Italian Cook Book. - book reviews

Sunset, Sept, 1989

A legendary Italian dish, veal and chicken cannelloni, graces the cover of Sunset's Italian Cook Book. The attentive preparation needed to make this entree represents one end of the scale in Italian food.

At the other end but just as grand are magnificently simple dishes such as paper-thin slices of pink prosciutto served with sweet, ripe figs.

This book makes it clear that the embracing characteristic of Italian cooking is simply the love of good food. And its 262 recipes reflect that loving common denominator.

The first edition of the book, published in 1972 and illustrated with black-and-white photographs, was built around recipes that Jerry Di Vecchio, now food and entertaining editor of Sunset Magazine, brought home after living in Europe. Today's edition, in color and selling for $6.95, continues with the best of the original recipes but adds more that were published in the magazine after 1972.

Starting on page 73 of this month's Sunset, a 10-page article focuses on how Italian cooks use their summer and early fall fruits and vegetables, which are essentially the same as those found on the West Coast of this country.

The article gives 11 recipes, from appetizers to desserts, using produce that's in season now. We suggest you use the Italian Cook Book to discover complementary recipes that can be prepared yearround. Last year Sunset sold more copies of this than any other of its cook books.