The Duke's Table: The Complete Book of Vegetarian Italian Cooking by Enrico Alliata

“Even though man can draw all he needs in the way of nourishment from a mere handful of seeds and fruit, he must not give up a proper meal.”—Enrico AlliataEnrico Alliata, the Duke of Salaparuta (1879-1946), was a utopian gourmand and winemaker who espoused a vegetarian lifestyle and a raw foods diet at a time when the very notion was unheard of. He worked for decades to systematically re-imagine classic Italian dishes without meat. The result, first published in 1930, is a timeless reference work, with dishes that are surprising, inventive, and often decadent. Early chapters like “Appetizers and Salads” include recipes for inventive vegetarian sandwiches and crostini, as well as refreshing salads (and even a recipe for simple homemade ricotta cheese). “Broths and Purees” includes rich and flavorful vegetable broths, hearty purees, and pasta in broth, like vegetarian ‘Agnollotti’ in broth filled with parmesan and walnuts. The “First Courses, Pasta Dishes and Timballi” chapter is a compr