After the first month of our Italian Cookbook Club, after our exchanges on Chat and a post to introduce you all to her book and recipes, on Sunday we met with
for a live Q&A on Zoom.When we started planning our Italian Cookbook Club, we thought a live talk could be the peak of our month-long appreciation of each book, and I was not wrong. Viola and I—one in San Francisco and one in Tuscany—united by the same profession and by an equal love for Italian cuisine, talked for more than an hour about her cookbook, Italy by Ingredient, and about her marvelous walk-in pantry. We delved into her story, retracing the influence of her family in her deep love for Italian ingredients. We also discussed recipe writing and tone of voice, generosity and inspiration.
I felt inspired, elated by our conversation, grateful to have such an accomplished and generous author, food writer, and recipe developer as a guest of our first Italian Cookbook Club live event.
More in detail, this is what we talked about:
Viola’s story and background, from a small town in Umbria to New York
Her experience as a cooking class teacher in San Francisco
How being a cooking class teacher influenced her voice
How she honed her unique voice in recipe writing
Viola took us on a tour of her walk-in pantry, that she designed to have everything on display
How she selected the ingredients that constitutes the chapters of her book (and why she left out pasta and extra virgin olive oil)
Viola’s tips on what to do in Perugia (Umbria) and surrounding area
The cookbooks that inspire Viola’s cuisine
How to get better in recipe writing (resources and links)
The must have ingredients in her pantry, and the ingredients worth researching for (spoiler: both are fish!)
What this book brought in terms of surprises or unexpected feedback
Learn more about Viola here:
Follow her on IG @violabuitoni
Her cookbook, Italy by Ingredient
March pick. Stagioni: Modern Italian cookery to capture the seasons, by Olivia Cavalli
Our March pick for the Italian Cookbook Club is Oliva Cavalli’s Stagioni: Modern Italian cookery to capture the seasons, published by Pavilion Books.
Get ready to cook and fall in love with Oliva Cavalli’s approachable, seasonal, real Italian food.
With our Italian Cookbook Club, we aim to introduce you to new and old cookbooks about Italian cuisine, ingredients, and traditions. It won’t be all about the latest trends, but we will pick good, reliable, timeless cookbooks worth adding to your collection.
If you love live events, don’t miss the Monthly Cook Alongs!
For our March Subscribers Only Cook Along we will meet SUNDAY, March 24that 9.00 pm CET - 3.00 pm EST - 12.00 pm PST.
We’ll make from scratch a couple of easy, Italian appetizers made with pantry staples, something you can throw together at the last minute when you have friends over for dinner: a tomato paste spread and my trustworthy chickpea cake will be there.
Paid subscribers will receive the Cook-Along Working Sheet and the link to join the Cook-Along Along a few days before the date.
