Missoni-familiens kokebok

I bought this for the recipes but ended up reading it like a memoir — the family stories woven between dishes are what make it. The recipes themselves are surprisingly doable for a home cook, nothing too fussy.

I picked this up expecting a coffee-table book and ended up actually cooking from it — the family recipes are written plainly enough to follow on a weeknight. Francesco's notes between the dishes are what sold me; it reads like someone's actual kitchen notebook rather than a styled showpiece.

The recipes here feel genuinely homey rather than chef-y, and the family photos scattered throughout make it a nice one to leave on the coffee table. Made the risotto last weekend and it turned out better than I expected.