Once Upon a Tuscan Table: Tales and Recipes from Trattoria Garga

I have had many great meals during my travels around the planet, from Alain Ducasse to great ‘dirty dogs’ at a ballpark. The more I dine out, the clearer the distinction has become between good food and soulful food. Garga has a soul all its own, and the dishes I’ve eaten here, such as Pasta Magnifico, Veal with Avocado, and the famous cheesecake, taste of love, passion, and curiosity as much as they do of their ingredients. I dream of this place. Sogni d’oro. Sweet dreams. Rachael Ray, Food NetworkItalian trattorias ... don’t often serve dishes worthy of the label ‘magnifico.’ ... If this is home cooking, it’s the kind Michelangelo’s mother used to do. Alan Richman, Golden Dish Award, GQ   Emotionally resonant, wickedly candid, and warm-hearted, Once Upon a Tuscan Table is a savory stew of tantalizing recipes, memorable characters, and lively anecdotes. As Canadian-born Sharon Oddson Gargani recounts her life, in good times and bad, food is always in the foreground—from Grandma Gerd