Ciao Sicily: Recipes From the PBS Series Cucina Sicilia
In 1986 Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba noticed the lack of a casual-yet-great Italian restaurant in Houston, so the two opened Carrabba's Italian Grill. Almost two decades later, the duo have more than one hundred eateries under the Carrabba's name, a PBS series, and a partnership taking the brand to Wall Street. In other words, these guys know a thing or two about food.
So it isn't so surprising that Mandola and Carrabba penned a cookbook based on their cooking show, Cucina Sicilia. It's difficult to write about food; no matter how vivid, how concerted the passage, the author will never textually replicate the moment a morsel hits your palate, the way your taste buds respond. But these two certainly get the excitement across. (Ciao Sicily is the second cookbook from this duo; the first is titled Ciao Y'all: Recipes From the PBS Series Cucina Amore.)
Ciao Sicily is divided into three sections: recipes, where you'll find the likes of Cozzule alla Marinata (Marinated Mussels), Zuppa di Lenticchie e Cavolfiore (Lentil and Cauliflower Soup), and Rigatoni allo Corrao (Rigatoni With Caciocavallo and Eggplant); the Sicilian pantry, where the authors list "the most important ingredients that make up the Sicilian culinary personality" such as almonds, basil, apricots, fennel, watermelon, and pomegranates; and basics and techniques, where the two explain how to make a meat broth, prepare an artichoke, and such.
In 1986 Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba noticed the lack of a casual-yet-great Italian restaurant in Houston, so the two opened Carrabba's Italian Grill. Almost two decades later, the duo have more than one hundred eateries under the Carrabba's name, a PBS series, and a partnership taking the brand to Wall Street. In other words, these guys know a thing or two about food.
So it isn't so surprising that Mandola and Carrabba penned a cookbook based on their cooking show, Cucina Sicilia. It's difficult to write about food; no matter how vivid, how concerted the passage, the author will never textually replicate the moment a morsel hits your palate, the way your taste buds respond. But these two certainly get the excitement across. (Ciao Sicily is the second cookbook from this duo; the first is titled Ciao Y'all: Recipes From the PBS Series Cucina Amore.)
Ciao Sicily is divided into three sections: recipes, where you'll find the likes of Cozzule alla Marinata (Marinated Mussels), Zuppa di Lenticchie e Cavolfiore (Lentil and Cauliflower Soup), and Rigatoni allo Corrao (Rigatoni With Caciocavallo and Eggplant); the Sicilian pantry, where the authors list "the most important ingredients that make up the Sicilian culinary personality" such as almonds, basil, apricots, fennel, watermelon, and pomegranates; and basics and techniques, where the two explain how to make a meat broth, prepare an artichoke, and such.
Ciao Sicily: Recipes From the PBS Series Cucina Sicilia: Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba, published by Bright Sky Press, 2003.
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