Back in 1899 when this swank little book was first published, English ladies grimly boiled all vegetables to death; no wonder they were then regarded only as soggy afterthoughts to the main meat dish. But not in Janet Ross' Tuscan villa where one Guiseppe Volpi presided over the kitchens. Updated by Ross' great-great-nephew (he mercifully left out Edwardian delights like truffles in champagne) the recipes offer such gustatory delights as peppers filled with pork, herbs and cheese, carrots in vermouth, a hazelnut dressing for a chicory salad, mushrooms prepared with anchovy, mint and lemon. Now that we have Good Housekeeping, not to mention Julia and Dione or the whole earth gardeners, none of this is quite so startling, but the simple grace of these perfectly seasoned dishes is still welcome.