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Book Food Culture in the Mediterranean

Download or read book Food Culture in the Mediterranean written by Carol Helstosky and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2009-03-20 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Food that originated from the Mediterranean area is incredibly popular. Pasta, pizza, gyros, kebab, and falafel can be found just about everywhere. Many people throughout the world have a good idea of what Mediterranean cuisine and diet are all about, but they know less about the entire food culture of the region. This one-stop source provides the broadest possible understanding of food culture throughout the region, giving a variety of examples and evidence from the southern Mediterranean or North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt), the Western Mediterranean or European side of the Mediterranean (Spain, France, Italy, and the French and Italian islands), to the eastern Mediterranean or Levant (Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel). The Mediterranean region region is home to three of the world's major religions, and for centuries, the Mediterranean Sea has been an invitation to trade, travel, conquest, and immigration. Where different cultures, beliefs, and traditions mix there is always volatility and tension, but there is also great energy. Understanding the food culture in the Mediterranean is one way readers can see how people of different regions come together, share ideas and information to create new dishes, meals, traditions, and forms of sociability. This volume answers questions such as Do people in the Mediterranean still eat the Mediterranean Diet or do they eat American style? Why is it that the same ingredients can be prepared in so many different ways, even in the same country? Why would cooks take the time to make foods like zucchini, lentils, or figs into dozens of different dishes? How and why do religious rituals differ regarding food preparation? What do Jews, Muslims, and Christians eat on religious holidays? Do people eat out or eat at home? Why is hospitality so important to Mediterranean people and what do they do to demonstrate hospitality and good will through the preparation and serving of meals?

Book A Mediterranean Feast

    Book Details:
  • Author : Clifford A. Wright
  • Publisher : Harper Collins
  • Release : 1999-10-20
  • ISBN : 0688153054
  • Pages : 844 pages

Download or read book A Mediterranean Feast written by Clifford A. Wright and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 1999-10-20 with total page 844 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A groundbreaking culinary work of extraordinary depth and scope that spans more than one thousand years of history, A Mediterranean Feast tells the sweeping story of the birth of the venerated and diverse cuisines of the Mediterranean. Author Clifford A. Wright weaves together historical and culinary strands from Moorish Spain to North Africa, from coastal France to the Balearic Islands, from Sicily and the kingdoms of Italy to Greece, the Balkan coast, Turkey, and the Near East. The evolution of these cuisines is not simply the story of farming, herding, and fishing; rather, the story encompasses wars and plagues, political intrigue and pirates, the Silk Road and the discovery of the New World, the rise of capitalism and the birth of city-states, the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, and the obsession with spices. The ebb and flow of empires, the movement of populations from country to city, and religion have all played a determining role in making each of these cuisines unique. In A Mediterranean Feast, Wright also shows how the cuisines of the Mediterranean have been indelibly stamped with the uncompromising geography and climate of the area and a past marked by both unrelenting poverty and outrageous wealth. The book's more than five hundred contemporary recipes (which have been adapted for today's kitchen) are the end point of centuries of evolution and show the full range of culinary ingenuity and indulgence, from the peasant kitchen to the merchant pantry. They also illustrate the migration of local culinary predilections, tastes for food and methods of preparation carried from home to new lands and back by conquerors, seafarers, soldiers, merchants, and religious pilgrims. A Mediterranean Feast includes fourteen original maps of the contemporary and historical Mediterranean, a guide to the Mediterranean pantry, food products resources, a complete bibliography, and a recipe and general index, in addition to a pronunciation key. An astonishing accomplishment of culinary and historical research and detective work in eight languages, A Mediterranean Feast is required--and intriguing--reading for any cook, armchair or otherwise.

Book The Mediterranean Diet

    Book Details:
  • Author : Victor R Preedy
  • Publisher : Academic Press
  • Release : 2014-11-19
  • ISBN : 0124079423
  • Pages : 699 pages

Download or read book The Mediterranean Diet written by Victor R Preedy and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2014-11-19 with total page 699 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mediterranean Diet offers researchers and clinicians a single authoritative source which outlines many of the complex features of the Mediterranean diet: ranging from supportive evidence and epidemiological studies, to the antioxidant properties of individual components. This book embraces a holistic approach and effectively investigates the Mediterranean diet from the cell to the nutritional well-being of geographical populations. This book represents essential reading for researchers and practicing clinicians in nutrition, dietetics, endocrinology, and public health, as well as researchers, such as molecular or cellular biochemists, interested in lipids, metabolism, and obesity. Presents one comprehensive, translational source for all aspects of how the Mediterranean diet plays a role in disease prevention and health Experts in nutrition, diet, and endocrinology (from all areas of academic and medical research) take readers from the bench research (cellular and biochemical mechanisms of vitamins and nutrients) to new preventive and therapeutic approaches Features a unique section on novel nutraceuticals and edible plants used in the Mediterranean region

Book The Mediterranean Way of Eating

Download or read book The Mediterranean Way of Eating written by John J.B. Anderson and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2014-06-06 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents evidence-based research that validates the traditional Mediterranean way of eating with respect to health. It offers information about an enjoyable, healthy way of eating that has stood the test of time, along with practical suggestions for incorporating the Mediterranean diet into daily life. The book addresses nutrients found in Mediterranean foods, how they function in the body, and why they are essential for optimal health. It highlights the Mediterranean diet's effectiveness in weight management and prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases.

Book Making Levantine Cuisine

Download or read book Making Levantine Cuisine written by Anny Gaul and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2021-12-08 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Melding the rural and the urban with the local, regional, and global, Levantine cuisine is a mélange of ingredients, recipes, and modes of consumption rooted in the Eastern Mediterranean. Making Levantine Cuisine provides much-needed scholarly attention to the region’s culinary cultures while teasing apart the tangled histories and knotted migrations of food. Akin to the region itself, the culinary repertoires that comprise Levantine cuisine endure and transform—are unified but not uniform. This book delves into the production and circulation of sugar, olive oil, and pistachios; examines the social origins of kibbe, Adana kebab, shakshuka, falafel, and shawarma; and offers a sprinkling of family recipes along the way. The histories of these ingredients and dishes, now so emblematic of the Levant, reveal the processes that codified them as national foods, the faulty binaries of Arab or Jewish and traditional or modern, and the global nature of foodways. Making Levantine Cuisine draws from personal archives and public memory to illustrate the diverse past and persistent cultural unity of a politically divided region.

Book Catalan Food

    Book Details:
  • Author : Daniel Olivella
  • Publisher : Clarkson Potter
  • Release : 2018-09-04
  • ISBN : 0451495888
  • Pages : 274 pages

Download or read book Catalan Food written by Daniel Olivella and published by Clarkson Potter. This book was released on 2018-09-04 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Catalan cuisine authority Daniel Olivella serves historical narratives alongside 80 carefully curated Spanish food recipes, like tapas, paella, and seafood, that are simple and fresh. In proud, vibrant Catalonia, food is what brings people together—whether neighbors, family, or visitors. By the sea, over a glass of chilled vermouth and the din of happily shared, homemade Pica Pica (tapas) is where you’ll find the most authentic Catalonia. The region is known for its wildly diverse indigenous ingredients, from seafood to jamon Ibérico to strains of rice, and richly flavored cuisine that has remained uniquely Catalan throughout its complex and fraught history. In Catalan Food, the recipes are intended to be cooked leisurely and with love—the Catalan way. Featuring traditional dishes like Paella Barcelonata (Seafood Paella) and Llom de Porc Canari (Slow-roasted Pork Loin), as well as inventive takes on classics like Tiradito amb Escalivada (Spanish Sashimi with Roasted Vegetable Purees) and Amanida de Tomàquet amb Formatge de Cabra (Texas Peach and Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese), Catalan Food brings heritage into any home cook’s kitchen, where Catalonia’s cuisine was born. To know a culture, you must taste it; none is more rich and stunningly delicious than Catalonia’s.

Book The Foods of the Greek Islands

Download or read book The Foods of the Greek Islands written by Aglaia Kremezi and published by HMH. This book was released on 2000-11-14 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This New York Times Notable Book is “a real working guide to preparing the traditional dishes found all over Greece” (Newsweek). Stretching from the shores of Turkey to the Ionian Sea east of Italy, the Greek islands have been the crossroads of the Mediterranean since the time of Homer. Over the centuries, Phoenicians, Athenians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottoman Turks, and Italians have ruled the islands, putting their distinctive stamp on the food. Aglaia Kremezi, a frequent contributor to Gourmet and an international authority on Greek food, spent eight years collecting the fresh, uncomplicated recipes of the local women, fishermen, bakers, and farmers. Like all Mediterranean food, these dishes are light and healthful, simple but never plain, and make extensive use of seasonal produce, fresh herbs, and fish. Passed from generation to generation by word of mouth, most have never before been written down. All translate easily to the American home kitchen: Tomato Patties from Santorini; Spaghetti with Lobster from Kithira; Braised Lamb with Artichokes from Chios; Greens and Potato Stew from Crete; Spinach, Leek, and Fennel Pie from Skopelos; Rolled Baklava from Kos. Illustrated throughout with color photographs of the islanders preparing their specialties, and filled with stories of island history and customs, The Foods of the Greek Islands is for all cooks and travelers who want to experience this diverse and deeply rooted cuisine firsthand. “The author has combined her reportorial skills, scholarly interests and superb instincts as a cook who knows both American and Greek kitchens to produce recipes that are simple, direct yet exciting.” —The New York Times Book Review

Book The Oldways 4 Week Mediterranean Diet Menu Plan

Download or read book The Oldways 4 Week Mediterranean Diet Menu Plan written by Oldways and published by . This book was released on 2012-09-01 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Ceramics  Cuisine and Culture

Download or read book Ceramics Cuisine and Culture written by Michela Spataro and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2015-10-31 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 23 papers presented here are the product of the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and approaches to the study of kitchen pottery between archaeologists, material scientists, historians and ethnoarchaeologists. They aim to set a vital but long-neglected category of evidence in its wider social, political and economic contexts. Structured around main themes concerning technical aspects of pottery production; cooking as socioeconomic practice; and changing tastes, culinary identities and cross-cultural encounters, a range of social economic and technological models are discussed on the basis of insights gained from the study of kitchen pottery production, use and evolution. Much discussion and work in the last decade has focussed on technical and social aspects of coarse ware and in particular kitchen ware. The chapters in this volume contribute to this debate, moving kitchen pottery beyond the Binfordian ‘technomic’ category and embracing a wider view, linking processualism, ceramic-ecology, behavioral schools, and ethnoarchaeology to research on historical developments and cultural transformations covering a broad geographical area of the Mediterranean region and spanning a long chronological sequence.

Book Chemistry of the Mediterranean Diet

Download or read book Chemistry of the Mediterranean Diet written by Amélia Martins Delgado and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-30 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you ever wondered what makes the Mediterranean diet so healthy? Do you enjoy olives, tomatoes, Chouriço and Mozzarella, basil, rosemary and oregano, grapes, figs, and dates; and would you like to learn more about the substances they contain? Then this book is for you! The Mediterranean diet, designated as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’, has a reputation of being particularly beneficial to your health and for reducing the risk of diseases like cardiovascular disorders. Read this book to find out which chemical compounds contribute to these health benefits. Typical ingredients of the Mediterranean diet include olive oils, fresh and dried vegetables and fruits, cereals, moderate amounts of fish, dairy and meat, and various condiments and spices, typically accompanied by wine and infusions. The book will introduce you to the most typical ingredients, providing information about their use in Mediterranean cuisine and explaining more about the healthy substances they contain – from their chemistry to their occurrence in the foods and the resulting intake. Summarizing important facts and data from available scientific literature, this book even gives recommendations for guidelines to a healthy diet – guidelines that are becoming more and more important. In recent years, it has been observed that nutritional habits in the geographical area have started to deviate further and further away from the typical Mediterranean nutritional pattern, representing an alarming trend that this book also critically addresses, since the WHO has reported increases in obesity and malnutrition in the Mediterranean area. Illustrations of important chemical compound structures, as well as appetizing photos of select ingredients for Mediterranean dishes, accompany the text.

Book The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners

Download or read book The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners written by Elena Paravantes and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With 100 recipes and practical advice, this is the only guide you'll need to get started on the authentic Mediterranean diet! Introducing Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners, a one-stop guide to the authentic and much-loved Mediterranean Diet, featuring a perfect balance of vegetables, grains, fruit, generous portions of olive oil, and occasional servings of meat and fish, making this Mediterranean diet book both healthy and delicious!Want to adopt a healthy Mediterranean diet but don't know where to begin? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Dive straight into this delicious diet book to discover: -100 simple, tried-and-tested, healthy and delicious recipes made with fresh ingredients. -An easy-to-follow 14-day meal plan to get you started, with comprehensive shopping and food lists, and tips for creating your own menus. -Detailed guidance on how to shop for the right ingredients and how to cook the Mediterranean way. -Top tips for adopting a Mediterranean lifestyle that will improve your health and well-being. Did you know that the Mediterranean diet is universally accepted as the healthiest diet on the planet? So what are you waiting for? Get started today! Featuring expert advice from Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Elena Paravantes, this is the only guide you could ever need to get started on an awe-inspiring journey of Mediterranean cuisine. A must-have volume for individuals who want to convert to this incredibly healthy and delicious Spanish diet, but don't know where to start. Unlike other recipe books, this healthy cookbook contains recipes, meal plans, practical lifestyle tips, as well as cooking and shopping guidance, helping you to make the very most of all things Mediterranean and encourage healthy eating everyday.

Book The New Mediterranean Table

Download or read book The New Mediterranean Table written by Sameh Wadi and published by Page Street Publishing. This book was released on 2015-04-14 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Unforgettable Homage to Mediterranean Cuisine Sameh Wadi's award-winning restaurants are just the beginning of his talents. He has a spice company, was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation "Best Chef " and "Rising Star" awards and was raised by two avid home cooks. Born in the Middle East, he grew up cooking and eating Mediterranean food. Here, he offers a collection of recipes that represent an exceptional look into his rich heritage, the culinary foundation that has propelled him to the top of the American restaurant scene. Sameh has a knack for making the exotic accessible. He will introduce you to new as well as familiar flavors in this collection of traditional and modern recipes. He takes influences from everything from Mediterranean street food to top gourmet offerings and gives you the best of the Mediterranean, one recipe at a time. Sameh believes in "the language of spices" and uses them to weave a story with flavor, texture and aroma. Mindful of the ancient civilizations and empires built around the spice trade, he layers rich culture, heritage, traditions and strong historical connections into each dish. The result is a vibrant cookbook showcasing the incredible flavors of Mediterranean cuisine. With a dash of European cookery, some exotic spices, rich and exciting recipes, and an abundance of great flavor, this book is a must-have for every passionate cook out there.

Book A Book of Mediterranean Food

Download or read book A Book of Mediterranean Food written by Elizabeth David and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2013-12-06 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the enticing and mouth-watering flavours of Mediterranean cooking with Elizabeth David's classic cookbook 'Britain's most inspirational food writer' INDEPENDENT _______ Having lived in France, Italy, the Greek islands and Egypt, Elizabeth David has perfected the art of Mediterranean cooking. In her classic cookbook she gives us hearty pasta dishes from Italy; aromatic and tangy salads from Turkey and Greece; and tasty seafood and saffron dishes from Spain. With delicious dishes including . . . - Tomato and Shellfish Soup - Greek Spinach Pie - Toulouse-Style Cassoulet - Valencian Paella - Turkish Salad Dressing - Syrian Fish Sauce . . . You will be taken on a tasting tour of the Mediterranean from your own kitchen. Whether it is the simplicity of hummus or the delicious blending of flavours found in plates of ratatouille or paella, Elizabeth David's wonderful recipes in A Book of Mediterranean Food are imbued with all the delights of the sunny south. _______ 'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian

Book Mediterranean Grains and Greens

Download or read book Mediterranean Grains and Greens written by Paula Wolfert and published by Ecco. This book was released on 1998-08-26 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paula Wolfert is passionate about the Mediterranean -- its landscape, its people, its culture, and above all, its rich culinary tradition. Her five earlier cookbooks celebrated the sensuous pleasures of the Mediterranean kitchen and introduced a previously uninitiated American audience to an exciting new way of cooking and eating. In her eagerly awaited Mediterranean Grains and Greens, Wolfert continues that tradition, focusing on the delectable grains and greens-based dishes she discovered as she spent five years traversing the Mediterranean region, from Spain in the west toIsrael, Lebanon, and Syria in the east, with stops in France, Italy, Turkey, and Greece. Here are bountiful breads (Mirsini's Spiced Barley Bread); mouthwatering pastries (Spicy Beef, Olives, and Capers in Semolina Pastry Turnovers); nourishing comfort soups (Garlic Soup with Leafy Greens); crisp salads of mixed greens, cooked green salads, and savory grain salads (Samira's Tabbouleh with Parsley, Bulgur, Cinnamon, and Cumin); unusual desserts (Tunisian Homemade Couscous with Golden Raisins); and accompanying sauces, condiments, and seasonings. Though Mediterranean Grains and Greens is not a vegetarian cookbook, meat, fish, and poultry, when they appear, are used primarily as condiments and flavor enhancers rather than the main focus of a meal. Throughout, Wolfert explains the historical and cultural significance of her dishes, sharing traditional preparation techniques as well as her adaptations for the American home kitchen. Ever conscious of the availability of ingredients in this country, she recommends readily available alternatives found in grocery stores and farmer's markets. Whether foraging for wild "apron greens" in the Turkish countryside, "listening" to risotto in Venice to tell if it's ready to eat, making homemade rustic pasta on the island of Crete, baking Sardinian flatbread the old-fashioned way, scrambling eggs with kofte along the Euphrates, or preparing the unusual "black paellas" of Valencia, Paula Wolfert shares her adventures in the engaging first-person stories that accompany each recipe. This comprehensive collection invites Paula Wolfert's loyal fans and followers to rediscover the joys of Mediterranean living, cooking, and eating right along with her. Like her earlier works, the enticing, wide-ranging Mediterranean Grains and Greens is destined to become a kitchen classic, a book that every serious cook, armchair traveler, and lover of good food will want to own.

Book Mediterranean Summer

    Book Details:
  • Author : David Shalleck
  • Publisher : Crown
  • Release : 2008-06-10
  • ISBN : 0767930231
  • Pages : 354 pages

Download or read book Mediterranean Summer written by David Shalleck and published by Crown. This book was released on 2008-06-10 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An alluring, evocative summer voyage on the Mediterranean and into the enchanting seaside towns of France and Italy by a young American chef aboard an Italian billionaire couple’s spectacular sailing yacht. Having begun his cooking career in some of New York’s and San Francisco’s best restaurants, David Shalleck undertakes a European culinary adventure, a quest to discover what it really means to be a chef through a series of demanding internships in Provence and throughout Italy. After four years, as he debates whether it is finally time to return stateside and pursue something more permanent, he stumbles upon a rare opportunity: to become the chef on board Serenity, the classic sailing yacht owned by one of Italy’s most prominent couples. They present Shalleck with the ultimate challenge: to prepare all the meals for them and their guests for the summer, with no repeats, comprised exclusively of local ingredients that reflect the flavors of each port, presented flawlessly to the couple’s uncompromising taste—all from the confines of the yacht’s small galley while at sea. Shalleck invites readers to experience both place and food on Serenity’s five-month journey. He prepares the simple classics of Provençal cooking in the French Riviera, forages for delicate frutti di mare in Liguria to make crudo, finds the freshest fish along the Tuscan coast for cacciucco, embraces the season of sun-drenched tomatoes for acqua pazza in the Amalfi Coast, and crosses the Bay of Naples to serve decadent dark chocolate-almond cake at the Isle of Capri. Shalleck captures the distinctive sights, sounds, and unique character of each port, the work hard/play hard life of being a crew member, and the challenges of producing world-class cuisine for the stylish and demanding owners and their guests. An intimate view of the most exclusive of worlds, Mediterranean Summer offers readers a new perspective on breathtaking places, a memorable portrait of old world elegance and life at sea, as well recipes and tips to re-create the delectable food.

Book Mediterranean Harvest

    Book Details:
  • Author : Martha Rose Shulman
  • Publisher : Rodale Books
  • Release : 2010-06-08
  • ISBN : 1605296198
  • Pages : 411 pages

Download or read book Mediterranean Harvest written by Martha Rose Shulman and published by Rodale Books. This book was released on 2010-06-08 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intensely flavorful and inherently healthy, Mediterranean food is one of the world's most appealing cuisines. Mediterranean cooks know how to make eating a pleasure. They do it simply—with olive oil and garlic; with herbs and spices; with tomatoes and eggplants, peppers and squash, figs and peaches, and other seasonal produce. And of course there is crusty bread and local cheese, the freshest yogurt and endless wine. In this authoritative and anecdotal cookbook, award-winning author Martha Rose Shulman captures the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean region in more than 500 delicious vegetarian dishes that will appeal to everyone. The book represents years of meticulous research gleaned from Shulman's travels through France, Spain, Italy, the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, North Africa, and the Middle East. She presents authentic contemporary variations as well. You'll dine with her in Greek olive groves, feast on recipes handed down from mother to daughter for generations, and she offers her own tomatoes and fresh sardines in Croatia, savor coffee gelato in the streets of Bologna. At every turn in the road there is a new culinary reward. Whether you are a vegetarian or a dedicated meat eater, Shulman's recipes are substantial enough to satisfy any appetite. Included are such tempting creations as Majorcan Bread and Vegetable Soup, Provençal Chick Pea Salad, Pasta with Ligurian Artichoke Sauce, Greek Cauliflower Gratin with Feta and Olives, Balkan-Style Moussaka, North African Carrot "Compote," and Sweet Dessert Couscous with Citrus and Pomegranate. There is also an entire chapter devoted to the renowned "little foods" of the Mediterranean: tapas from Spain, antipasti and merende from Italy; meze from the eastern and southern Mediterranean, and more. In addition, the book features a glossary of useful cookware and indispensable pantry staples and the best online sources for hard-to-find ingredients. As Martha Rose Shulman herself says, "Mediterranean food enthralls me." Readers of Mediterranean Harvest will be enthralled as well.

Book Food Culture in Italy

Download or read book Food Culture in Italy written by Fabio Parasecoli and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2004-10-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is keen interest in the exquisite yet simple Italian cuisine and Italian culture. This volume provides an intimate look at how Italians cook, eat, and think about food today. It describes the cornucopia of foodstuffs and classic ingredients. An overview of the typical daily routine of meals and snacks gives a good feel for the everyday life. The changing roles of women are explored with a discussion of the inroads that convenience foods are making. In addition, the current concerns about the food supply, the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and the slow food movement are tied in to the debates on these issues in the United States. Food is one of the main reasons why many Americans travel to Italy. Yet, the fascination with Italian cuisine is not all about health or taste. There is much more to it. Italian food is perceived and portrayed in the media as representing a whole lifestyle: Italians live la dolce vita, leisurely eating and drinking with friends and families, families are still important, and communities are close knit. The reality of Italian society is more complex, and this volume offers a balanced view of Italian culture and identity through its foodways.