Scotto Family-Italian Comfort Food, published in 2005. All recipes originate from Fresco by Scotto, a family owned restaurant which opened in New York City in 1993.In addition to the recipes, there are many luscious photos of food, stories and anecdotes.
Soups & Appetizers begin our food journey with chilled minestrone, five bean soup, a marinated seafood salad, polenta, grilled pizza Margherita, and potato & zucchini chips. In Salads & Sandwiches, the offerings include pasta (caprese style), tuna & rice, panzanella and meatball, plus a fried oyster sandwich, soft shell crab ciabattini, and salads composed of roasted pumpkin, string beans or potatoes.
Pasta is a large chapter (but of course!) with spaghetti pie, truffle & red beet ravioli, risotto (several varieties), shrimp & calamari, a few pestos, and lasagne with braised beef & roasted pumpkin, followed by Entrees which features an eggplant & zucchini pie, scampi, crab cakes, pistachio crusted cod, chicken cacciatore, lamb - roasted, shanks & rack, veal osso buco and scallopini.
Sides consist of couscous, risotto cakes, lentil salad and potatoes, and we end with Desserts ~ struffoli, tiramisu, raspberry-mascarpone tart, rice pudding, a trifle, brownies, cupcakes an orange bundt cake and ricotta fritters.
Williams Sonoma Easy Entertaining, published in 2006. The 10 chapters in the book offer complete menus for various entertaining occasions with 45 recipes in total. The first few pages discuss hints for simple entertaining with style, along with shopping tips, general supplies & pantry items and setting the mood/table. At the beginning of each chapter, there are work/prep plans, plus tips and shopping notes for each menu presented.
The first set of menus revolve around a Morning theme ~ with the first being a Casual Breakfast with fruit skewers, toasted brioche and baked egg ramekins. Up next is the Brunch Buffet consisting of peach nectar spritzers, smoke salmon with herbed cream cheese and apple cake.
Moving onto the Afternoon, up first is an Elegant Lunch ~ broccoli/leek soup and chicken salad with sherry dressing, followed by a Backyard BBQ featuring vanilla lemon coolers, grilled sausages with mushrooms & onions and a pasta salad with grilled vegetables. We end with the Sandwich Picnic which offers a broccoli slaw, focaccia with eggplant spread, artichoke & white bean salad and baguettes with ham and cheese.
The final set of menus are suited for the Evening, beginning with Dinner Party which presents prosecco, a charcuterie plate, endive & watercress salad and roasted halibut. Cocktail Party gives us martinis, citrus & mint cocktails, feta cubes, stuffed olives and yummy looking grilled pesto shrimp skewers. A Celebratory Buffet includes shrimp & green onion spread, roasted pork loin and a potato & cheddar gratin, while the Midweek Dinner offers campari/orange cocktails, baked gnocchi, mache & escarole salad and frozen tiramisu. The very last menu centers around a Wine and Cheese party with an artisanal cheese board and an almond & date spread.
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