With infectious gusto, Portale invites readers to eat their way through the year with him. Here, he shares his relish for the special tastes of each changing month. The attractive photographs are mostly of the food prepared with the recipes, but are interlaced with atmospheric vignettes of scenery or ingredients. There you have it. The authors, renowned New York chef Vongerichten and writer-columnist Bittman, have structured their book with the finesse one would expect from highly respected professionals.
Recipes provide for all the courses of a meal, from soup to desserts.
The photographs do not predominate, but there are enough glossy color images of the finished dishes to make your mouth water. Illustrations include both documentary photos and color shots of specific dishes. This is an unashamedly visual entry. The book offers a selection of artfully set-up food photos, interspersed with scenic images of the Tuscan settings that inspired the menus, all in rich, saturated color. There are recipes, brief romantic quotations, captions and credits - but no wasted words.