Tuscany: The Beautiful Cookbook

Illustrated with a fantastic array of culinary and scenic images, this latest entry in HarperCollins's ``beautiful cookbook'' series will find a place both on the coffee table and in the kitchen. Chef and cooking instructor De'Medici ( Italy the Beautiful Cookbook ) here focuses on the relatively small region of Tuscany, where a splendid--and vast--tradition in cookery has flourished for centuries, based, she writes, on a simple ``love of wine, freshly pressed olives and bread.'' Well organized by menu course, the cuisine represented here is rich in fragrant soups fortified with crusty country breads and polentas made with chestnut or garbanzo flours. Some of the most interesting recipes include fresh tuna with peas, stuffed zucchini flowers and a squid and beans dish. But, due to the work of Sydney-based Johnson and British photographer Freeman, looking is almost as good as eating. 100,000 first printing; author tour; BOMC selection. (Aug.)