The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita cover image
The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita cover image

The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita

by Cathy Whims and Kate Lewis
Publication date: April 15, 2025
Hardcover
Regular price $28.00 USD
Sale price $28.00 USD Regular price
Unit price
Product description

From six-time James Beard nominee for best chef, recipes to transport you to the full, bright flavors of sun-drenched summers in Italy.

For a culinary tour of Italy, or a master class in creating the nation’s many regional gems in your home kitchen, you couldn’t ask for a better tour guide than Cathy Whims. In her debut cookbook, Cathy brings together dishes from Italy’s many and varied regions, united by her masterful interpretation of cucina povera―literally “food of the poor,” which means fresh produce, local meats, handmade pasta and pizza, and simple cooking methods. These recipes for drinks, appetizers, pasta, pizza, risottos, meat and fish, and desserts are united not by region but by feeling: everything is authentically Italian yet easy for the home cook to create no matter where they live. Step-by-step instructions demystify essential skills like how to make fresh pasta, cook a perfect risotto, and craft heavenly, light-as-a-cloud gnocchi. Readers will find tips and techniques from professional chefs and everyday home cooks, seasoned with Cathy’s always-engaging wit and reflections on history and on food, life, travel, and more.

84 color illustrations

Physical Info: 2.29 cms H x 23.11 cms L x 18.29 cms W (0.75 kgs) 224 pages

For a culinary tour of Italy or a master class in creating the nation's many regional gems in your home kitchen, you couldn't ask for a better guide than Cathy Whims. And to showcase the ingredients that make Italian cooking one of the best-known and most-appreciated gastronomies worldwide, there's no better season than summer.

In her debut cookbook, Whims brings together dishes from Italy's many and varied regions, united by her masterful interpretation of cucina povera--literally "food of the poor," meaning fresh produce, local meats, handmade pasta and pizza, and simple cooking methods. Inventive recipes for drinks, appetizers, pasta, pizza, risottos, meat and fish, and desserts are united not by region but by feeling. Everything is authentically Italian yet easy for the home cook to create no matter where they live. Step-by-step instructions demystify essential skills, such as how to make fresh pasta, cook a perfect risotto, and craft heavenly, light-as-a-cloud gnocchi. Adorned with dreamy, original water color illustrations,The Italian Summer Kitchen is a one-way ticket to la dolce vita.

Chef Cathy Whims is a chef, restaurateur, and food-lover extraordinaire who studied with Marcella Hazan in Venice, Italy. At all three of her acclaimed restaurants, Whims' elemental regional Italian cooking has earned her six consecutive nominations for James Beard Best Chef Northwest. She lives in Portland, Oregon.