Author: LAPOLLA, GARIBALDI M.
Title: Italian Cooking for the American Kitchen
Description: Hillside, Illinois: Funk & Wagnalls, 1953. First Edition: First Printing. Mass Market Paperback. Illustrated by Garibaldi M. Lapolla. KB#017848: LCCN# 52-14008. Covers and pages are clean, unmarked (except for light creases in spine), brightly colored, tightly bound and sharp cornered (except for slight wrinkling at top corner of back cover). Scarce, Out Of Print, Book. "If anyone is a Good Eats or Alton Brown fan, then that is probably the reason that this wonderful book popped back up into an albeit small, but well deserved spotlight. He briefly spoke of how this book set the tone for Italian American cooking much like we've known it since the book was published last in 1953. This sparked my interest (being I have an Italian heritage) in the book and of the very few reviews I had read in obscure places I desperately wanted to read and gain some insight from it. I searched for 2 years in university libraries and rare book collector websites and was let down countless times after thinking I'd found a lead. Amazon.com had a posting for this book but no one was selling any of them. I added the book to my wishlist and waited. Randomly after almost completely giving up and forgetting this book (thinking I had no chance in finding it) I decided to check and see if anything was available on my wishlist. Remarkably there it was. I was so excited (over a book no less) I bought the book immediately. It took a week to get here and when I opened the slightly worn 60 year old book I was enveloped in a cloud of insight. The way the Mr. Lapolla penned his phrases was as cliche as you could imagine. It reads like your old Italian grandfather; as if he were sitting in an old comfy chair and telling you how to cook and when to add this. Why you should use this cheese instead of this cheese. Why this pasta is bad for this dish and why it's exceptional with others. He goes into depth on the meaning of words that us Americans simply butcher because that's what we've been taught is right. The recipes will make your mouth water. You could tell this man knew how to cook, but also that he CARED about what he cooked. I'd go so far as to say he loved to cook. Granted, the book needs updating. Americans aren't accustomed to cooking with Tripe, tongue, and chitterlings. There are maybe 5-6 recipes like this in the book which I read humorously, (I wouldn't dare attempt try and eat any of those 3) appreciated his confidence of publishing that recipe, and moved on. Also, the use of "an asbestos" I don't recommend at all. Stick with your modern day pot holders. All in all, I give this book 5 of 5 stars. For it's day it must have been an eye opener for those mesmerized by this form of cooking. I quote Mr. Lapolla saying, "Rumors to the contrary, there is nothing mysterious about Italian cooking. There is no "art" to it." I must say, his instructions prove just that.": B&W Illustrations: 4.25 x 7 in.: 274 pages. Very Good .

Keywords: Recipes Cooking Recent Acquisitions: : General Cooking: : Regional & Ethnic: : Italian