The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

This strange little cookbook was written by a ""former international supermodel"" who credits her portrait artist in her acknowledgments and her make-up artist in her ""credits."" In fact, the entire volume has the ramshackle feeling of a vanity project; it's both oddly personal and poorly organized (a gnocchi recipe is hidden in a chapter called ""Memories of Avezzano,"" while pasta sauce is found in ""At My Grandfather's Vineyard""). Further, the author introduces each chapter with detailed paragraphs about a nerve-wracking train trip, say, or her hair stylist's love life. However, the recipes themselves are appealing, for the most part: a Granita Al Caffe, an icy-sweet summer dessert, couldn't be easier to prepare, and Linguine Alle Vongole is straightforward and tasty. Still, one can't help but wish for more careful instructions; a risotto recipe directs cooks to ""add the rice with just enough broth to moisten it,"" then wait for the broth to ""disappear."" Also, the measurements in different recipes are inconsistent, sometimes in grams and sometimes in pounds or cups. Perhaps this irregularity suggests a nice mix of Italian and American styles, but it does the home cook no favors.