Autentico

October 2, 2017
Beramendi, owner of fine-food importer Manicaretti, pays an inordinate amount of attention to the ingredients that go into the 120 Italian recipes featured in his nicely illustrated debut cookbook. There is a lengthy chapter on pantry supplies, including four pages of discussion on olive oil. His entry for tuna belly with beans begins with a paragraph in praise of tuna sold in glass jars. And perhaps because he loves to entertain, the author’s tone is not so much that of a chef (although he is a chef) as that of a congenial host always at play in the kitchen. Starters include bagna caôda (“hot bath”), a soup of milk, garlic, anchovies, and wine; a crustless pizza; and a fonduelike affair in which focaccia is dipped into a large pot of tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. A first course of pasta with almond-and-tomato pesto might lead to a main course of breaded lamb chops with a side of sweet-and-sour onions. For dessert there is pistachio gelato or peaches in Chianti with black pepper and basil. The recipes are accessible and, true to the book’s title, authentic.

January 1, 2018

Through Beramendi's business Manicaretti (manicaretti.com), the fine food importer has developed a prodigious knowledge of Italian food and wine. Here, following a glowing foreword from celebrated cookbook author Ina Garten (Cooking for Jeffrey), the author skillfully introduces the Italian pantry and brings together 120 recipes for basics, antipasti, starters, mains, sides, and desserts. The first chapter contains indispensable information on key ingredients such as olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, capers, and spices; Beramendi covers not only how to select them but how they are produced. His expert guidance can help readers to demystify food labels and designations, and his straightforward recipes (e.g., pesto, polenta gratin, sweet-and-strong lamb stew, panettone bread pudding) will inspire them to start cooking. VERDICT A treasury of exquisite Italian cuisine.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2017
Authentic does indeed define this first cookbook from a longtime importer of Italian fine foods to the U.S. Even better, Beramendi is generous with credits, clear about his preference for simplicity (for instance, avoiding overcrowded plates and recipes with too many disparate ingredients), and forthright about his likes and dislikes. Expect great information about the basics, from deciphering important labels like DOP and IGP, to explicit instructions for the selection, use, and care of anchovies, capers, garlic, and other ingredients. His dislikes, by the way, are boldly apparent. Disclaimer: I don't like turkey. While we're at it, I don't like chicken, either. Borrowing and occasionally personalizing many of the 120 recipes from his Italian chef-friends, Beramendi ensures through his well-presented instructions that the pasta will be al dente, the right wines will accompany, and the ultimate result will more than please. Recipes represent both familiar dishes and twists on traditional onescaponata and risotto, swordfish torte and pizza without a crustand are accompanied by good photographs and, when necessary, a few step-by-step visuals. In between are narrative snapshots of Beramendi's culinary heroes and his considerable knowledge, including a short dissertation on farro. Autenticoand magnifico.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)