THE ANTIPASTO TABLE

From artichoke or asparagus or beef-stuffed peppers to tuna or chicken salads—you could surely make a meal from the Italian starter dishes featured here. Eggplant and pepper terrine, escarole pie, potato-cheese croquettes, chickpea frittata, fig crostini, and several versions of focaccia are among the 200 or so appealing dishes that could fill out an antipasto table or serve (variously) as breakfast, lunch, side dish, or supper. Complete with helpful tips on buying, say, prosciutto, fava beans, or chickpea flour (don't get the kind in Italian stores for panelle), this is an attractive if not essential addition to the bulging Italian cookbook shelf.