Aficionados of authentic regional cuisine will be pleased to welcome Efisio and Francesco Farris to the James Beard House this month. The brothers, who grew up in Orosei, a small beachside town in eastern Sardinia, are perhaps single-handedly introducing the gastronomic customs of their island to American palates at their three restaurants, Arcodoro in Houston, and Pomodoro and Arcodoro in Dallas. After spending an evening at Arcodoro recently, John Mariani observed in his Virtual Gourmet Newsletter, "Arcodoro is the only true Sardinian ristorante in the United States."

Though one may detect the influences of Arabia, Africa, Greece, and Italy in this simple and rustic cuisine, most of the recipes have changed little over the centuries. Traditional Sardinian fare includes dishes such as sa fregula, a handmade semolina-based couscous with baby clams in a saffron broth and zuppa galurese, a light, mint-flavored broth topped with a gratin of Pecorino cheese.

Sardinia is a land of farmers and shepherds, and integral to their diet is pane carasau, a crisp, crackling flatbread and Sardinian staple for more than 3,000 years. The bread can be stored for months and is eaten as is-perhaps with a hunk of sheep's-milk cheese-or used as a base for many dishes. Preparation is precise and time-consuming, yet Efisio and Francesco regularly spend a full day baking this traditional bread. In La Cucina Italiana, Micol Negrin describes sampling a piece still warm to the touch as "wheaty, lightly perfumed from the wood-burning oven, it offers a resistance that is both delicate and fierce."

Northern, Southern, Tuscan or Sicilian-when it comes to Italian cuisine, let the critics debate their merits. Here at the Beard House, Efisio and Francesco Farris will be winning hearts and stomachs to the bold cuisine of Sardinia. Mangia bene.