La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy

A group of Italian scholars gathered fifty years ago to discuss a problem: how to preserve traditional Italian cooking. They established the Italian Academy of Cuisine to preserve classic recipes from all over Italy. The academy's over 7,000 associates spread out across the country, interviewing grandmothers and farmers at their stoves and transcribing their recipes, many of which had never been documented before. This is the result of that research, an incredible feat—2,000 recipes representing the heritage of Italian country cooking.

Each recipe is labeled with the region of origin, and not only the ingredients but also the techniques change with geography. Historical recipes are interspersed throughout the book, providing fascinating insights into the folk culture from the past. There are no fancy flourishes or shortcuts here; this is genuine down-home cooking. The book is an excellent everyday resource for simple recipes like White Bean and Escarole Soup, Polenta with Tomato Sauce, and Chicken with Lemon and Capers. There are four different indexes for your convenience. La Cucina is a must-have addition to any cook's library.

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