Easy Tasty Italian

Contemporary and empowering - once you've read Laura Santtini's book and learnt the secrets of transformation in the kitchen, your cooking will never be the same again! Discover the potent alchemy of cookery and how Laura's magical flavour bombs make the simplest food unforgettable. Learn how to make the most of the powers of umami, the recently identified flavour component and how to use simple techniques to transform everyday ingredients into sublime dishes with minimum effort. In the first part of the book, Laura reveals the secret ingredients of her larder and gives recipes for her intense flavour combinations - the marinades such as red wine, porcini and anchovy, rubs such as pink peppercorn, rose petal and salt, and pastes like parmesan and prosciutto - that give her food sparkle. She also shows how procedures such as pounding, chopping, slicing and beating yield mouthwatering extras that can be used to transform dishes. Finally, cooking methods are described under Air, Water, Fire and Earth and, with each one, Laura gives a treasury of delectable recipes. Throughout, suggestions are given for transforming basic recipes - so a carbonara sauce might be uplifted with artichoke and saffron or a smooth vegetable soup might have scorched almonds stirred through. Simple, original and unexpected, this cookbook will become your new best friend in the kitchen.