The Complete Mushroom Book : Savory Recipes for Wild and Cultivated Varieties
- Book Review,
by ANTONIO CARLUCCIO
From Publishers Weekly
More than just a cookbook, Carluccio's exuberant guide to gathering and eating higher fungi is actually both a field guide and a recipe book. The author, who learned to collect wild mushrooms and truffles as a young boy in his native Italy, brought his passion for the "quiet hunt," and for refined gastronomy, with him to London, where he now owns a Covent Garden restaurant that specializes in serving his two favorite delicacies. The first part of Carluccio's book introduces readers to the pleasures of gleaning wild fungi. And it contains not only a fully illustrated catalog of commonly found mushrooms, but also a "code of conduct" for would-be collectors. The author does stress, however, that mushroom collecting cannot be learned from this volume alone and he repeatedly warns readers that their cache of fresh-picked fungi should be looked over by an expert before it is eaten. The book's second section, "The Recipes," is easier to apply at home. In it, readers will find ways to prepare morels, porcini, portabellos, shiitakes and dozens of other edible fungi in soups, salads, and main dishes. Though the book is beautifully designed with elegant color photographs and useful sidebars, it's recipes like Enoki Bundles wrapped with prosciutto and Morels Stuffed with Foi Gras that will keep gourmet cooks turning back to this volume again and again. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
There are not many people who can claim to have been collecting, cooking, and devising recipes for mushrooms for more than sixty years, but Antonio Carluccio is one of them. Carluccio's interest in mushrooms-his mycological education-began at the age of seven when he went on mushroom hunts with his father and has culminated in his Neal Street Restaurant in London.
Today, mushrooms are more popular then ever. Chefs everywhere use these delectable morsels to provide a powerful punch of flavor, without adding many calories or fat.
The book begins with a complete field guide, in which forty species are identified with photos. To ensure safety, poisonous look-alike species are also meticulously documented. Then comes a veritable feast of more than 150 mushroom recipes-from classic Italian preparations to Asian-inspired creations and contemporary dishes. Mouthwatering photos accompany each recipe and evoke the earthy sensuality that only mushrooms can bring to the table. In The Complete Mushroom Book, Antonio Carluccio shares the excitement of the hunt and a lifetime of expertise in the kitchen with a new generation of enthusiasts eager to reap the pleasures of cooking with mushrooms.
About the Author
Antonio Carluccio, recently awarded the Commendatore by the Italian government for his contribution to Italian food, is the author of more than seven cookbooks, two of which accompanied successful BBC television series.
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