You can practically hear Rosemary Clooney's Mambo Italiano
roaring in the background as the Scotto family waxes nostalgic about Sunday dinners in their third cookbook. Family, meatballs, Mom's sauce—all are evoked in these pages, both in the boisterous prose and the loads of photos of the Scotto family, which owns and operates the Manhattan restaurant Fresco by Scotto. The book begins with some entertaining basics, offering advice on, for example, keeping dinner conversation flowing (avoid religion and encourage people to talk about themselves). Like this recommendation, most of the Scottos' counsel is pretty boiler-plate, though it does teem with Scotto family attitude (which generally falls somewhere between corny and faux-tough). The menus and recipes, however, are tantalizing. On Easter Sunday, the Scottos suggest Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Herbed Ricotta Cheese, and Grilled Flank Steak Vegetable Kabobs. On Christmas Eve, Crab Cakes, pasta with rock shrimp, Steamed Maine Mussels and Manila Clams headline the menu. The recipes dance between unusual and classic; appetizers range from Grilled Pizza Margherita to Sweet Potato White Bean Soup; salads include Watermelon and Red Onion, and Fried Oyster. Pastas, too, are wide-ranging: there's classic Bucatini alla Amatriciana, as well as the more uncommon Whole Wheat Penne with Braised Beets, Gorgonzola Cheese, and Walnuts. Photos. (Oct.)
