Created for Italian food-lovers, this book features 100 delicious and simple family-friendly dishes. The authentic collection of recipes, cooking tips, and cultural tidbits will have home cooks exploring the delights of real Italian cooking while mastering the techniques for making one of the world's most popular cuisines. Italian cuisine reigns as "queen" of Mediterranean cuisines. In addition to its wealth of agricultural land, Italy has a unique history which made the country's gastronomy (especially in the southern regions) heterogeneous, multifaceted, diverse, and capable of countless variations on a relatively limited range of products. Love for food, respect for the land, imagination, and the ability to utilize every taste and ingredient to its fullest potential? these elements were solidified over centuries, giving rise to a cultural and material treasure trove of recipes, traditional products, and delicacies. This book unites a selection of the best 100 recipes?traditional, contemporary, and entirely Mediterranean?with in-depth explanations of their history and importance beyond merely a taste profile. Science may have proven the nutritional value of the Mediterranean diet, but rediscovering local recipes without knowledge of their roots, or choosing them for nutritional reasons alone, would be only half the story. the teachings of the past allow us to grasp the meaning of a tradition, to follow it, and to reinterpret it, adapting it to the times we live in. After all, the history of the Mediterranean and its extraordinary gastronomic culture is still being made today. AUTHOR: Academia Barilla was established in Parma in 2004 with the aim of safeguarding, developing and promoting the most genuine aspects of the Italian regional culture and cuisine. Based on the guiding principle that underlies this prestigious institute's philosophy ? that of "food as culture" ? Academia Barilla offers food lovers and professional chefs around the globe a fully-rounded overview of Italy, through technical training, high quality products, wine and food experiences, and corporate services. 105 colour photographs
