The Italian Way: Food and Social Life

About this book

Outside of Italy the countrys culture and its food appear to be essentially synonymous. And indeed as The Italian Way makes clear preparing cooking and eating food play a central role in the daily activities of Italians from all walks of life. In this beautifully illustrated book Douglas Harper and Patrizia Faccioli present a fascinating and colorful look at the Italian table. The Italian Way focuses on two dozen families in the city of Bologna elegantly weaving together Harpers outsider perspective with Facciolis intimate knowledge of the local customs. The authors interview and observe these families as they go shopping for ingredients cook together and argue over who has to wash the dishes. Throughout the authors elucidate the guiding principle of the Italian tablea delicate balance between the structure of tradition and the joy of improvisation. With its bite-sized history of food in Italy including the five-hundred-year-old story of the countrys cookbooks and Harpers mouth-watering photographs The Italian Way is a rich repastinsightful informative and inviting.