The New Regional Italian Cuisine Cookbook

This beautifully illustrated compendium offers readers a culinary tour of Italy from the Alpine region down to Sicily. Each region-specific chapter offers an overview of local culinary delicacies, along with wines and a few highlighted ingredients, such as capers or bottarga. The authors point out the infinite specificities within each locale, such as the Vialone rice of Po, the unsalted bread of Tuscany or the emphasis on legumes in Apulia. The 220 recipes range from rustic, hearty fare like a simple chickpea and shrimp soup to artful, hand-folded tortelloni with potato and speck filling or a delicate peach gelatin with Moscato sauce. Recipes assume some level of familiarity, such as what it is to render fat, but they are straightforward and reliable, sometimes including illustrations for each step. (May)