This review was prepared by Elaine of The Italian Dish.
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When I was asked to review Laura Schenone's The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family
, I was excited because I had seen the book before and I have quite an interest in making ravioli. What I didn’t realize, however, was that this was not really a cookbook – it is a memoir with recipes. So not only did I have a lot more reading ahead of me, I was much more engrossed in it than if I had been reading an ordinary cookbook.
Laura is a food writer living in Hoboken, New Jersey who longs for an authentic family recipe and becomes a little obsessed in her search for the origins of the family ravioli recipe. The ravioli was originally made by her Italian great grandmother, who immigrated to New Jersey from Italy. Her quest for this recipe leads her to long lost cousins and aunts across the country who finally send her the original ravioli recipe.
Baking or cooking with alternative flours, all of which are naturally gluten free, can expand the range of flavors, textures and nutrition to your food. All flours have a unique taste that can enhance or subtly change the flavor of your recipe. Some flours have a shy taste and others are bold enough to hijack your food. Another consideration when using these flours is their texture. Some starches or flours have a powdery texture and can billow around when you try to use them, while others have a slightly fibrous texture. Additionally, many alternative flours can have a significant impact on the nutritional quality of your food. For example, there isn’t much of any nutritional value to tapioca starch, while lentil and bean flours can add protein. Nut meals can add a wide variety of nutrients from protein and calcium to magnesium and more.
