The Rose Pistola Cookbook: 140 Italian Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite North Beach Restaurant

Emphasizing the virtues of fresh herbs and vegetables, chef Hearon (Salsa) infuses many of his Ligurian-inspired recipes with an appealing inventiveness. Asparagus, Artichoke and Poached Lemon Salad contains fruit sliced so it can be eaten, rind and all. Hearon adds harissa to Gnocchi with Calamari Bolognese for extra taste. A cup of Biga deepens the flavor of Pizza dough. He tosses roasted chestnuts into caramelizing vegetables to accompany Roast Guinea Fowl with Pancetta. Braised Oxtails with Asparagus receives an added fillip at the end in the form of Basilade, a pounded gremolata-type sauce made with basil instead of parsley. The soups in particular--like White Bean Soup with Braised Greens and Summer Tomato Soup--are easy to prepare, with well-balanced ingredients. More complicated entr es include Giant Ravioli of Soft Egg and Wild Greens, Fried Milk-Brined Rabbit and Roasted Morel Salad, and, of course, the famous coastal Cioppino, featuring Dungeness crab. Desserts range from the simple Zabaglione with Strawberries in Red Wine to the rich and very demanding cream cake, Sacripantina. Most of this savory restaurant fare is within reach of the confident home cook. (Oct.)