I hope everyone's doing well.
I read A Taste of Venice - 3 Stars - Donna Leon’s Brunetti books are fabulous when it comes to food descriptions. If you’re anything like me, and have started to crave some good Italian food while reading them, this is an enjoyable read. It was written by Donna Leon’s best friend and talented cook, Roberta (Biba) Pianaro.
The other day I decided that I will no longer review a cookbook without trying out at least one recipe. I can’t believe that I didn’t make this rule for myself earlier! What was I thinking? I mean honestly, I don’t think that it’s right to review a cookbook without trying out at least one recipe! Well, I made an entire meal from the recipes here the other night and everyone was happy. We had Chickpea Balls for the appetizer. Our main course was Lamp Chops with Tomatoes and Basmati Rice. For dessert, we had Oven-Baked Apples with Confectioner’s Custard and Cream. They were delicious. Now, as far as cookbooks go, this book is okay, just not the best. The layout is not as organized as I like cookbooks to be. Also, there are a few recipes that contain ingredients which aren’t available where I live, and may be unavailable to others also. Mind you, this is not only a cookbook. There are excerpts from the Brunetti books, as well as essays with insights into Venetian life.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Italian life is filled with food: people talk about it constantly, spend a great deal of time shopping for it and preparing it, and devote a joyous amount of time to eating it. One has but to pay close attention to them when they talk about food, or when they cook and eat, to begin to understand how fundamental it is to the living of a happy life and how vital it is to Italian culture."
“One of the first things that was said to me when I came to Italy forty years ago, speaking not a word of the language, was ‘Mangia, mangia, ti fa bene.’ Eat, eat, it’s good for you.”
This Venice bookstore - Libreria Acqua Alta - has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.
MY RATING SYSTEM
5 Stars
Fantastic, couldn't put it down
4 Stars
Really Good
3 Stars
Enjoyable
2 Stars
Just Okay – nothing to write home about
1 Star
Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.