable read, sweetened with both her childhood memories of eating these desserts and stories of her journey through southern Italy to create this book. The pictures tie it all nicely together by bringing real feeling and authenticity to the book, its desserts and southern Italy. While at first glance it is just a cookbook, deep down it is also, as Mrs. Costantino explains, her personal invitation to the reader to get a taste of some great desserts and go experience the greatness that is southern Italy. It is an invitation that is hard to turn down.
Pasticcini di Mandorla
The Recipes
The dessert and master recipes in the book are clear and well written. I tested three dessert recipes – Pasticcini di Mandorla, Zeppole di San Guideppe (baked and fried) and Strazzate. Although the pasticcini looked nothing like the picture (they spread more than expected – the dangers of food styling!), they were tasty. The Zeppole and Strazzate were delicious and worth the effort. The recipes for the most famous desserts like Cannoli, Sfogliatelle, and Gelato are included as are some of the unknown like Calzoncelli con i Ceci (half moon pastry filled with chocolate and chick pea) and Semifreddo Liquirizia (frozen licorice dessert). Included is a good range of recipes from easy to challenging and gluten free to gluten full – so something for everyone at every level of experience and taste. If all of them turn out as good as the three I made, they will be worth the effort no matter how complex. For the most part, the desserts of southern Italy are, or seem, simple, but creating them does take effort, some much more than others. The recipe notes and instructional pictures should not be ignored. They give plenty of helpful thoughts and tips.
Beyond The Recipes – A Great Foundation
Most importantly, the book gives access to recipes and recipe ideas most readers may never have seen. They give us insight into the foundation of southern Italian desserts and what makes them so delicious, something which has not been done before. The book has the potential to further solidify the position of desserts which are already classics and raises others up to get the limelight they deserve. Mrs. Costantino has also, perhaps unintentionally, given us the ability to do something we wouldn’t be able to do before – tinker with southern Italian dessert recipes! When we have a solid foundation, as is presented here, we have the ability to create new things from it. She has opened the door to many new culinary possibilities. She has laid the ground work for “bringing these desserts into the common lexicon”, as was her goal, and sets the reader on their own journey through delicious southern Italian desserts and, potentially, well beyond.
Wrap Up
Whether you want to learn something new, are an Italian cuisine buff, need a good dessert recipe or just want to be taken on a quick trip to the south of Italy, Southern Italian Desserts: Rediscovering the Sweet Traditions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicily by Rosetta Costantino is worth having. It is a good read with good recipes, which brings something new to readers. A cookbook will never be able to do the dishes, so what more could you ask for? Bravo and Buon Appetitto!
Book Info
Southern Italian Dessert: Rediscovering the Sweet Traditions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicily.
By Rosetta Costantino with Jennie Schacht
Photography by Sara Remington
List Price $29.99. Available on Amazon
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press (October 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607744023
ISBN-13: 978-1607744023
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
What is your favorite cookbook? Is there a cookbook you would like to see The Culinary Exchange review? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.
The Culinary Exchange can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.
Come On! Follow Along!
The Culinary Exchange was given a free copy of Southern Italian Dessert: Rediscovering the Sweet Traditions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicily for review. Neither the publisher or any agent working on their behalf gave any compensation for the review nor was any requested. The views are solely that of reviewer. The Culinary Exchange does its best to ensure fair and transparent product and book reviews.
Thanks so much for taking Southern Italian Desserts for a spin, and for your lovely review! As you might imagine, it was pretty fun working with Rosetta to put her collection into print.I hope you will enjoy many more of the recipes. Don’t miss the Dolci di Noci — probably the simplest recipe in the book, and one of my personal favorites. Buon appetito!
Jennie, it was our pleasure!