Opera Lover's Cookbook

Great music and great food make an exhilarating duet. Taking her cues from the world's most beloved operas, food diva Francine Segan has composed a cycle of menus that are sure to have your family and friends shouting, "Brava! Bravissima!" Each chapter of "The Opera Lover's Cookbook" presents a culinary performance - an elegant five-course dinner, a brunch, a dessert party - scored to a particular operatic motif or keyed to the work of a renowned composer. Operas set in Spain - Carmen, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Giovanni - are the exotic backdrop for a tapas fiesta. Sumptuously illustrated with photographs of featured dishes and lavish productions mounted by New York's Metropolitan Opera Company, "The Opera Lover's Cookbook" also dispenses advice on home entertaining and on setting the scene with stunning table decor. Its more than 125 recipes include appetizers and hors d'oeuvres: soup, salad, fish, and pasta courses; main dishes, sweets, and thematic aperitif, cocktail, and after-dinner drinks.