Mary Palmer's Cucina Di Calabria

I can't say enough about Mary Palmer's excellent cookbook, "Cucina Di Calabria" which, in an elegant manner, documents the many simple dishes of the most southern province of Italy (at least on the mainland). 

Palmer's recipes, like all Italian cookbooks published for a US audience, are a bit more on the "Italian-American" side, but she does hold true to many longstanding Calabrian dishes, including a few of my favorites.

• Squash flower fritters
• Roasted rabbit
• Swordfish with onions and lemon
• Pastina

In addition to the recipes in the book Palmer gives the reader a primer on espresso, wine, and even the history of Calabrian province.