Umberto Menghi’s three previous cookbooks have sold in total almost half a million copies.This one is by far his most personal—a collection of 150 favourite recipes in honour of simple, good food and the joys of preparation, as well as the camaraderie of sharing meals. The recipes also display the influences of British Columbia, Tuscany and northern California on Menghi’s life as a chef. Wine notes and reminiscenccs complement the recipes, the whole encompassing the philosophy and the accomplishment which has informed his famous kitchens. When Umberto Menghi arrived in Canada in 1967, he fell in love with the country. In Vancouver, he brought the skills and passions of a Tuscan upbringing to a little yellow restaurant which changed the city. One restaurant became two, then more, as Umberto’s magic touch led to what are now ten flourishing establishments in Vancouver, Whistler and San Francisco. Last year, he realized his dream by opening Villa Delia, a cooking school and hotel near Pisa in Tuscany The Italian spirit infuses every page. The 75 colour photographs and beautifully designed pages present a revealing portrait of one of Canada’s great restaurateurs.