Toscana Mia: The Heart and Soul of Tuscan Cooking

In Tuscany, food, family, love, lore, and belonging are all one--and Umberto Menghi imparts this wisdom to those fortunate students who attend his cooking school in Villa Delia, an enchanting Tuscan farmhouse. There they learn the personality of each ingredient, develop a feel for quantities and combinations, and cultivate a new set of instincts to bring back to their own kitchens. If you're not lucky enough to get to Italy and have this top chef teach you firsthand, open these pages for a banquet of over 100 traditional Tuscan dishes he watched his mother and grandmother prepare for years. Commentaries, full of fondness and memory, place the foods in context. Among the mouthwatering sensations, shown in 120 luscious photos: a delicious stuffed zucchini, "my mother's style," with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and several recipes incorporating white beans--a staple in the Tuscan household. Plus: advice on buying and growing your ingredients. Umberto Menghi is a chef, restaurateur, and author of several books on Italian cuisine.