February 09, 2013

Lidia's Favorite Recipes book giveaway!

I'm so excited to have my first book giveaway, courtesy of Knopf Books. So if any of you would like to win a copy of Lidia's Favorite Recipes (published 2012), all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what's your favourite Italian food. I'll draw a name at random and announce the winner next week.

In her latest book, Lidia Bastianich, one of America's most beloved chefs, shares her own favourite recipes and also those that her fans have most enjoyed over the years. This book is a fabulous collection of classic Italian comfort foods, and I'm sure we could all use a little comfort food these days, especially up here in the snowstormy north. I plan to make Lidia's Egg Battered Zucchini Roll-Ups which are filled with capers and her Lamb Stew with Olives which makes my mouth water every time I look at the photo. But today, I opted for her Rice and Zucchini Crostata (page 17), substituting leeks for the zucchini and whole wheat flour for the crust. The ricotta-rice filling was rich and creamy and the olive oil-based crust rustic and flavourful. It all made me yearn for Italy. 

Right now I'm home visiting my family in Nova Scotia and with all this snow, we're pretty much housebound, which I have to confess is one of my favourite things about winter. With the wind howling outside, it's a perfect day for a slow snowy walk, sitting in front of the fire for hours, and catching up on some knitting and cooking. 



Before I go, I wanted to share with you my friend's mom's idea for using up those tiny pesky balls of scrap wool that most knitters have plenty of and don't know what to do with. You put together all the scrap wool into one long strand and using large knitting needles (size 10 or so) you simply knit a basic rectangle. You'll have a thick colourful rug in no time to grace your front door.


Stay warm out there folks, and don't forget to leave a comment below for your chance to win this lovely book of traditional Italian recipes.

19 comments:

  1. What an awesome dish, and an even more awesome visit from my sister <3

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  2. Orecchiette with rabe and sausage

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  3. my favourite itallian dish is a caprese salad (in season of course). So simple, but so perfect. Pick me, pick me! And Ps, can you knit me a hat with wool spun from your cat? Or a rug will do....

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  4. Well..... I am a HUGE sucker for spaghetti and meatballs. Doesn't get much better than that right?
    Trish

    www.jellybonesblog.blogspot.com

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  5. love Neapolitan meatballs, full of raisins. Instead of pine nuts( allergy) I've used raw cashews with success. Slow cook the meatballs in homemade spicy sauce and add to hand made pasta. Yum

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  6. Is spaghetti or pizza considered real Italian food because I love that? Also, one of the best Ceasar salads I ever had, if I do say so myself, was one I made with capers and it was so good! I love the picture of the cat all stretched out looking happy!

    Debbie

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  7. My favourite is FOR SURE Tiramisu, and Cappuccinno. What can I say, I'm a desert person! Although... I really love a good Carbonara... and a nice fresh brushcetta.

    Good luck to me!

    xo

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  8. My favourite is my uncle's dad's lasagna which is the only lasagna I know that includes hard boiled eggs. I think it must be influenced by depression-era Sault Ste Marie.

    Thanks for the lovely blog. I just found you through Edible Toronto, and it's been a treat to wander through some of your postings.

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  9. That leek picture makes me smile. Favorite Italian food - pizza and it's many variations

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  10. I love gnocchi and risotto. Pretty much all varieties of those dishes make me happy.

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  12. Just a giant chunk of parmesan cheese... The Italians have the best simple ingredients!

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    1. Me too! I once was working on a lavender farm in northern Italy and when I left, the farmer accompanied me to the bus and handed me a lunch bag for my long ride ahead. In it was a humongous piece of parmesan cheese with a few other things. She said she didn't have much in her cupboard that day but that a piece of parmesan was the best thing to have for a long bus ride. I had never thought of parmesan as something to just munch on by itself, but it was delicious and kept me satisfied for the entire bus ride.

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  13. Deep dish lasagna. Love your fluffy cat.

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  14. pizza! gnocchi! did i mention pizza!

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  15. Hmmm. If we're going to be real I'll go ahead and say gelato. I went to Rome with my parents one year for vacation and we got gelato every single night. I loved the nut flavors especially -- they tasted so strong and authentic, almost as if you were eating a real pistachio or hazelnut in a cold, creamy form.

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  16. Chicken parmigiana! I mean lasagna....no,no pizza! Too hard to decide.

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  17. My most recent favorite Italian food is ricotta pie - a savory/sweet treat from my mom's family recipes!

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