He must be one of the most iconic of Italian food writers. The late Antonio Carluccio will be known by everybody for the eponymous restaurants and delis, although he stepped away from those many years ago. This book shows his love of tasty food that just happens to have vegetables as its main focus, and the recipient might need reminding that the meat is missing from many dishes. These recipes lack nothing in flavour or texture.
There are 100 different varieties of vegetables mentioned here, so there is bound to be a dish or two that will appeal to even the picky eaters in your household. We are tempted by over 120 recipes to help make the best of fresh produce. There are pastas with vegetables, soups, vegetable bakes, and salads; risottos, pickles, stews, tarts, and dips, along with some sweet cakes and cookies made with vegetables.
Golden nuggets
I have several favourites from this book. Pizza with Onions and Anchovies: granted, it’s not just vegetables as a topping but those little preserved fishes are indispensable as a salty seasoning to the sweet onions. An easy recipe which is wonderful as a nibble with drinks before a smart dinner. Antonio Carluccio offers deep-fried stuffed olives and I am thrilled. These golden nuggets are perfect with a glass of Italian fizz on a sizzling summer evening.
Some of these vegetable recipes do contain meat, but it’s often just a flavouring. A couple of dishes do have meat as the prime ingredient, so this isn’t a book for vegetarians. All these recipes are accessible to the home cook and will be a god-send for all those gardeners worrying about an impending glut of veggies. Antonio presents his recipes but also a wealth of information on the vegetables themselves. It’s a shame that we will no longer see this man’s smiling face in new broadcasts, and there will be no more new books. Let us celebrate Antonio Carluccio with his culinary works and let’s eat more delicious vegetables.
Vegetables
Author: Antonio Carluccio
Publisher: Quadrille Publishing Ltd
Price: £25.00
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1849497524
ISBN-13: 978-1849497527
Cookbook review by Chrissie Walker © 2018