Bone (At Mesa's Edge
) wasn't much more than a bambina
when her father, Edward, published Italian Family Cooking
in 1971. Now she collaborates with him in this pleasant sequel. There's considerable emphasis on vegetables, seafood and reasonable portion sizes; pasta recipes are "for small servings to be served as a first course" and include such rustic options as Spaghettini in Duck Broth and Fettucine with Guinea Hen Sauce. The recipes are divided by season and then by course—a pleasant way to think about cooking, but one that leads to excessive page flipping for those who want, for example, to examine the book's three seasonal lasagna recipes. Zucchini Flowers are a favorite warm weather ingredient, and come fall, pears and figs figure prominently. As bookends to each section, Bone offers brief essays and memoirs. Some are wise ("The best way to eat fruit is in
the tree from which it grows") or utilitarian (how to shop on the Bronx's famed Arthur Avenue), while others, involving the likes of Craig Claiborne and Pierre Frayne, will be just plain out jealousy provoking to those who grew up without a renowned chef in the immediate family. (Nov.)
