The Oxford Companion to Italian Food Book

Universally acclaimed by the critics, and now available for the first time in paperback, here is an inspiring, wide-ranging, AZ guide to one of the worlds best-loved cuisines. Designed for cooks and consumers alike, The Oxford Companion to Italian Food covers all aspects of the history and culture of Italian gastronomy, from dishes, ingredients, and delicacies to cooking methods and implements, regional specialties, the universal appeal of Italian cuisine, influences from outside Italy, and much more.

Gillian Riley here celebrates a heritage of amazing richness and delight. She brings equal measures of enthusiasm and expertise to her writing, and her entries read like mini-essays, laced with wit and gastronomical erudition, marked throughout by descriptive brilliance, and entirely free of the pompous tone that afflicts so much writing about food. The Companion is attentive to both tradition and innovation in Italian cooking, and covers an extraordinary range of information.

For anyone with a hunger to learn more about the history, culture and variety of Italian cuisine, The Oxford Companion to Italian Food offers endless satisfactions

Kathleen A. Welton - Library Journal

Widely praised by leading Italian chefs and including a foreword by Mario Batali, this A-to-Z guide to Italian food and culture includes more than 900 articles on everything from medieval cookbooks and Italian food in Renaissance painting to the latest cooking methods and regional delicacies. The content is engaging and appetizing and is equally enthralling whether discussing history or flavor, as it provides answers to questions great and small about all things Italian. The book is organized alphabetically, but its content is also accessible by subject, which include art and culture; baked goods; biographies; cheese and milk products; culinary terms; drinks and beverages; fish and seafood; fruits, vegetables, and nuts; herbs, spices, and condiments; history and society; meat and meat products; pasta and rice; prepared food and dishes; preparing, serving, and eating; regional cuisine; and sweets and confectionary. While photos are scattered throughout, more care could have been given to the book's visual presentation with the inclusion of additional images as well as sidebars, favorite recipes, and perhaps a color insert. Nevertheless, the book will delight readers and meets its goal of providing browsing pleasure. The author clearly shares her passion for food, having written many books on food and art, including Renaissance Recipesand A Feast for the Eyes.