The Valentino Cookbook - Tapa dura

The famed restaurateur combines evocative personal anecdotes about his love affair with fine cuisine with a host of delectable recipes that include a host of tasty appetizers, soups, entrees, risottos, pastas, and desserts, including Brasato al Barolo, L'Abbacchio di Paola, Passato di Verdura, and Croccante Semifreddo. 20,000 first printing.

h limited funds and only a modest culinary background, Piero Selvaggio opened a small Italian restaurant in a decidedly unglamorous Santa Monica neighborhood. Now, almost thirty years later, Valentino is consistently hailed as one of the finest restaurants in the Los Angeles area and the nation, and Selvaggio is the consummate host and orchestrator of one of the most sublime dining experiences imaginable. The Valentino Cookbook draws on Selvaggio's extensive experience as a restaurateur, a culinary explorer, and, most of all, a lover of food and wine.

In this charming and generous cookbook, he shares the lessons he has learned in his ever-evolving love affair with fine cuisine. He gives us delightful personal anecdotes and an incredible collection of dishes, ranging from traditional to innovative: Petti di Fagiano Avvolti in Pancetta (Pheasant Breast Wrapped in Pancetta), Filetti di Cervo con Salsa al Melograno (Venison Medallions with Pomegranate Sauce), and other wonderful