A house party in Tuscany

An 18th-century farmhouse turned artists' residence provides the bucolic backdrop to this enchanting look at cooking in the Italian countryside. Guinness spent her 1990s childhood cooking seasonal dishes with her mother at Villa Arniano, the family's home in Tuscany, where parties were a "feast for the eye as well as the palate." Combining that "magic" with the passion that later inspired her to turn Arniano into an artists' retreat, Guinness provides readers recipes for creating their own culinary escapes. In spring, artichokes appear in a béchamel pie as well as a quick rocket salad covered in parmesan shavings, while summer dishes skew simple: there's a soup of basil-infused tomato water, trofie pasta with pesto, and a salad of crisp apple slices with mint and grated dark chocolate. Autumn and winter, meanwhile, offer recipes such as a molded sformato--Italy's version of a savory, sturdy soufflé--made with ricotta, as well as a hearty cardoon gratin, "a wonderful vegetarian main for a winter's night." A guide to Guinness's favorite wine pairings (prosciutto and figs, she believes, are best washed down with fizzy prosecco) and recommendations for day trips nearby (Siena, a Benedictine monastery) only add to the book's allure. Life under the Tuscan sun proves exceptionally dreamy in this alluring collection. (May)