A large, lavish, and delectably illustrated culinary tour of Italy's regional cuisines, led by its finest chefs. From Florence to Venice, Rome to the Amalfi Coast, Sicily to the Italian Alps, each regional cuisine of Italy reflects the history and culture of its people. With a preface and a foreword by the award-winning and international chefs Mario Batali and Paul Bartolotta, this volume bountifully serves all who are eager to learn the secrets of genuine Italian cooking and the time-honoured dishes recognized as regional specialties. Gorgeous, atmospheric photographs by famed food photographer Lucio Rossi capture the mood and aesthetics of the maestros' dishes and illustrate how to prepare and serve their most famous and savoury recipes. AUTHOR: Paul Bartolotta, one of the world's eminent chefs, is currently head of the Bartolotta Restaurant Group in Milwaukee, and Ristorante di Mare at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, which has won the AAA Four Diamond Award the last two years. He has earned every major national dining award, including the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef, Midwest. Mario Batali was named "Outstanding Chef of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation. He is author, most recently, of Spain: A Culinary Road Trip, the companion book to the PBS series co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Academia Barilla in Parma offers courses in the gastronomic arts of Italy. Lucio Rossi runs the RCR photography studio in Parma. ILLUSTRATIONS: Colour photographs