The Villa Table: 300 Classic Italian Recipies

The Villa Table, the school offering classes in cookery by de' Medici at the author's Tuscany estate, now yields a cookbook. And it begins with a disclaimer. ``I am not a professional cook,'' announces the author, who has been publishing cookbooks for the last 20 years. Hoping to reassure readers whose ways in the kitchen may be casual, she explains that she herself never had all the time in the world to spare for cookery, and that personal taste, not merely that of the experts, should be one's principle arbiter. The advice is ingratiating, though some of the recipes outstrip it in fineness of goal; a few others (e.g., spaghetti frittata) may be almost too simple. But the general standard is rich, taking in antipasti, first and second courses, vegetables, breads and sweets (an apricot caramel custard and a peach meringue are especially tempting), sauces and cheeses. The look of the book, too, is delicately ornate, with photographs that aspire to the aesthetic. It's difficult not to respond, not to glide toward the kitchen. (Nov.)