Smaller helping of a favourite Italian classic
My Carluccio collection of cookery books used to number four; now, it's five. His encyclopaedic Complete Italian Food, written with his wife, Priscilla, is a favourite reference book. But hang on - isn't one of the others called An Invitation to Italian Cooking, same as the one I've just received?
Indeed it is, and guess what? Although the wording in the introduction has altered a bit, it says the same thing. Food shots and design have had a makeover. The recipe blurbs have shortened, and so have the number of recipes - my original version had almost 40 antipasti; this one has 14.
With 16 years between the two editions, the book has shrunk from more than 300 recipes to about 150.
When it was first published, it was one of the best books of its year. It arrived with the new wave of Italian cooking, when Britain was coming to grips with porcini, arborio rice and tiramisù. The Neal Street restaurant, where Carluccio was chef, was arguably the most chic Italian in London.
His best dishes have stood the test of time. They've certainly not changed much. Still, if they worked then, why mess with them? I noticed he now uses a floury potato instead of a roux for an asparagus soup.
A couple of dolci - raspberry for strawberry tart, and Campari and passion fruit sorbet (replacing a tarragon sorbet) - are new additions.
Jamie Oliver says Carluccio is his mentor, and domestic cooks who like his approach will appreciate a cookery book that must have had a big influence on him.
Carluccio dedicated his first book to his mother and his wife. This time round he thanks "everyone who assisted in the rebirth". I can guess which edition he prefers. That's the one I like, too.
Michel Raffael
An Invitation To Italian Cooking
by Antonio Carluccio
Headline, £25
ISBN 0-7472-7590-4
Italian extra
If you're still looking for Italian recipes to kick-start your creatve juices, hitting the bookshelves in April will be Ursula Ferrigno's Truly Madly Pasta, from Quadrille (£18.99, ISBN 1844000184), with recipes sourced from every region of Italy.
