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Cucina Romana

Illustrated by Lisa Linder
Published by Interlink Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
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About The Book

The ultimate guide to Rome, lusciously illustrated with photographs of Roman people, places, and restaurants.

"I grew up in Via dei Cappellari, a dingy, narrow street of Camp di Fiori in Rome. Every morning, I woke up to the sound of the market carts rattling on the cobblestones, as they made their way to the market, laden with tightly packed vegetable and fruit wooden boxes. And regardless of how many times I’ve done it, I still gasp at the view as I approach from Via dei Cappellari the photogenic Campo de Fiori market square—both a tourist destination and the home to one of the oldest fruit, vegetable and flower markets in Rome." –Sara Manuelli

Born and raised in Rome, Sara Manuelli reveals its gastronomic secrets: the tiny restaurants tucked away in side streets and frequented religiously by locals, the specialist shops selling gourmet ingredients and artisan produce. This is the ultimate guide to Rome, lusciously illustrated with photographs of Sara’s favorite Roman people and places.

Each chapter introduces an area of Rome, its restaurants, food, markets, and people. Once a Jewish ghetto, the Ghetto e Isola Tiberina, for example, is the home of specialist restaurants and ingredients that recall ancient Roman-Jewish culinary influences. Here you’ll find irresistible dishes such as fried squash flowers stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella served in tiny tratorrias such as Sora Margherita—unsignposted, but always full.

Six local day trips from Rome are also featured, taking in areas such as Frascati, a hilltop town to the southeast of Rome, where the local white wine is produced. Groups of Romans will drive here just for the evening, dining at one of the many restaurants and enjoying the view and the local white wine. Each area of Rome is accompanied by a selection of recipes from the local restaurants—simple dishes that make the most of ingredients like vine-ripened tomatoes, pulses, pancetta, lamb, artichokes, mozzarella, and fresh egg pasta.

The final chapter discusses Rome’s light and refreshing wines and gives suggestions about which ones should be served with particular dishes. Cucina Romana reveals the beating heart of this magical city. In a place where food is at the center of life and culture, there is only one way to really get a taste of Rome.

About The Author

Sara Manuelli was brought up in the district of Campo de Fiori, Rome, with a passion for food. She has written about travel for The Independent, the Evening Standard, and Wallpaper. The former features editor of Design Week, she is the author of Style City, a travel guide on Rome and RSVP, a book on invitation design. Sara Manuelli currently divides her time between Rome and London. Lisa Linder is a London-based photographer whose previous books include A Year in the Life of My Kitchen, Up in Smoke, and Port to Port. Her work is frequently featured in Conde Nast Traveller, Food Illustrated, Glamour, Travel & Leisure, the Telegraph Magazine, Sunday Times Style Magazine, and Observer Food Monthly.

About The Illustrator

Product Details

  • Publisher: Interlink Books (July 11, 2023)
  • Length: 160 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781623717797

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Raves and Reviews

"Few cookbooks allow readers to dine truly as the Romans do, but city native Manuelli has written a masterful culinary survey that doubles as a valuable travel guide. Cleverly organized according to city sections, the cuisine tour starts in the Campo dei Fiori neighborhood, home to the city's celebrated fruit, vegetable and flower market by day, and to "beautiful, tanned Romans ... with a chilled glass of Prosecco" by night. Manuelli leads readers from the upscale Piazza Navona district, Campo Marzio and the Spanish Steps region to the restaurant-rich Trastevere, home to the "Romani di Roma"-real Romans, with a flair for storytelling.. Manuelli also includes culinary treasures beyond city limits, one of which-La Briciola,a restaurant in the village of Grottaferrata-is strategically located along the route to the Pope's summer villa. Manuelli shares all the recipes that form the cornerstone of her city's famed cuisine, and provides readers with a "food lovers' address book" for each of the city's neighborhoods that covers bakeries, delis, wine shops and ristoranti usually missed by the casual tourist. Color photographs by Linder make the streets of the Eternal City come to life."

– Publishers Weekly

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