Eating in Italy

EATING IN ITALY
A traveler's guide to the hidden gastronomic pleasures of Northern Italy

"There has never been a book like this about Italian food and wine." Victor and Marcella Hazan

Perhaps the only pleasure greater than dining on Italian food is dining on Italian food in Italy! Faith Willinger, the "foremost expatriate ambassador of all things edible and Italian" (New York Times), once again leads food lovers on a journey of culinary discovery in her revised and updated EATING IN ITALY: A Traveler's Guide to the Hidden Gastronomic Pleasures of Northern Italy. Roving gourmands and armchair travelers will feast on this complete handbook, which details the authentic foods, wines and traditions of the 11 regions that comprise the northern half of the country: Piemonte, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, Toscana, Umbria and Le Marche.

A New York native, Faith landed on Italian soil 25 years ago and immediately fell in love with the country and its cuisine. Intrigued and inspired, she began an apprenticeship at a local restaurant and, while on the job, learned about fresh ingredients, wine, shopping in farmers' markets and cultural etiquette. Such experience eventually led her to start "Cucina Toscana," a travel-planning service for food professionals and other visitors to Italy, and, in 1989, she presented these and other hungry travelers with the first edition of Eating in Italy.

Over the course of the last nine years, Faith has continued her countryside explorations, always seeking those new and hidden gastronomic treasures that these regions offer. The result is a new edition of EATING IN ITALY, which offers more than 1,600 opportunities for epicurean adventure sure to satisfy the appetite and curiosity of today's savvy traveler.

After presenting general information on restaurants, bars, transportation and regional climates, Faith details the specialties of Italian cucina like extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parmigiano cheese, mineral water, herbs, pasta and wine. Her introduction concludes with advice on the best cooking schools, houseware shops, winery visits, and reading materials. A chapter is devoted to each region and its foods and wines. There are reviews of wine bars, markets, restaurants and trattorie, artisan shops, coffee bars and elegant and affordable hotels in famous cities as well as towns not on any tourist's map. Visit an organic herb garden in Emilia-Romagna, a bread baker in Umbria, a rice grower in Veneto, a grappa distiller in Friuli, two chocolatiers in Toscana, and more. Throughout this book there are useful sidebars featuring Italian phrases, lists of local holidays and festivals, and a glossary of hundreds of Italian terms, all of which will prepare the eager traveler for educated eating.