Book Review: Tasting Italy

There’s something about pasta and tomato sauce and cheese that makes for a supremely delicious combination. When I was offered the opportunity to review National Geographic and America’s Test Kitchen’s Tasting Italy, I was thrilled. Not only am I a long-time subscriber to Cook’s Magazine,

This cookbooks-meets-travel-journalism book does not disappoint. Recipes are organized by region. Liguria’s section has “Pasta with Walnut Sauce,” which would pair nicely with a rich Chardonnay. Umbria’s section has “Sausage with Grapes.” Every page is beautifully illustrated, and the recipes have amazing food photography accompanying them. 

Tasting Italy not only makes a great addition to a cook’s bookshelf, but it also would make an amazing gift for the foodie or travel buff in your life. 

About Tasting Italy

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (October 23, 2018)

The experts at America’s Test Kitchen and National Geographic bring Italy’s magnificent cuisine, culture, and landscapes–and 100 authentic regional recipes–right to your kitchen.

Featuring 100 innovative, kitchen-tested recipes, 300 gorgeous color photographs, and 30 maps, this illustrated guide takes you on a captivating journey through the rich history of Italian cuisine, region by region. Rich excerpts feature the origins of celebrated cheeses, the nuances of different wine growing regions, the best farmer’s markets in Venice, and more. Intriguing prose illuminates key ingredients, from olive oil and how it’s made to the various pasta shapes of Northern Italy. In every region, the food experts at America’s Test Kitchen bring it all home, with foolproof recipes for standout dishes as well as hidden gems: Piedmontese braised beef in lustrous red wine sauce, crispy-custardy chickpea flour farinata pancakes from Genoa (achieved without the specialty pan and wood-burning oven), and hand-formed rustic malloreddus pasta of Sardinia that is a breeze to make.

Purchase Links

National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble