Serafina: Modern Italian Cuisine for Everyday Home Cooking

From Italy's farm country to your table, Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato share secrets of regional Italian food in this mouthwatering collection of modern takes on traditional dishes.

Serafina was conceived while Vittorio and Fabio were lost at sea in a small sailboat. Managing violent weather and severe hunger, the two stranded friends vowed to open a restaurant serving the best pasta and pizza in the world if they were to survive their ordeal. In 1995, they fulfilled their promise by launching the highly acclaimed Serafina in New York City. Following its success, they have gone on to open restaurants around the world from Dubai to Japan.

In Serafina, the cookbook, easy to follow steps bring to the table centuries of regional culinary history and local traditions and include knowledge that generations of farmers, fishermen, tomato growers, orchard planters, olive oil millers, bread bakers, and wine makers have devoted to their craft. Italian cooking is an art that has evolved over centuries into a vast collection of recipes, which center on the appreciation of quality ingredients from both land and sea. Farm to table is the central tenet of Italian cooking and this translates to simple and immensely rewarding dishes. This is what Vittorio and Fabio have embraced with passion and joy.

Serafina features more than 100 delicious takes on traditional recipes including Carpaccio di Carciofi e Gamberetti (thin slices of artichoke hearts and baby shrimps served with basil, garlic and chopped tomatoes); Spaghetti Alle Zucchine (spaghetti with saut?ed zucchini, basil, butter, and parmesan); Tagliolini di Portofino (tagliolini pasta with fresh pesto sauce, string beans, pine nuts and potatoes); and Veal Milanese (saut?ed breaded medallions of veal with tomatoes and basil).

This lavishly illustrated book is a must-have for home cooks interested in modern Italian recipes and curious to delve deeper into regional cuisine.