Mezzogiorno: Francesco Mazzei Recipes from Southern Italy by Francesco Mazzei

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mamma mia! I was blown away by this cookbook!! Covering Southern Italian cuisine, this book is a treasure trove of amazing recipes that will delight your palate! Where shall I start? Frittata di Cipolle Rosse e Ricotta (Red Onion and Ricotta Frittata) just might blow your mind! I love a good frittata, and red onions were on sale, so it seemed meant to be. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how THAT many onions would work in a fritatta. I was really afraid they would overpower everything. My fears were in vain. The onions are cooked low and slow until they are sweet and rich and…amazing! The whole family loved it–well, except for the youngest who doesn’t care for eggs!

I like sweets, but I’m a sucker for good bread, so naturally I went looking for a bread recipe. There aren’t many in this book, but they all look amazing. I decided to give Focaccia Olive e Acciuge (Focaccia with Olives and Anchovies) a try. Well, sort of. My husband was on a diet and couldn’t have the bread and he’s the only one in the family that loves olives, and I’m the only one that likes anchovies, so I compromised and did the bread without either….this time! I do plan on making it again with both included! In short, it is one of the best focaccia breads I’ve ever had!! This recipe is amazing!

Now, I have not made the cannoli shells from scratch yet (it’s definitely on my to do list!), but the filling is lovely. I also have not made the Melanzane e Cioccolato (Aubergine–eggplant–and Chocolate Cake), but as soon as my eggplants are ready I’m going to give it a go!

There’s so much to love in this book! From the gorgeous photos to the delectable food, this book is an absolute delight! While I’ve list a couple of recipes I still want to try, believe me when I tell you that my book looks like a porcupine it has so many stickers of things I want to make!!

Take a trip to Southern Italy with a menu of their delightful food from a delightful cookbook. I highly recommend this book. I’m sure it won’t disappoint!

I received a copy of this book from Trafalgar Publishing through IPG for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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