Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza, & Calzone: A Cookbook (Chez Panisse Cookbook Library)

I can't speak for the pizza and calzone section of this book, but I have made quite a few of the pasta recipes and have been delighted with the results. Perhaps even more than the recipes in the other Chez Panisse books, the pasta recipes are inventive yet simple, showcasing the ingredients and combining a small selection of flavors to produce surprisingly wonderful results. Alice Waters does unexpected things with pasta that, for me, have transformed pasta from a boring "filler meal" (box of spaghetti plus jar of tomato sauce) into a satisfying and even exciting main course.The pasta recipes have something to offer for all tastes and diets. A lot of the recipes here involve fish, but there are plenty that don't. There are vegetarian recipes and recipes with meat. My personal favorites are the spaghetti with meatballs, the fall pasta with spicy Italian sausage, and the winter pasta with greens, sausage, and olives. Meat here tends to play a supporting role--it's like a condiment, adding flavors but not overwhelming the other ingredients.The recipes are presented in a straightforward fashion, with a clear list of ingredients and (what I think are) simple, clear instructions. At times, Waters assumes that you can fend for yourself a bit ("cook about five minutes, until browned" without telling you a temperature setting, for example), so parts of the instructions might be intimidating to new cooks. However, she never leaves you in the dark about anything important. At times, she does use some "advanced" culinary language--like "chiffonade"--but this is rare and these terms are easy to look up on the internet or in other cookbooks. I don't think there's anything in the book that isn't accessible to all levels of cooks. Just be aware that the recipes assume that the reader is not afraid of cooking.This is probably my most-used Chez Panisse book, and I think anyone interested in learning new ways to approach pasta should enjoy it.Highly recommend!

Recipes for pasta and pizza that follow the seasons.The recipes for the different types of pasta made with different ingredients to give colour and flavour as per regional Italian cooking is explained very simply and is very easy to follow.The Author has used nature's bounty in Spring for the various pasta sauces, and follows through with what is available in summer, autumn and winter.For the pizza lover, there is such a variety of toppings to choose from.An excellent recipe book. One that I would consider a real gem. Highly recommended!

Another good cookbook from Alice Waters! I'm enjoying using her creative ideas for pizzas as a springboard to making interesting combinations that use favorite toppings of my family and friends. Also, the pasta ideas using seasonal choices are most welcome and help me with my goal to eat more fresh, locally grown foods.

This was a gift for my son who's a hobby cook. I've had a copy over 20 years and it's one of my favorites.

Italian cuisine varies from the very northern lands to the tip of the boot in the southern regions. And this cookbook follows along with this diversity. Well worth adding to your collection of Italian cuisine!

I bought this book on Amazon's sister site ABE Books and I'm glad I only paid $5 for it. This book has almost nothing informative about pizza or calzone. That section of the book is only about 20 pages( out of 224 total pages) and most of it is just paragraphs about ingredients you could use, not recipes. It should just be called a pasta book but the problem with that is it's not a great pasta book. A bunch of recipes use squid. I'm sorry but unless you live in a coastal area, where are you going to get fresh squid? I love pasta and I didn't really see more than a couple things I'd actually make. This book is a big disappointment especially given the number of stars it gets from other reviewers.

I love Chez Panisse ! They elevated the Californian palate and brought back to basics farming to the fore . The cookbook is easy to follow . Ingredients and culinary terms are well explained . Have been experimenting with the recipes with great results

Most recipes are very simple, but Pasta always turns out tasting excellent when I follow the recipes.