The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Family and Friends

Rome resident Elizabeth Minchilli offers a dozen enchanting menus with recipes for meals to share in the Italian style. From a casual pizza lunch served as if one were in Rome to a late summer dinner under a pergola, The Italian Table allows you to treat yourself and your guests as if you were dining the Bel Paese. Despite the romance of the book's promise, Minchilli, who was raised in the US, keeps a practical eye on both ingredient lists and a cook's labor. She wants you to be able to enjoy these meals as much as your guests do, and for each of the menus she provides timing suggestions in case there's something that needs doing in advance, as well as tips on drinks to serve and even table decorations. And as you browse the book you'll come across a number of simple, unfamiliar recipes that can refresh your ideas of Italian food: savory crepes from the small town of Viganello; squid and walnut salad from Positano; and even a sage pesto from Sicily. Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.