The rich culture and varied countryside of Italy has attracted and inspired artists and writers through the ages. From the era of the classical "grand tour," when educational visits were made to sites of antiquity on the Apennine peninsula, ever-increasing numbers of tourists have fallen in love with this country. The ars vivendi, or style of living, of its vivacious inhabitants has undoubtedly left just as lasting an impression as the treasures of its cultural heritage. For countless visitors, the simple and yet imaginative cuisine of Italy has now come to symbolize that very Italian love of life.We invite you to accompany us on a culinary giro d'Italia, a tour of Italy that begins in the northeast, leads through he Alpine regions to Liguria in the west, then turns south, through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, crossing from Calabria to Sicily, and finally ending on the island of Sardinia.In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, we sample ham from San Daniele and admire the largest frico in the world. In Venice and the Veneto, we are invited to drink a glass of prosecco, while in Trentino-Alto Adige we treat ourselves with a snack of home-cured bacon and the local bread specialty. Lombardy tempts us with Milanese salami and pannettone. In Piedmont we get to know the art of making risotto, and in Aosta Valley we find out about a local hard bread and a reviving herb liqueur. Liguria presents is with pesto and the finest olive oil, while Emilia-Romagna provides the products that are emblematic of Italy -- Parma ham, Parmesan, and mortadella. In Tuscany we sample fine wine, in Umbria we go fishing on Lake Trasimeno, and in Marche we stroll along the culinary trail laid by the composer, Rossini. In Lazio, which includes the capital city of Rome, we track down papal cuisine and savor classic pasta dishes. In Abrizzi and Molise, brightly colored confectionary awaits us, in Campania snow-white mozzarella cheese, in Apulia blond wheat, and in Basilisata brilliant red chili peppers. After a robust breakfast in Calabria, we admire deceptively real-looking marzipan fruits in Sicily and catch langoustines off the Sardinian coast.How does the blue mold get into Gorgonzola? Where did ice cream come from, in the days before refrigerators? What is there to tell about the wine of Piedmont? How are tomato preserves made? How does one recognize a genuine balsamic vinegar? What are the marks of quality that help to distinguish genuine products from imitations? What food was eaten in ancient Rome which specialties were served at court during the Middle Ages, and what culinary innovations accompanied the Renaissance? Culinaria italy takes a look behind the scenes and answers these and many other questions of interest to lovers of Italian Cuisine.With 496 pages and 1,294 illustrations, Culinaria Italy shows us not only the food and drink of Italy, but also the country and its people, from its Alpine crest in the north to the tip of its heel in the south. The 386 tried and tested recipes from the various region visited ensure that a treat for the taste buds follows a pleasurable read.

    Culinaria reports on every aspect of a country's cuisine within the context of the people who created it. Profusely illustrated with spectacular photography and abundantly peppered with authentic recipes, these volumes are a treat for both the mind and the palate.

    Simple to Spectacular introduces a unique concept developed by one of the world's top chefs, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything and the New York Times's hugely popular column "The Minimalist." Ever since their award-winning collaboration on Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef, the acclaimed duo has been cooking up a repertoire of new dishes that can be prepared in any of five progressively sophisticated ways.Simple to Spectacular features a total of 250 recipes in 50 groups. Each group begins with a simple, elegant recipe--a few ingredients combined for maximum effect--followed by fully detailed, increasingly elaborate variations. For example, a recipe for Grilled Shrimp with Thyme and Lemon leads to Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini on Rosemary Skewers, Grilled Shrimp with Apple Ketchup, Thai-style Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers, and Grilled Shrimp Balls with Cucumber and Yogurt.Every aspect of the meal is covered, from superb soups and salads to unforgettable side dishes, entrees, and desserts. In Simple to Spectacular, everything--from the basics to innovations by a four-star chef--is tailored for a quick Tuesday night dinner or an elegant weekend party.  And in the now-classic Vongerichten-Bittman style, all of the recipes can be made in the kitchen of any home cook. With 80 full-color photographs giving a mouthwatering view of the Simple-to-Spectacular transformations, readers and cooks will eagerly explore the possibilities.Jean-Georges Vongerichten (right) won the 1998 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef and Best New Restaurant. His Manhattan restaurants include Vong, Jo Jo, The Mercer Kitchen, and Jean Georges, which earned a rare four-star rating from the New York Times.  In Simple to Spectacular, two titans of the food world have created a truly groundbreaking cookbook.  Here are 250 superb recipes arranged in a uniquely useful way: a basic recipe and four increasingly sophisticated variations, with each group (there are 50 groups in all) based on a given technique.  This ingenious organization enables cooks of all levels of expertise to understand how a recipe is created and to re-create the brilliantly simple recipes and dazzling variations from one of our best food writers and home cooks teamed with one of America's greatest chefs.

    The result is this book: a volume filled with no-nonsense equipment ratings, taste-tests of supermarket foods--such as bottled barbecue sauces--and more than 400 fantastic recipes. 300 helpful illustrations.

    This concise, heavily illustrated resource from the world's most famous cooking school simplifies the information and provides an overview of cooking techniques, terms, equipment, and ingredients.