Encore, at Last

It took Lynn Rossetto Kasper more than 10 years to write her first cookbook, 1992’s “The Splendid Table.” An in-depth culinary portrait of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna heartland, it was named best book of the year by both the James Beard Foundation and the International Assn. of Culinary Professionals cookbook awards. It’s far too early to predict similar success for her new book, “The Italian Country Table,” (Scribner, $35), but the fact that it took only seven years to write surely shouldn’t count against her.

Although her first book was centered on the north, this one is pan-Italian. Rather than concentrate on a single region, Kasper focuses on a specific type of food--farmhouse cooking. This doesn’t necessarily translate as simple food. After all, some of those Italian farm women have a lot of time for cooking. And, of course, they have some of the best ingredients in the world.

In addition to recipes, “Table” has Kasper’s trademark wealth of stories. Whether she’s talking about the guy who runs a folk-life museum in Parma or a fishmonger in Siracusa, she has a knack of bringing people and places to life with just a few quick strokes. The book is also filled with “Cook-to-Cook” notes that explain ingredients, techniques and recipe variations.

Considering all of that, the real question is how she got it done so quickly.