October is here! Many people will tell you that fall is their favorite time of year. In my little world of cooking, I enjoy summer the most, from savoring the sweet strawberries of June to the fat peppers and eggplants of late August. What can compare to fresh beefsteak tomatoes with olive oil and basil or sweet corn slathered in butter and crunchy sea salt?

I guess I’m ready. Tired of barbecue-sauced meats and chicken, I’m ready to head back inside to make some comforting food for those early fall days with a hint of chill in the air. I turned to the “Silver Spoon Cookbook,” the decades-old bible of Italian cooking. In 2005, this cookbook was translated from Italian into English and offers more than 2,000 recipes drawn from “authentic” Italian cuisine.