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Fantastico! - Little Italian Plates and Antipasti from Rick Tramonto's Kitchen
by Rick Tramonto with Mary Goodbody
Broadway Books
ISBN 978-0-7679-2381-1
Published November 2007 - Hardcover - 274 pages - $35.00

What a wonderful idea!  Serving lots of little plates of Italian food.  Chef/restaurateur Rick Tramonto's book offers us the best of true Italian food, as they enjoy it all over the old country.  In trattorias, ristorantes, osterias, or even pizzarias, you'll come across these delectable small dishes.  He covers Assaggio, Crudo, Bocconcini, Bruschetta, Crostini, Panini, Cicchetti, Antipasti, and Cheese in this book - basically either food is marinated, served on bread or toast or as a grilled sandwich, or just little samplings of food.  Tramonto insists on using in-season ingredients of good quality - it really does make all the difference.  The very first recipe really appealed to me, and I'm dying to try the anise-orange vinaigrette.  Other enticing recipes include Braised Fennel with Orange; Salumi with Peaches and Watercress; Eggplant Calabrese; Bruschetta with Roasted Minted Zucchini and Fontina Val d'Aosta; Crostini with Spicy Italian Sausage and Spinach; Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Herb Goat Cheese Panini; Shrimp Salad Cicchetti; Frittata with Prosciutto, Potato, and Spinach, and the delicious Asiago Cheese with Glazed Cipolline Onions - mmmmmm.  A helpful list of where you can get hard-to-find ingredients is also given.  Whether it's a pre-dinner snack, a sandwich, or a little salad you fancy, I'm sure you'll find something delicious in this book for yourself.  Very helpful wine information is also offered.  You can feel Tramonto's passion for food, for family, his heritage, and for cooking by reading his moving Introduction.
Beautifully illustrated.  No nutritional guides.
Conclusion - Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.  I want to go to Italy again.