By using this book, you can eat a different Italian meal once a week for a year... (from the Forward)

{HISTORY}

Vernon Jarratt was known for three outstanding things - his impressive mustache, his hospitable nature, and his famous restaurant, George's, an undisputed Roman favorite among the celebrity set. 

British by birth, Italian by marriage and enthusiasm, Vernon published this cookbook, Eat Italian Once a Week, in 1962 when he was running the restaurant alongside his wife, Contessa Enrica, and their son in Rome, Italy.  The restaurant was a launchpad for all sorts of interesting endeavors that made Vernon one of the most charismatic men in all of Italy and an undisputed expert when it came to gracious entertaining.

This cookbook is a small slice of the types of food he prepared at George's that made it both a popular hotspot for locals and tourists alike.  Written for British home cooks, it was Vernon 's mission with this book to pique the UK's burgeoning interest in Italian food and also to dispel the myth that it was a fattening cuisine weighed down by bread, pasta and butter. Not so! 

With creativity at play, Vernon laid out his cookbook seasonally across an entire year with a suggested menu for a once a week dinner that contained three or four traditional Italian dishes. Like the atmosphere of his restaurant, hushed and sophisticated, Vernon was looking to quietly seduce home cooks with a wide variety of meals that would tantalize taste buds and inspire the palate. 

Week 4 offers Neapolitan Pizza, Veal Rolls in White Wine, Spinach with Cream and for dessert, Pears in Red Wine. Week 17 calls for a menu of Milanese Risotto (the city where Contessa Enrica hails from) and Stuffed Veal with Peas. The 29th week features Macaroni and Potato Soup, Chicken with Peppers and Peach Pudding. And the week of Christmas calls for Spaghetti with Bacon and Egg Dressing, Red Mullet en Papillote, Boiled Potatoes and Chestnut Pudding. That's just a peek at the wonderful meals that await. 

A fun way to explore a country's cuisine, this is a delight of a cookbook for anyone who would love to learn more about traditional Italian fare beyond basic pasta dishes. Backed with the expertise of a famous restaurant's most popular dishes, along with the Contessa's passed-down family recipes of regional specialties, this seasonal cookbook brings the best of Italy home to your table week by week. 

Please note: Although this cookbook was written with the British home cook in mind, all recipes contain traditional American measurements and stove settings. Also included are the total prep/cooking time for each recipe and the serving size (usually 4 people) alongside simple, easy to follow instructions. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1967 edition published by Bonanza Books
• 271 pages including a detailed index, an Italian food pronunciation guide, and 52 completely unique menus 
• original price sticker included on front inside jacket from Bamberger's - a mid-Atlantic department store chain operating between 1892-1986 before it was rebranded as Macy's
• Original dust jacket
  
• Forward by famed wine expert and  fellow restauranteur Andre Simon (1877-1970)

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition. This book is bright and clean throughout. The dust jacket bears some light tanning due to sun exposure and one small tear on the top edge at front. There is one small light pink cooking stain on the foredge. The coverboards are clean and bright. All pages are intact and the spine is tight. 

{SIZE}

Measures 8.25" inches (length) x 5.25" inches (width) x 1" inch (thickness) and weighs 14 oz.