cover image Ciro & Sal's Cookbook

Ciro & Sal's Cookbook

Ciro Cozzi, Alethea Cozzi. Dutton Books, $18.95 (244pp) ISBN 978-1-55611-005-4

Although they purportedly had never cooked, artists Cozzi and Sal DelDeo audaciously opened a cafe in 1952, which soon became popular among Provincetown's arts colony. The initial menu offered only renditions of the standard spaghetti with ragu and spaghetti with ragu and meatballs. Today, bearing a considerably expanded menu, the restaurant continues to draw food enthusiasts from Cape Cod. The father-and-daughter authors (DelDeo left the restaurant in 1960) offer more than 200 hearty and toothsome Italian recipes that utilize fresh ingredients, including Northern and tomato-based Southern styles. Sprinkled throughout are comments from celebrity patrons (for example, spaghetti with nuts, raisins and anchovies carries a testimonial from artist Robert Motherwell). A useful glossary of specialty shop ingredients is included. Illustrations not seen by PW. 35,000 first printing; $35,000 ad/promo; BOMC/Cooking & Crafts Club selection; author tour. (May 27)