Kate DeVivo - Italian Cooking 101: Master Italian Cooking with 101 Great Recipes

Agate Surrey Books wants to help everyone, but especially kitchen beginners, learn how to explore different kinds of food and cooking and all sorts of ingredients. We are proud to introduce the 101 series, which aims to provide rewarding, successful, and fun cooking experiences for everyone, from novices to more experienced cooks.

Italian 101: 101 Great Recipes offers readers not only delicious recipes but also useful information about shopping for equipment, ingredients, kitchen essentials, and seasonings. Making your dishes taste like they were made in Italy may sound a little intimidating, but well give you many simple tips. So whether youve only recently acquired a taste for these wholesome, delicious flavors or youve been a lifelong fan, Italian 101 is a great place to create a repertoire of go-to recipes for a variety of new takes on classic Italian dishes.

Most of the recipes in these 101 series books come from a wide range of Agate Surrey authors and editors. Contributors to Italian 101 include Sue Spitler, editor of the 1,001 series that includes such titles as 1,001 Best Low-Fat Recipes; and Viktorija Todorovska, author of The Puglian Cookbook and The Sardinian Cookbook.

Italian 101 recipes were selected to provide a starting point for anyone beginning their cooking journey. A note about this collection: there is no one Italian style of cooking, but rather a variety of flavors and tastes that come from the various regions of Italy. This collection includes dishes from several regions of Italy, which we have tried to identify throughout the book. These recipes also often include seasonal serving suggestions as well as best wine pairings. The recipes in Italian 101 are flavorful, healthy, and fun for kidsso anyone you are hosting will be pleased!

This book contains a mix of appetizers and entrees as well as delicious desserts. Start your guests off with Mini Meatballs or SpinachMushroom Flatbread or try one of the soups, such as Tuscan Bean Soup or Chicken Cacciatore. Take comfort in summer recipes such as Tiella or Sicilian Beef and Rice, or enjoy classic pasta dishes like Creamy Fettuccine Primavera or Linguine with Clam Sauce. Youll be sure to impress your dinner guests with a pizza from the Puglian region that includes ricotta and salami or even a perfectly baked Calzone. And dont forget to check out the desserts section where youll find classics such as AniseAlmond Biscotti and Tiramisu, to name a few.

But before you get started cooking some of these great recipes, make sure youre up to speed on some cooking basics, and that your kitchen and pantry are ready to go!

Making your own recipes from fresh, natural, wholesome ingredients is always the best option. The recipes in this book are, generally speaking, very simple, but involve few processed ingredients. Youll be able to prepare a hot, fresh meal that will delight your whole group in no time flat!

If you are a new cook, or its been a while since youve spent time in the kitchen, here is some helpful information that will make it easy to jump into Italian 101 recipes. If you have the following equipment, you will be prepared to make almost any recipe in this book.

Were sure you know this already, but your kitchen should include the following standard set of appliances.

• Refrigerator/freezer (set to about 34F to 38F [1C to 3C], or as cold as you can get it without freezing vegetables or drinks)
• Freezer (if yours is not frost-free, youll periodically need to unplug it to defrost your snow-filled box)
• Stove/oven (make sure to keep the oven very clean, as burnt foods and other odors can affect the taste of your food)
• Microwave (again, make sure its clean and ready for use), because its great for defrosting
• Blender (and not just for beverages and soupsyou can use it in place of a food processor or an immersion blender in some instances)
• Hand mixer (well, you can always stir by hand, but sometimes, the hand mixer is indispensable)
• Grill (suggested for some recipes in this book but you can always use a stovetop griddle to grill indoors)

• Food processor
• Stand mixer

The following are useful basic equipment for any kitchen.

• Stockpot (8 to 10 quarts [7.6 to 9.5 L])
• Dutch oven (5 to 6 quarts [4.7 to 5.7 L])
• Pancake griddle
• Large stockpot with lid (6 to 8 quarts [5.7 to 7.6 L])
• Large skillet with lid (10 to 12 inches in diameter [25 to 30 cm])
• Medium skillet with lid (7 to 8 inches in diameter [17.5 to 20 cm])
• Medium or large saucepan with lid (2 or 3 quarts [1.9 to 2.8 L])
• Small saucepan with lid (1 quart [.95 L])
• Glass casserole dish (2 quart [1.9 L])
• Square cake pan (8 or 9 inches [20 to 22.5 cm])
• Rectangular cake pan (13 by 9 inches [32.5 by 22.5 cm])
• 2 loaf pans (8 inches [20 cm] long)
• Muffin pan (12 muffins)
• Pie pan (9 inches in diameter [22.5 cm])
• 2 baking sheets
• Springform pan (9 inches in diameter [22.5 cm])

These are recommended basics for any kitchen.

• Knives: Chefs knife, serrated knife, and paring knife
• Measuring cups for both dry and liquid measures
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing bowls (two or three, ranging from 1 or 2 quarts to 5 or 6 quarts [.95 or 1.9 L to 4.7 or 5.7 L])
• Wooden spoons, slotted spoon, rubber or silicone spatula, ladle, whisk, tongs, and a large metal flipper for hamburgers and similar foods
• Colander
• Cheese grater
• Citrus zester
• Salt and pepper mills
• Kitchen scissors
• Vegetable peeler
• Can opener
• Cooling rack
• Kitchen timer
• Cutting boards
• Pot holders
• Kitchen towels

Either in a handy drawer or on a shelf, make sure you have all of these items within easy reach.

• Plastic or glass storage containers (5 to 10, varying sizes)