Author(s): Kate Whiteman

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One of the delights of Italian food is its diversity. Each region has its own favourite ingredients and cooking techniques, and each has its own unique character, but one thing is common to all - the quality of the raw ingredients used. This book is an authoritative yet easy-to-read guide to these ingredients and how to use them in the kitchen.

This full-colour illustrated reference book presents all the common and less well-known Italian ingredients, with full visual guides to every kind of Italian food: pasta, rice, grains and pulses, cheeses, cured meats and sausages, meat and poultry, fish and shellfish, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, herbs, store-cupboard goods, and aperitifs and spirits. Each section includes facts about how and where the ingredient is made or grown, its history and culinary uses, essential information on buying and storing, along with detailed cooking and preparation instructions and basic recipes where appropriate.

The second part of the book is a beautifully photographed recipe section, with over 100 classic dishes from all over Italy, in an illustrated step-by-step format. Combining traditional, regional favourites and contemporary classics, there are recipes for antipasti, soups, pasta and gnocchi dishes, risottos, polenta and pizza, fish and shellfish dishes, delicious poultry and meat, a variety of vegetables and salads, as well as recipes for delectable desserts and Italian home baking.

With over 750 glorious photographs, informative text and delicious authentic recipes, this book is a unique, practical reference and fail-safe cookbook - the only book on Italian food and cooking that you will ever need.