Remarkable as both a cookbook and a peek into the Italian lifestyle, Viana La Place's My Italian Garden offers a seasonal approach to Italian cuisine. Finding inspiration in the garden of her San Francisco backyard, La Place provides recipes using the produce that her garden features during each season. Four variations on the Caprese capture this spirit perfectly: Instead of insisting on the traditional Caprese salad--mozzarella, tomato and basil--year-round, La Place recognizes that the original version is at its best only in the summer, and she substitutes such ingredients as radishes and almonds in other seasons. Her delicious pastas, main courses and desserts follow this from-the-garden doctrine, as well.
My Italian Garden Cookbook
