his tiny superhero of a cookbook was packed in an overstuffed backpack, hauled overseas for a year, then swiped by a shameless fellow expat. Copy numero 2 is closely guarded. Only 47 recipes cover the bare basics of Italian cooking — antipasti, pasta, fish, meat, breads, desserts. Results are simple, but elegant. Beautiful full-color photos inspire. Weight, temperature and measure conversion page has saved the day more than once.

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