February 26, 2006

"Writing Cookbooks"

Mangia! Who hasn't wondered how tasty it could be to become a cookbook author? Well, here's your chance to get the authentic recipe from one of America's most admired and successful food writers, Carol Field, of San Francisco.

Her latest, In Nonna's Kitchen, is an alternate selection of The Good Cook, a division of Book-of-the-Month Club, and the basis of an upcoming PBS series. Her other cookbook credits include The Italian Baker, Italy in Small Bites and Focaccia: Simple Breads from the Italian Oven.

She's also written an inspired account of three years traveling through Italy—from the marblestrewn hills of Carrara to the fertile Po valley and the seaside fishing villages and inland towns of Campania—called Celebrating Italy that Paula Wolfert called "the most intense, energetic and brightest work yet written on the Italian celebration of food."

In Nonna's Kitchen is a delightful account of the irrepressible guardians of Italy's culinary heritage: le nonne—the grandmothers. After visiting the homes of nearly fifty matriarchs throughout the Italian peninsula, Carol chronicled 150-plus recipes—some of them nearly lost to time—as well as the stories, history and wisdom that has made traditional Italian cooking an intense celebration of life.

With excitement and culinary expertise, Carol pays homage to the traditions, techniques, culture and creativity of these venerable women.

Where else can you discover a unique recipe for Ragù Genovese, where the onions are slowly cooked almost to a cream, or 'Ncip 'Nciap, a scramble of eggs, red onions, and chicken that gets its name from the sound of the knife chopping the onions. If all roads lead to Rome, there is probably not one that Carol has missed in her quest to capture the priceless secrets of le nonne.

Carol has written about Italy and Italian food for Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Gourmet, The New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post, Connoisseur and numerous other publications. As well as her own cookbooks, she has contributed chapters to Savoring Italy and Julia Child's In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs. She has lectured on food topics at Radcliffe College, the Smithsonian Institution and Boston Culinary Historians. She has also appeared on cooking programs on PBS with Julia Child and Lorenza de'Medici.

"When I go to Italy, I never call the famous food people. I want to talk to the people down the block."