THE ROMAGNOLI'S MEATLESS COOKBOOK - Première édition

La cucina di magro (in rough English "the thin kitchen") dates from the fourth-century Catholic precept of ritual abstinence from meat. Predictably, given Italian ingenuity and love of a good meal, cooks of the past 1600 years have developed a mouth-watering repertoire of savory meatless dishes. Although abstinence has been made voluntary, the meatless kitchen continues to thrive, thanks to its advantages in cost, healthfulness, and versatility in the selection of courses. Not strictly vegetarian (it makes excellent use of fish and eggs), unconnected with macrobiotics or weight loss, far from ascetic, THE ROMAGNOLIS' MEATLESS COOKBOOK simply presents 206 of the most tempting, nourishing recipes imaginable: Risotto with Spring Vegetables, Mushroom Lasagne, Fresh Tuna with Green Sauce, Artichoke Pie, Vermicelli Streetwalkers' Style, Peaches in White Wine, and more. Amid this abundance of first and second courses, salads and vegetable side dishes, antipasti and desserts, the absent guest--meat--will never be missed. The Romagnolis' clear, encouraging text and precise photographic instructions (on such delicate and perplexing topics as the cleaning of squid) will convince even the most timid cook to give these recipes a try. They make the invitation to join them in their cucina di magro irresistible, enticing every appetite with this culinary reward: "At the end of a well-orchestrated meal, no matter how simple or rich, you and your guest should stand up and say, 'Ah that was a performance! Encore!'"