My Italian Kitchen by Luca Manfé

The angle: Tried-and-true Italian favorites from the Season 4 winner of MasterChef.

Recipes for right now: My Grandmother’s Fried Eggplant; Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto; Orecchiette with Zucchini, Ricotta, and Mint; Seafood Soup; Cotechino with Sauerkraut; Grilled Vegetables with Parsley-Garlic Pesto

Who would enjoy this book? Anyone who can never quite get enough Italian food.

• Who wrote it: Luca Manfé

• Who published it: Stewart, Tabori & Chang

• Other highlights: Whenever a new book of Italian cuisine comes across my desk, I am always eager to see how the author goes about tackling this venerable and much-loved cuisine. Chef Luca Manfé plays straight to the Italian heart-strings by devoting the whole book to the flavors and foods passed down from his grandmother — with some of his own flare added for good measure. Manfé puts up a lot of seasonal riffs of classic Italian dishes, pairing fresh, seasonal ingredients with things like risotto, bruschetta, and pasta.

I’m especially curious about his chapter on “Tramezzini,” which he describes as “the Italian version of English high tea sandwiches.” I’ve never heard of these and am excited to give them a try!

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: My Italian Kitchen by Luca Manfé

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