Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593013778 ISBN 13: 9780593013779

Publisher: Bantam Press, 1987

"Gastronomy of Italy" continues to grace the shelves of home cooks, professional chefs and armchair travellers. A constant seller, the original version of this classic text won the prestigous Duchessa Maria Luigia di Parma prize. This new edition has been totally updated, reorganised and expanded taking into account the culinary changes of the last decade, the move towards healthier eating and today's demand for a fully comprehensive reference for the kitchen. It includes a detailed introduction to the origins and history of Italian cuisine, a cook's tour of the 16 regions of Italy and their specialities, a 200-recipe section, a full A-Z reference guide to Italian Food, an explanation of terms and techniques as well as a survey of Italian wines. Superbly illustrated with historical paintings, frescoes, prints and special food photography, Anna Del Conte's "Gastronomy of Italy" is an essential companion, which will remain a source of reference for life.

About the Author:

Anna Del Conte was born in Milan. In 1987 she was awarded the prestigous Duchessa Maria Luigia di Parma prize for The Gastronomy of Italy. Other books include Secret's from an Italian Kitchen, Entertaining all'Italiana and The Classic Food of Northern Italy, which in 1996 won both the Guild of Foodwriters' Book Award and the Orio Vergani prize of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina. She lives in Dorset with her husband and professes that Gastronomy of Italy is the culmination of her life-long affair with the food and culture of Italy.

From Booklist:

In any contest to name America's favorite ethnic food, Italian surely wins hands down. Spaghetti, pizza, and Parmesan cheese are as much yearned for as comfort foods as hamburgers or apple pie. Genuine Italian cooking may be subtler and more refined than most Americans understand, but increasing sophistication in American taste has expanded demand for more Italian dishes to polenta, fresh mozzarella, and similar Italian basics. Anna Del Conte has written a new approach to Italian cooking for Americans that, while not ignoring the obvious regionalism of Italian cuisine, seeks to find common ground for the cooking of the entire peninsula. Gastronomy of Italy begins by summarizing each region's contributions to the national whole and offering a list of each province's most typical dishes. Brilliant photographs accompany recipes to make these foods more appealing. Recipes call for ingredients easily found in most city markets. A glossary of common Italian foods helps sort out such issues as salted versus canned anchovies as well as obscure regional products. A smaller list of techniques and cooking terms defines kitchen processes. Mark Knoblauch
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