Nuovo Mondo: New Italian Food

Nuovo Mondo
New Italian Food
by Stefano Di Pieri and James McDougall

Hardcover, 200 pages

I think we all have a special place in our hearts for Italian food. But this book takes you past your cottagey comfort foods and into the realm of food as art. In Nuovo Mondo you will learn restaurant riffs on Italian flavours to wow your friends and that special someone in your life. Yeah, I think this is food to seduce.

Nuovo Mondo is the marriage between the simplicity of traditional Italian cookery, and a modern approach to food that focuses on freedom and creativity in the kitchen.

We have more than enough books telling us how to slap food on the table in 15 minutes - and that does come in handy - but when you have the time and the inclination it's great to put together something really special.

More than a collection of recipes, Nuovo Mondo is also a practical guide for developing foundation kitchen skills and techniques, such as deboning, curing and smoking. Join Stefano and Jim on this culinary journey. 

Contents include:

introduction

antipasto & first course

salads

soups & broths

pasta

fish & seafood

the whole beast, offal & game

smoking, curing & cooking without heat

desserts

basics

Which is not to say that each recipe is complicated - there are both simple and cheffy recipes to delight and inspire.

Salad of Tomato, White Anchovy, Basil, Olive & Onion

book excerpt originally published on psnews

Serves 4 to 6 as a shared plate

   5 large pitted kalamata olives or other good black olives
   100ml white vinegar
   1 tablespoon caster sugar
   1 red onion, cut into 5mm thick rings
   1 tablespoon salt flakes
   4 large round tomatoes, cut into 1cm thick slices
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
   100ml extra virgin olive oil
   6 white anchovy fillets, halved crosswise
   1 small handful fresh basil leaves

Place the olives in the freezer.
   Combine the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan, place over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
   Remove the small inner and large outer onion rings for another use. For this recipe, we’ll use only the even, medium-sized onion rings. Place them in a bowl with the salt. Leave for a few minutes to soften a little. Pour over the vinegar mixture and set aside.
   Arrange the tomatoes on a large serving plate. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with the olive oil. Arrange the anchovy fillets over the top, spacing them evenly to ensure that each diner gets at least one.
   Remove the olives from the freezer and grate them over the tomato and anchovy. Use as much or as little as you like.
   Scatter the onion rings over the top. The salad should be gaining some height and interest by now. Garnish with the basil leaves