FROM ITALIAN-AMERICA WITH LOVE (Cookbook)

A lot of LOVE went into this unique cookbook. Originally published in 1987, this delightful cookbook was carried in a print edition by Barnes and Noble bookstores as well as at Kitchen stores, gift stores, libraries, and also sold by the U.S. Italian restaurants that generously contributed their prize recipes. It was, and still is, popular not only for its cutely illustrated, giftable format but also for the completeness of its collection of every type of Italian dish. Noting the region of Italy where each originated, every dish could be not only sampled at the Italian restaurants that served the dishes, but also could be easily made at home due to the easy-to-follow instructions, one recipe per page. Italian-American cuisine differs from that of Italy only in our regional variations. America made no culinary contribution to Italy, but stimulated the native genius by giving it new materials with which to work -- Italian-America contributed the tomato (originally from Mexico), turkey, potato, peanut, vanilla and chocolate -- which Columbus introduced via Spain; also the cultivated strawberry, string beans, pumpkins, artichokes and certain squash. And Italy sent us sinfully rich pastries, seafood specialties, pasta, olives, polenta, more wines than any country in the world, and, of course, pizza which became "Americanized" worldwide. Grandma may no longer get up at 4:00 AM to "stir the sauce," but the Italian dinner table is still the center of Italian social life -- around it engagements are blessed, marriages are celebrated, friends are welcomed, disputes are settled, and even the bereaved are comforted. While the "Italian Tonight" cookbook is a collection of Italian recipes from Italian restaurants worldwide, with color photos in the front section, this cookbook, illustrated throughout, also has humorously illustrated tabbed divider pages for each food category... and was truly a labor of love. Buon Appetito! 253 pages. Illustrated & Indexed.