When Elizabeth Minchilli set out to write her latest book, she decided to focus on easing people into entertaining. Providing a step-by-step approach, she takes the stress out of socializing and cooking at home with detailed menus and planning tips from her Italian kitchen.  A snapshot of eating in Italy today, “The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Family and Friends” (Rizzoli, $40) was written and photographed entirely by Minchilli, who spent her early childhood in Italy but grew up in St. Louis, Mo. 

Minchilli headed to Italy for studies in art history more than two decades ago. She found herself in love with the foods of Italy. She met an Italian architect, and when they married and started a family, she eased away from academia to writing. Her first cookbook was “Eating Rome.” She is the creator of the “Eat Italy” app, she leads food tours in Italy, and she shares recipes and adventures at elizabethminchilli.com.