See Tuscany -- Cooking Up an Italian Life, Simple Pleasures of Italy in Recipes and Stories

Moving in a different direction, about 20 years ago Sharon Sanders visited Florence, where she met her (American) husband and gained a lasting love for Italian foods. She subsequently went on to become a cook and food writer, and has just published Cooking Up an Italian Life, Simple Pleasures of Italy in Recipes and Stories. The table of contents looks fairly typical of Italian cookbooks, with sections devoted to soups, pasta, pizza, fish, poultry, pork & beef, antipasti (why at the end?), desserts, and sundry, which includes information on techniques and tools, tips on setting up a pantry, and high altitude cooking tips. Well, perhaps high altitude cooking tips aren't standard, but Italy does have the Alps. However, the recipes are frankly unusual; though there are some tried-and-true standards, for example pasta alla carbonara, charcoal-makers spaghetti, with pancetta and egg (p. 83), to which she adds a little garlic but doesn't otherwise alter (unlike many other English language recipes I've seen), most of the recipes are the sorts of things one might encounter in a modern Italian home inhabited by someone who enjoys hitting the markets and then heading home to make something that isn't exactly what her grandmother would have made. In other words, current Italian cooking, which can be delightful, but can also all to easily be overlooked in collections designed to help people recreate nonna's cooking or the meals they had in restaurants while visiting Italy.

The second unusual thing about the book is that she doesn't present recipes so much as meals, in other words a main entrée or one sort or another, and a suggestion for something to accompany it, be it a side dish or dessert, and, perhaps a wine as well. For example,

This savory bread and cheese pudding is wonderful for a weekend brunch or a do-ahead weeknight dinner.

Ham and Sun-Dried Tomato Strata ~ Mango with Marsala and Pine Nuts

Bread that is a day or two old and too dry to eat works fine for this dish; add a bit more milk, if needed, to moisten adequately.

Strata:: 12 ounces rustic bread, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices; 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced; 1 tablespoon butter; 1/4 cup sun-dried recipe-ready tomato strips; 6 to 8 ounces thick-sliced cooked ham, cut into small chunks; 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Fontina cheese, divided; 3 eggs; 3 to 3 1/2 cups milk; 1/2 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mango:: 2 to 3 ripe but firm mangoes; 1/4 cup Marsala wine; Sugar; 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

To prepare the strata: Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick spray.

Take the bread and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in the prepared pan; set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of dark green scallion stems in a small dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add the remaining scallions. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes. Stir and cook for 1 minute, or until the scallions are softened. Spoon over the bread. Sprinkle with the ham and 3/4 cup of the Fontina. Toss to combine.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add 3 cups of milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat just to combine. Pour over the bread mixture. Press down gently with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Fontina. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or as long as 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 F [160 C]

Remove the plastic. Squeeze one of the top bread cubes. If it's not squishy, add the remaining 1/2 cup milk.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and the center is hot. Sprinkle each serving with the reserved scallion stems.

To prepare the mango: Peel the mangos and slice. Place in a bowl with the marsala. Sprinkle with sugar to taste. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Sprinkle each serving with pine nuts. Serves 4 to 6.

For a meat-free strata, omit the ham.

~

Dark rum may replace the Marsala wine.

My note: recipe-ready sundried tomatoes are pre-reconstituted; if yours are plain dried reconstitute them in warm water before using them.

In all, there are about 200 recipes, with dishes to suit almost any occasion, and well thought out combinations. A fun book that will make a nice gift, though you shouldn't leaf though it if you're planning on giving it away, lest you either rush out for a second copy, or present your recipient with something else.

Practical things:
Cooking Up an Italian Life, Simple Pleasures of Italy in Recipes and Stories.
By Sharon Sanders, 2001
Published by Pergola West, Center Valley PA
270 pages and about 200 recipes, with some asides as well.
ISBN 0970298137