Pasta Improvvisata: How to Improvise in Classic Italian ... (ISBN 068482972X)

Amazon.com Review:
You may find yourself dusting off your hand-cranked pasta machine after thumbing through Erica de Mane's Pasta Improvvisata. She has taken pasta in one hand, tradition in the other, and pulled together an inspired cookbook. This book is about cooking. Sure, there are plenty of recipes, but each recipe is a point of departure that encourages inspired cooking. Pasta Improvvisata isn't about religiously following a recipe to arrive at the perfect re-creation of an established Italian dish--there's a lot to be said for that, to be sure. There's a lot to be said for a recipe so well written that the unwitting cook is assured of putting on the table the same dish, right down to texture and aroma, that an Italian cook might be putting on his or her table. Marcella Hazan is a master of just such a recipe. Erica de Mane's departure is to start with the feel of a particular Italian dish--just the approach or style--and then improvise with the kinds of ingredients actually available in American supermarkets. She ends up with dishes that are in the Italian spirit, but that speak to a willingness to be experimental, a willingness to say "Hey, these are the ingredients I have on hand, and this is the pasta dish that comes as a logical conclusion." Roasted Asparagus Lasagne with Fontina springs out of a dish that's traditionally just asparagus roasted with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Why not make it as lasagne? In the author's notes at the end of this recipe are several variations on the theme. She constantly coaxes the cook to reach out and try new things. How about Saffron Tagliatelle with Lobster, Tomato, and Cognac? Or Roasted Zucchini, Fennel, and Gruyere Tossed with Penne (which springs from the author's mother's sauce of sliced zucchini sautéed in olive oil)? Tie on an apron before opening this book. You may not have the chance once you dive in. --Schuyler Ingle

This book expresses the true spirit of Italian cuisine:
The approach of this wonderful book is truly innovative. Erica de Mane takes the lay cook in hand and shows how much fun it can be to improvise in the kitchen. I am not particularly courageous when it comes to this sort of cooking and appreciate the encouragement. Whatsmore one has the option of simply following the recipes and getting marvelous results. The array of recipes are mouthwatering and those I have tried have pleased my two daughters who are difficult to please.

the most fun i have had in the kitchen:
cooking with erica demane's book is a blast. everything i have made has been delicious and new, and with each recipe i see how to use ingredients together that can be used in other ways as well. she makes it easy to learn how to improvise and it makes me feel like a real cook. a lot of her pasta sauces can also be a side dish or a stuffing for potatos or dressing for meats and fish. it is an enormously fun and seemingly effortless way to learn how to make really delicious, totally satisfying food.

Loved It:
I have found so many wonderful recipies in this book. I would recomend it to all. She teachs you to not be afraid to try new things and really explore Italian cooking. I can't wait for more from her.

Redeeming the lost art of improvisation in the kitchen:
Pasta Improvvisata How to Improvise in Classic Italian Style By Erica DeMane Reviewed by Liz Waters Copyright 1999 by Liz Waters All Rights Reserved Improvisation in the kitchen has become something of a lost art in recent years, and Erica DeMane is doing her part to reverse this trend with Pasta Improvvisata. I would bet that many, many of our favorite Italian dishes were once an improvisation by inventive cooks, and I know for a fact that the more one improvises, the more one realizes what flavors should go together and which should not. It is often experience, and confidence that enables an inventive cook. With DeMane's wonderful book in which she shares her extensive experience with gentle encouragement, even the shakiest cook should grow confident enough to start creating without a set-in-stone recipe! Here is a recipe that we have made "as is" and improvised on a few times in our kitchen. The blend of basil, zucchini, pasta and scallops is a delicious one that can be played with in your kitchen too. But, do yourself a favor and try it "by the book" first. Basil Lasagne with Scallops and Zucchini This is a light lasagne that contains no bechamel or cheese. It's wonderful in the summer, when both young zucchini and fragrant basil are in abundance. A good winter version can be made by substituting the same amounts of Belgian endive for the zucchini and parsley for the basil. (Makes 4 main-course or 6 first-course servings) 1 1/2 pounds sea scallops, side muscles removed Salt Freshly ground black pepper Olive oil 2 large white onions, thinly sliced 8 or 9 medium zucchini, sliced in thin rounds 3 or 4 anchovy fillets, chopped 2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled For the Basil Sauce: A large bunch of basil leaves (about 2 packed cups) Salt Freshly ground black pepper Olive oil 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 2 large eggs 1 recipe Three-Egg Herb Pasta flavored with basil (page 368) cut for lasgne About 1 cup bread crumbs, toasted (see page 340). If some of the scallops are very thick, cut them in half horizontally; otherwise, leave them whole. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Heat a large skillet until it is almost smoking and sear the scallops on both sides (this shold take no more than a minute or so). They should be lightly browned on both sides but slightly underdone in the center. Remove them from the pan and set aside. In the same skillet add a few more tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onions over medium heat until they just start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, a bit of the salt and pepper, and saute until lightly browned and tender, about 8 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook 1 minute to blend. To make the sauce, place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and add a healthy shot of olive oil. Grind to a rough paste. Add the cream and eggs and process a few seconds, just to blend the ingredients. Cook the lasagne sheets in batches until tender Run under cold water, drain, and lay them out on kitchen towels or paper towels. Ladle a thin coating of the basil sauce over the bottom of a large baking pan (about 12x10x2 inches). Add a layer of pasta. Top with a layer of zucchini and dot with a layer of scallops. Add a thin coating of basil cream. Add another layer of pasta, another coating of basil sauce, then zucchini, scallops and so on. End with a layer of pasta coated with a layer of basil sauce. Top with a; thin but even coating of toasted bread crumbs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the lasagne for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is lightly browned, about 15 minutes more. Let rest a few minutes before cutting. Ideas Other vegetables combine well with scallops. I've made a scallop and escarole lasagne that was wonderful. Try sautéing sliced leeks until very soft and using a layer of them instead of zucchini; omit the onion. Spinach, too, goes well with scallops. I've made a great lasagne by alternating layers of traditional basil pesto (page 102 in book), a lightly cooked tomato sauce, and seared scallops. Another interesting lasagne can be made from scallops grilled with lemon and oregano and layered with sautéed green chard. This lasagne is also excellent if you leave out the scallops for an all-vegetable version. Watch for our Cooking Club Chat featuring Meg Hildreth interviewing Erica DeMane next month: Details about the date and time will be announced soon.

My new bible:
When I first saw Erica De Mane's 'Pasta Improvvisata' I was intrigued by the word improvisation. I was looking for a wedding gift for a friend of mine, an Italian Restaurant owner that I have had the pleasure to work with for several years. Obviously I looked inside in order to make sure that it would be a relevant addition to this experienced cook's varied library. Minutes and hours went by as I was marveling at the genuine, practical style and the feminine touch of Ms.De Mane. All I had ever thought of and learned about Italian cooking was expounded with amiable ease and spontaneity. I think I fell in love with Erica by page 10. As most Italian men I am skilled in carrying on late night conversations about technique, ingredients and legitimacy of classical and new recipes - in my case I am also a proficient, though not professional cook. In addition to that, like Erica, I come from a family that held cooking and its traditions in high esteem. My grandmother was Cordon Bleu de France and Sommelier and operated her own private cooking school for many years. In addition to that I have been working as a musician and entertainer in many renowned restaurants in Italy and other European countries over the past 20 years and I have experienced and learned first hand to appreciate the individual artistry of the local chefs. Erica put into beautiful words all I have ever thought about cooking and it's philosophy. She is never boring - on the contrary: on each page she manages to provide the aficionados with interesting, valuable essential tips and variations, with correct references to the many regional traditions and how to stretch and renew them without falling into the infamous trap of 'fusion'. Her recipes are complete and you can actually follow them word by word to a happy culinary ending - something all kitchen books promise and never maintain. An impossibility unless you already are an experienced cook. To me however, the most striking think is how she manages to translate flavors and their combinations into words and colors making her book a pleasure to read and dream by even if you are about to dine out... Improvisations is the modern Italian Jazz Thesaurus of Pastas and has become my reference guide, my new Bible of Italian Cuisine. It goes without saying that I left the shop with a second copy for myself and I am currently spreading the word buying many more for friends and foes. My next step will be to fly to N.Y. city in the hope of meeting Erica, propose to her and forever make mine her genuine artistic genius. Erica I love you. If you like Italian pasta this is the first book you have to get!