Do you have a 1986 copy of Marcella’s Italian Kitchen cookbook? I do not. But, I do have Hazan’s 600+ page, 1992 tome, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. If you are familiar with the Hazan cookbook world, similarities jump out among her books.
- The approach is straightforward and unfussy
- Hazan countenances no fools – Where Essentials opens with 47 pages of Fundamentals, Marcella’s Italian Kitchen cookbook opens with 33 pages of key ideas, ingredients, tools, and techniques that comprise “Good Italian Cooking.”
- Of these, my favorite section is Taste of Italian Cooking (p. 5-6) where Hazan writes out 21 edicts, such as “Vegetables and beans are, on occasion, passed through a food mill. Do not process them to a cream. In Italian cooking, there is no cream of anything soup.” You are either a fan of Hazan’s directness, or not. I prefer it. No muss, no fuss, just get in the kitchen and cook.
- The format of each, down to the font used, appears the same.
Italian Flavor Shines Through in Marcella’s Italian Kitchen Cookbook
The 1986 classic, updated by Hazan’s husband, Victor, and republished in 2024 with recipes from the doyenne of Italian cooking in the United States (Marcella passed in 2013), the book looks and feels much like the original.
At 386 pages, there’s plenty of room for the 250 recipes that span from pastas and vegetables to meat courses, and appetizers. Marcella’s husband, Victor, streamlined things a bit, placing what my 1992 Essentials called Variety Meats in its Table of Contents into Meat Courses, for example, and placing some of the sauces next to the main recipe where the sauce’s use is intended. Unlike other cookbooks designed for the modern reader, no recipe includes an anticipated cooking time. Italian flavor cannot be driven by the clock. The heart of the book lies in the reader’s willingness to cook with Hazan’s guidance but flow with the recipe and the ingredients at hand. Where you end up is where you are meant to be. It will be delicious.
Recipes can stretch for pages, like Lasagne con le Verdure which runs 148-150 and Sugo Fresco di Pomodoro, the recipe for the lasagna’s sauce, which follows on 150-151.
While some recipes, like Sautéed Calves Liver with Bacon and Onions (p. 284-286) or Sweetbreads with Marsala and Artichokes (286-7) seem old-fashioned to younger eyes, they, like Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes and Onion (p. 171) or Pasta and Chick Pea Soup (p. 107-8) are essential to understanding the depth and breadth of Italian cooking. The cook time is not the point.
Recipes I Made
Ever since I learned about the deliciousness of pairing red wine with fish, I have sought out ways to play with the idea. I was intrigued that Hazan started the Fish Courses chapter with Filetti di Pesce al Vino Rosso (fish fillets in red wine, p. 207-8), and similarly throws aside any notion that fish and red wine do not belong together. I had a Super-Tuscan on-hand; Its bold character not only turned the fillets a garnet color, the wine, along with the sweetness of onion and carrot, was the main flavor of the dish.
I made Risotto with Savory Cabbage and Parmesan (p. 193-194) in my 5-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven. I love Savoy cabbage and it is plentiful in the farmers’ markets near me as I write this in early November. Braising the cabbage until it is golden-colored and adding a bit of pancetta – delicious. And so simple, if you have the patience to ladle the broth into the rice at regular intervals as risotto rice demands.
Sautéed Lamb Chops with Garlic and Rosemary (p. 270-271) is an important dish in my Mom’s repertoire and has carried over to me. I don’t even need to see the recipe anymore to know how to make it. I even started growing rosemary so I would always have fresh on-hand to make this dish.
Note: Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese Sauce from Essentials was included in the New York Times Cooking supplement (p. 33). I make this sauce regularly, swapping oat milk for the whole milk. Awesomeness.
Who Would Like This Cookbook
Does your Italian cooking game seek a return to the fundamentals? Or a refresh? Does your shelf even have a go-to source for how to make pasta by hand or fresh tomatoes when tomatoes are in season (or not)? I treasure my copy of Essentials and I suspect that anyone who owns this book will turn to it time and again as a lodestar, a guide to a cuisine from an experienced cooking instructor who loves to teach others the joy of cooking Italian food.
Call it basic, if you must, for it is that. It is also a joy to experience Hazan’s love for Italian food as told through the flavors of her Italian kitchen.
I was provided a preview copy of “Marcella’s Italian Kitchen.”
