Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals

Juls’ Kitchen blogger Scarpaleggia (From the Markets of Tuscany) celebrates “the art of making do with what you’ve got” in this nifty collection of Italian peasant-style recipes. This centuries-old cooking tradition relies on simple but high-quality ingredients and the creative repurposing of leftovers: stale bread, for example, can be used as fried breadcrumbs for bread-and-anchovy-stuffed sweet green peppers, sandwich bread for fried mozzarella sandwiches, or a hearty element in bean and lacinato kale soup. Scarpaleggia’s array of regional recipes—including Sicilian watermelon pudding, Genoese chickpea and chard stew, and Basilicata-style baked salt cod with potatoes—emphasizes the expansive flavors of la cucina povera and will appeal to plenty of palates. Crowd-pleasers include minestrone soup and chicken cacciatore, while dishes like roasted pork liver skewers and veal tongue with parsley sauce will lure the more adventurous. Engaging sidebars add enlightening context (both the feminine “arancine” and masculine “arancini” are correct names for Sicilian fried rice balls) as well as helpful tips (if short on time, store-bought puff pastry can replace a homemade pie shell for the spinach and ricotta pie). For resourceful home cooks who prefer a farm-to-table approach and Italian flair, this book is a must. (Mar.)