The Best of Bugialli

Award-winning cookbook writer Bugialli (Giuliano Bugialli's Foods of Italy) returns here to home turf to offer new recipes from all over Italy to his fans. The book is divided into sections on breads, main courses, vegetables and desserts, and Dominis's color photos are chipper and spruce-even sometimes witty, as when six pale amber pears sit upright in chocolate sauce, a tantalizing and somehow sober mirage. Directions are straightforward, though the fare can be elaborate; care is taken to bring complexities into the common kitchen. Some of the standouts: rolled stuffed swordfish cutlets on skewers; schiacciata with fresh grapes; lamb with herbed horseradish sauce. Compact and colorful, the book will find its way onto many American shelves, especially after the debut of a new PBS cooking series to be hosted by Bugialli. BOMC selection. (Oct.)