"I would go for something more light-colored, a bit washed out, " she says, suggesting a faded blue floral on white or washed red on white.

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The small record of that meal, its print and floral decoration now faded, is one of a collection of menus that Barilla, the world's biggest pasta-maker, has brought together in its library in Parma, Italy's gastronomic capital.

ECONOMIST: Barilla's cookery library: Food for thought | The