A Blissful Feast: Culinary Adventures in Italy’s Piedmont, Maremma, and Le Marche

Chef Lust (Pass the Polenta) chronicles her culinary journey across three regions of Italy—the Piedmont in the northwest, from where her maternal grandparents hail; the Maremma in southern Tuscany; and Le Marche in central Italy—in this inviting collection of essays. After a trip to Italy to visit extended family in the Piedmont, she decided that she wanted “to explore [the] connection to my mother’s cooking, wanted to trace the origins of the dishes my grandmother used to make, wanted to expand my repertoire.” The narrative follows her across multiple visits to Italy, where she meets family, sharpens her Italian language skills, apprentices in village trattorias, and samples specialties such as scrambled eggs with asparagus in Le Marche and chestnut tortelli in Maremma. The book’s dozens of recipes include rabbit with white wine and rosemary; turkey and ricotta meat loaf; and bruschetta with figs and gorgonzola. Throughout, Lust offers entertaining food history facts, including the fact that pizza didn’t become popular in Northern Italy until after WWII and that Napoleon recruited Italian bakers to make bread sticks for him at home in Paris. This is a satisfying celebration of Italian food and family, complete with delectable recipes. (Mar.)