GARRUBBO GUIDE

A comprehensive introduction to Italian cuisine by an expert.

If traveling to Italy isn’t in the cards, there’s always this sunny, satisfying armchair tour of Italian cuisine and history. Garrubbo, the Italian American author of Sunday Pasta (2014) and the editor of the Garrubbo Guide website, distills decades of immersion in Italian cooking into his new book. He takes an appropriately broad view of his topic: The book’s first part covers Italian geography, culture, and history, and Garrubbo stresses the integral role that food traditions play in Italian life. A section titled “The Six Ms” details the roles that mothers, memory, and time-tested methods of food preparation play in this dynamic. Garrubbo explains the structure of an Italian meal from aperitivo to digestivo, and then highlights each specific element. One entire section is devoted to pasta and another to the wines of Italy. There’s also a review of the country’s engaging regional traditions. The prose is clear, as are the helpful and well-organized tables and illustrations. This isn’t a dry textbook; Garrubbo’s passion for his subject is apparent in the compelling details that he scatters throughout the book, including appetizing tidbits about the regional origins and history of popular types of Italian breads. For instance, he notes that pane carasau, a thin, crisp Sardinian bread, is also called carta da musica because its paperlike texture is reminiscent of sheet music. And although this volume isn’t a cookbook, it still succeeds as a helpful kitchen reference; for instance, chapters on olive oil and vinegar offer specifics on how these condiments are used in cooking. There’s also a chart of the most commonly used spices that includes the Italian and English names for each herb. Overall, Garrubbo is the best sort of tour guide—enthusiastic, entertaining, and emotionally involved in his subject. A glossary and bibliography further enhance the work.

An inspiring and informative guide to the foods of Italy.