Book
"Recipes and Memories"
She is more than a beloved movie star--she's
a cook. The author of two personal cookbooks, she's been recognized
by the Italian government for her culinary prowess. In Loren's
Recipes & Memories, she offers a hundred or so recipes arranged
by course--antipasti through desserts. With a like number of
photos, most in color, and all sorts of Sophia memorabilia--a
shot of the 16-year-old Sophia shows us just how early she was
Sophia--the large-format book is also filled with reminiscences
of family, home, and work. Cooks shouldn't be disappointed, though.
Her recipes, taken from all over Italy as well as her table,
include pizzas and risottos, hearty soups, savory fish dishes,
and simple but satisfying sweets. The repertoire is basic but
tempting; her Saltimbocca, for example, is the familiar dish
yet again, but there are a few original and "undiscovered"
dishes, such as Eggplant Cooked in the Manner of Mushrooms. Standout
dishes include a lovely herb-perfumed lamb stew from Naples and
a sweet-savory rice dish made with turkey, chestnuts, and dried
fruit. The recipes are models of clarity, and she introductory
notes and other asides leave no doubt that the author is a serious,
passionate cook. Reading her book and trying her recipes, we
come to applaud the star in her apron as well as on the screen.
--Arthur Boehm |
