Let’s talk Cook the Books Club! This month we were reading Taste by Stanley Tucci. It was an engaging read, overall.
Here’s my Goodreads Review:
Taste: My Life through Food by Stanley TucciMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
If I were to rate this book on the beginning (Mr Tucci's childhood) and the end (his battle with cancer), I would probably give it 4.5 stars. But then there's the middle bit. Parts were compelling, parts found Mr. Tucci's waxing on a bit, and parts had me full out rolling my eyes over the poor me celebrity bit.
Regardless, it was an enjoyable read overall (especially his childhood.). There are several recipes added throughout, which also makes this a great foodie read!
View all my reviews
I was most intrigued by Mr. Tucci’s explanation of alfredo. Chicken Alfredo is near and dear to my heart. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, alfredo was the very first dish I ever made for Hubs when we were dating (before I knew how to cook) and since then it's become a favorite treat for the whole family…
Well, according to Mr Tucci, the American, cream-based version that is our favorite is apparently an abomination.
A true alfredo is 3 ingredients only: pasta, butter, and parmesan. Say what?!?
It sounds basically like our favorite side dish: parmesan noodles! Only those are a definite short-cut recipe: store bought noodles, pre-grated parmesan, and much less butter than the recipe below!
The verdict: it was good, but overall, we’d prefer the cream-based alfredo or the cheater parmesan noodles instead!
This post is also linking to May Foodies Read.
Traditional 3-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo
Recipe from No Frills Kitchen
1 pound fresh homemade Fettuccine Pasta
7 tablespoons butter
3 ½ ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
Additional cheese to top
Cook the pasta for 3-4 minutes in 3 quarts of salted water.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in ½ cup pasta water, then whisk in the cheese until melted and smooth.
Use tongs to move the pasta from the boiling water to the skillet with the sauce. Toss the pasta to coat.
Plate the pasta and top with additional grated cheese.
I enjoyed this memoir too and was surprised that I've been making alfredo wrong all these years LOL.
ReplyDeleteI liked the book as well. The recipes all look good and your chicken alfredo looks yummy.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found it mostly engaging. I am with you, I like some cream in my Alfredo! ;-) Thanks for joining in.
ReplyDeleteI may be repeating this comment but I am glad you found the book mostly engaging. Like you, I want cream in my Alfredo--correct or not! ;-) Thanks for joining in!
ReplyDeletethere were so many pasta dishes and stories to choose from in this book, it was really hard. I'm a fan of tomato based sauces but enjoyed reading about all of them
ReplyDeleteWe will probably stick with the cream version too!
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