L'Art de la Table by Gintare Marcel

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

ggggg

L'Art de la Table, is a gorgeous cookbook. Dreamy photos of the Mediterranean combined with succulent looking photos of most of the dishes are a feast for the soul. This book is definitely not just about feeding your soul, though! Page after page of delectable dishes make your mouth water and cry to be re-created in your own home.

I started with Berry and Cacao Nibs Breakfast Cake. I'll be honest, it was a little hit or miss, but mostly just due to different personal tastes. My husband like the cake, but said the berry/chocolate mixture didn't work for him and my youngest flat out didn't like it. Most of the others liked it but weren't overwhelmed. However, I don't expect to love every single recipe I make out of a cookbook, so we moved on.

I've made three separate visits to Sicily over the years, and my all-time, absolute favorite "street food" is Arancini. Little fried rice balls with prosciutto and a young pecorino cheese inside, they are a little bit of heaven! These are slightly different using parmigiano instead of pecorino and no meat (thought it would be easy to add some meat and change the cheese), but are still amazing little bites sure to create fans everywhere. I like that they made them small, snack size. Arancini in Sicily are around the size of an orange (which they are named for!), but these are great for appetizers.

Tomato Carpaccio is just flat out amazing. We've done something similar for years, though I had never added the cheese. I'm not really sure why as I'm a complete cheeseaholic, but I will definitely add the cheese now! For my final dish, I made the Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Garlic. Wow! The dish is so simple to prepare, but the taste is amazing!! Lemon, garlic and thyme create a marriage of flavors completely infusing the chicken that takes is up a notch...or two. These were a huge hit with my family and I, and destined for our list of favorite dishes to be made repeatedly.

I am far from done cooking from L'Art de la Table! From Olive Oil Buns to Double Chocolate Panna Cotta, there are many, many dishes on my "have to try" list.

I am very impressed by this cookbook. From the nice weight in your hands to the quality binding, gorgeous photography and delectable food, this cookbook is a sure winner and has easily earned it's place on my favorite cookbooks shelf. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from Aerial Media Company through Perseus Distribution for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.