Diary of a Tuscan Chef
If you like to mix reading and cooking, Cesare Casella offers a delightful blend of family reminiscences and recipes for Tuscan dishes in this charmingly written, culinarily opinionated book. Casella first came to the attention of food lovers while cooking at Il Vipore, the restaurant his parents started in a small Tuscan town near Lucca in 1964. Under his guidance, the restaurant won a Michelin star in 1993, the same year he moved to New York City to cook at Coco Pazzo.  InDiary of a Tuscan Chefhe enthusiastically shares stories about his parents and family and of growing up in rural Italy. The accompanying recipes are, of course, for Tuscan dishes. There is supernally hearty Zuppa di Gran Farro della Garfagnana, made with a grain available at Italian markets (or that you can replace with barley) and Pesto alla Cesare, enlightened with fresh chervil (or parsley) and anchovies. Crostini of Tuscan bread made with tomatoes and aromatic herbs, including ginger, perfectly illustrates how Casella's cooking blends tradition with creativity. Whether its 150 recipes please or startle you,Diary of a Tuscan Chefis bound to enchant.