cover image Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania

Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania

Arthur Schwartz. HarperCollins Publishers, $32.95 (484pp) ISBN 978-0-06-018261-8

Radio personality Schwartz (Soup Suppers) brings to the kitchen the food and culture of Campania in yet another close look at the food of an Italian region. Campania--and in particular its capital, Naples--is known for an earthy cooking style. It is also the birthplace of both spaghetti and pizza, which are amply represented here in Spaghetti with Cabbage, Spaghetti in a Hurry (Spaghetti Sciu Sciu alla Caprese), Pizza di Scarola (made with escarole, olives, pine nuts and raisins) and the traditional Pizza Margherita (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil). Dishes like Rosa Mazzella's Fritters with Salt Cod, Olives, and Capers, and Battered and Fried Cheese evidence a local love of frying. Stretching meat appears to be a specialty of the area, where dishes such as Veal Meatballs in Eggplant Scarves and Neapolitan Meatloaf (made with prosciutto, soppressata, provolone and pecorino cheese) take precedence over whole pieces of beef. Anecdotes and bits of history like the segment on buffalo mozzarella are entertaining, and the enjoyment continues with a chapter on desserts and extras, which includes the unusual Eggplant with Chocolate and Limoncello, the lemon liqueur made famous on the island of Capri. (Nov.)