A fantastic addition to any kitchen countertop this holiday season would definitely be Simple Authentic Italian Recipes: from our family to yours, a cookbook proudly written by the co-owners of Toscana, the Trattoria in Brentwood.
Kathie and Amy Gordon have put together a book with over 200 pages of their “most cherished, authentic dishes that are simple and easy to make at home, but a tribute to Toscana’s twenty years of success.â€
The cookbook is a luscious compilation of recipes crafted by Chef Hugo Vasquez, straight from the Toscana menu. From Insalate to Pizze to Carne e Pollo e Pesce to Dolci; salads to pizza to meat, chicken, and seafood to dessert, Toscana has everything anyone would want in a truly authentic Tuscan cuisine.
My personal favorites from the restauran
t include the Insalata Di Calamari and the Ravioli Al Pomodoro. Each is described in the cookbook with simplicity and detail, right down to the most crucial ingredients, ready to serve a hungry family with an appetite for exquisite dining. The photography by Jessica Nicosia-Nadler and lifestyle photography by Meagan Szasz put the readers right there in the restaurant.
The cookbook is outlined with the same warm colors and vivid images that are apparent when customers walk through the glass doors and see the warm wood and mosaic tiles of the restaurant; and the tables inviting you to take a seat and join the family of chefs and waiters who have been there since its inception.
Toscana, at the corner of San Vicente and Darlington, is one of the most successful Italian restaurants in the Los Angeles area, known to often draw in members of the celebrity crow
d. But Toscana maintains the humble feel of community and family tradition.
“We wanted our guests to have an ‘at home’ feeling where they could linger, whether over their last glass of wine…or over any one of our tasty homemade dolci,†Kathie Gordon writes in her Introduction to the book.
Long-time Brentwood residents Kathie and Mike Gordon, along with Mike’s son and wife, Andy and Amy, are all partners in Toscana. Toscana recently opened a sidebar called Bar Toscana. The bar is in a separate building adjacent to the main restaurant. While there, customers can enjoy delicious appetizers or something from the unique wine list with friends.
The bar has a very cozy ambiance and modern feel. People can sit at bars, at candle-lit tables, or at cozy couches to relax or have a drink and appetizer while they wait for their table in the main restaurant. There is a most captivating digital “light show†that must be seen to be properly appreciated.
So whether you love food or know someone who does, or just love to look at and read about fine Tuscan dining, Simple Authentic Italian Recipes: From Our Family to Yours, is the perfect gift this season to keep or to give to a loved one. Readers who want to try their hand in the kitchen will be delighted; the less ambitious can always go to Toscana and have someone else do the cooking. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
