Mimi Thorisson has amassed a huge following thanks to her gorgeous cookbooks and Instagramable lifestyle. A French cook and writer living with her family between Médoc, France and Turin, Italy, she is the author of A Kitchen in France and French Country Cooking and runs the award-winning food blog Manger , which documents her cooking adventures in Médoc and around Italy.
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So the day has finally arrived – my new cookbook, Old World Italian is out today. It's been a journey, officially 2 years but in reality probably something closer to a decade. Of course this book would not have been possible without my husband @oddthor whose wonderful photographs bring it to life. It would not have been possible without all my wonderful Italians who have contributed or helped in other ways. It would not have been possible without my publisher, the dream team @clarksonpotter, my literary agent @ricasuave. But probably, most of all, this book would not have been possible without all of you. After all, if nobody had bought my first two books this one wouldn't have happened. But more than that, in the age of social media, many of you have been with me on this journey, some of you may remember the days we shot this or that recipe, followed our travels and motivated me with words of encouragement. I'm not afraid to say that just knowing somebody else is excited about your project is a huge motivation and while I would happily have written this book just for my family (and in a way I did) I'm so happy that all of you can now enjoy it if you want. Which brings me to what I really want to say. I've already said much about this cookbook, here on Instagram and elsewhere. Today it's your turn. Today this book leaves home and must stand on its own. It must stand up to critique, the recipes must dance on the stoves. On your stoves in your kitchens. What today means to me is that something I love can now be shared and I hope you will love it too. Grazie Mille for all your support through the years. These are some of my favourite images from the book, and maybe one or two that didn't make it into the final edit. #oldworlditaliancookbook #clarksonpotter #publicationday #abookisborn
A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor) on Sep 15, 2020 at 5:41am PDT
In her most recent book, Old World Italian : Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy , Thorisson invites you to join her and her family on their travels around Italy. From Tuscany and Umbria to Naples and more, Thorisson dives into Italy’s diverse regional cuisines and shares some 100 recipes for authentic, classic dishes, enriched by conversations with devoted local food experts who share their timeworn techniques and stories.
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This polenta, olive oil and sage cake has become my family’s favorite treat. I am delighted to team up with @furtunaskin, we will be cooking together and sharing this recipe step by step today at 11am EST / 5pm CET time. One of their star ingredients is olive oil, which is also the star in the recipe, making everything extra delicious, rich and flavorful. It has truly been a joy to discover their organic Sicilian @bonafurtunafarm from Corleone, celebrating all good things like biodiversity and sustainable farming. I have a special love for Sicily, a land so untouched and full of history. @furtunaskin will also be hosting a giveaway with their made-in-italy #FurtunaSkin products & my new cookbook, Old World Italian. I hope you will enjoy this cooking session, so tune in! For the recipe, you will need: A round cake pan 8 or 9-inch/ 20/22 cm Preheat oven 400F/200C 110g plain flour 170g polenta 240ml milk 180ml Bona Furtuna Extra Virgin Olive Oil 70g breadcrumbs 1 tbsp of baking powder 1 tbsp of sugar 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped sage, plus 5 leaves to decorate 4 shallots, finely chopped A pinch of salt and black pepper 120g grated Parmigiano 2 eggs, beaten Olive oil for frying #instalive #cooking #bonafurtunafarm #giveaway #furtunapartner
A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor) on Sep 20, 2020 at 6:19am PDT
“Italy has been like our second home,” shared Thorisson in an interview with La Cucina Italiana . “For holidays at first for the last 16 years with my husband, but also before when I was small with my family. Of course, we love the food, and over the years, we’ve just made so many friends and worked and collaborated with different chefs and people in the food industry and farmers. Every time we went, I started doing projects and we found ourselves in Italy more and more.”
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These are the days of spring vegetables and fruits – of hope and freshness. Last week we had the first cherries and apricots, artichoke season is ending here in Italy but another green friend, the asparagus is taking centre stage. When I culled the recipes for my upcoming Italian cookbook I had to remove a few that I love, such is life – writing a cookbook is about balance and in keeping some risottos, others had to make way. One of those is a simple and delicious asparagus risotto that I make all the time in April and May and then wait for a year to make it again. There is truly nothing better than on a rainy spring Monday than a risotto like this and a good bottle of wine. Enjoy. Asparagus Risotto (Serves 6) 2 pints/ 1.2 litres vegetable stock 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 16 ounces /450 g Arborio or Carnaroli rice 120 ml/ ½ cup dry white wine 15 green asparagus stems, thick ends removed 2 tablespoons/ 30 g butter 3 ounces/ 85 g parmesan, grated Heat the stock, bring it to the boil, add the asparagus and cook for 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus. Reduce the heat to low. Trim the asparagus tips, halve them and save for garnishing. Chop half of the asparagus finely, and place the rest of the asparagus in a food processor with a few ladles of the stock. Blitz until you get a creamy texture. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onion and sweat on a medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice with a wooden spoon and coat each grain with the oil. Add the wine and allow to evaporate, stirring all the time. Add a couple of ladles of hot stock and, stirring continuously, cook until the stock is absorbed. After ten minutes, add the mixed asparagus one ladle at a time, alternating with the stock. Add the chopped asparagus. Continue for about 15-20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. It should be soft on the outside but al dente on the inside. Remove from the heat and mix in the butter and parmesan with a wooden spoon until you get a creamy texture. Leave to rest for one minute, then serve. Add more parmesan, the reserved asparagus tips and a drizzle of olive oil. #oldworlditaliancookbook
A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor) on May 11, 2020 at 5:20am PDT
According to Thorisson, there’s a huge difference between the French and Italian kitchens. “I think that is a very big difference because France is all about sauce, and just building up a beautiful sauce and reduction with your meats and whatever you were braising,” she reflected.
“In Italy, first and foremost, the ceremonial making of pastas is already very unique compared to France. Just the whole art of making pasta for me was very important and very different for me. But you know, French people they fetishize food but in Italy, it’s all about family. It’s cooking for the family. It’s a celebration.”
Her cookbook is a celebration in and of its own.
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Just before the reality check or returning to school we had this wonderful weekend getaway at one of our favourite places on earth with some of the best people we know. Delicious food and wine, friendship, maybe the best time of year, when everything is still possible and the thought of summer winding down makes you treasure it even more. We have spent so many good days @tenutailpalazzasso , we shot part of our the new cookbook, Old World Italian – OUT TOMORROW, at this beautiful property and my lovely friend Chicca shared one of our favourite recipes, the delicious tortino della valle Grana, poached pears with radicchio and Castelmagno cheese. Bringing the book to her was a joy, almost as if the book was coming back home . Grazie Chicca and Andrea! ❤️#oldworlditaliancookbook #cuneo #tenutapalazzasso ps: Wearing the most stunning handcrafted Padmini kaftan by @tablaofficial designed by my dearest friend @taniamohan ❤️❤️
A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor) on Sep 14, 2020 at 6:20am PDT
