{"product_id":"a-bite-sized-history-of-italy-by-danielle-callegari-9781620979235","title":"A Bite-Sized History of Italy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e offers a compelling exploration into the rich tapestry of Italian food history and culture, from the Roman Empire to today, by the co-host of the top-ranked \u003cem\u003eGola\u003c\/em\u003e food and wine podcast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThough a relatively young country, Italy’s culinary identity has been simmering for centuries, shaped by a shared gastronomic culture. From the dormice and \u003cem\u003egarum\u003c\/em\u003e of the Roman Empire to the heresy of pineapple pizza, \u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e traces this legacy, offering a delicious romp through millennia of culinary tradition and transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAuthor Danielle Callegari, Dartmouth College professor and celebrated \u003cem\u003eGola\u003c\/em\u003e podcast co-host, guides readers through the kitchens, vineyards, city squares, and coastal ports of the iconic peninsula, painting an intimate portrait of a place justly famous for its cuisine – so much so that food might well be the very reason for its existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith boundless energy and a fearless palate, Callegari explores beloved staples – pizza, pasta, parmigiano – alongside the unsung flavours that shaped Italian identity: legumes, wild herbs, game birds, spices, and the contributions of Jewish and other minority communities. Readers will uncover the true history of the tomato, Mussolini’s failed attempt to replace pasta with rice, the “Carbonaragate” scandal that made international headlines, and more. Drawing on ancient cookbooks, medieval architecture, and contemporary cooking shows, Callegari reveals how Italy’s rise as Europe’s gastronomic heart is rooted in religious customs, class dynamics, and the echoes of empire, and how food became a language of both unity and division.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChapters feature recipes, beverage pairings, compelling historical vignettes, and current restaurant recommendations. Vivid and entertaining, this latest addition to The New Press’s standout \u003cem\u003eBite-Sized History\u003c\/em\u003e series, \u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e offers a glimpse of the making of Italy itself – a nation defined, defended, and devoured around the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCombining thorough history with evocative food writing, Callegari delivers an informative and energetic exploration of cuisine as a cipher for both tradition and change. Italophiles will devour this.\u003c\/strong\u003e – \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e turns the peninsula’s culinary mythology inside out, revealing the messy, hilarious, and profound ways Italians have used food to explain themselves for millennia. Callegari’s storytelling is sharp, generous, and unafraid to pry open the past to show how culture is cooked into every bite.\u003c\/strong\u003e – Katie Parla, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author and author of \u003cem\u003eRome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to the Flavours that Built a City\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e is as engaging as it is erudite, and it returns Italian cooking squarely to where it belongs, as an integral, even foundational part of Italy’s rich and unique culture.\u003c\/strong\u003e – David Wondrich, James Beard Award-winning cocktail historian and author\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThink you know Italian food? Think again. With the wit and wisdom that defines Dr. Callegari’s lectures and writing, the professor gives a master class in these pages, bringing a freshness rivalled only by a recently filled cannolo to Italy’s well-travelled food stories. She orients readers with historical and cultural context for the creation of beloved dishes (and some that are lesser known, too), and dazzles by delivering gems of humanity and humour along the way. This book is a delight that bridges ancient traditions with today’s tables, and satisfies not just a hunger for history and nuggets of wisdom, but connection and community.\u003c\/strong\u003e – Stef Ferrari, award-winning and James Beard Award-nominated producer and author of \u003cem\u003eStuzzichini\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDanielle Callegari reminds us that Italian identity and Italian cuisine are inseparable, and that to understand one we must understand the other. This book wanders through the stories of writers, cooks, princes, and popes to trace that bond. At its core lies a simple truth: Food is never just food, but memory, myth, and the thread that ties one generation to the next. The only way to read this book is with appetite, curiosity, and gratitude.\u003c\/strong\u003e – Fabrizia Lanza, director of Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School and author of \u003cem\u003eThe Food of Sicily\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrava Danielle, may our food always be with us and may its history make us aware of the richness we have.\u003c\/strong\u003e – Dario Cecchini, world-renowned butcher and owner of Cecchini\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRanging from the Roman Empire to the present, this book is divided into twenty short chapters, savoury \"bites\" of fascinating stories about Italian food creations, scandals, and obsessions. Marvelous, and painlessly informative.\u003c\/strong\u003e – Paul Freedman, professor, historian, and author of \u003cem\u003eTen Restaurants That Changed America\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e, Danielle Callegari serves up a brilliant and delectable narrative in which culinary pleasure meets rigorous scholarship, revealing how the making of Italy has always unfolded at the table – through empire, faith, conflict, and the irresistible power of pasta.\u003c\/strong\u003e – Simone Cinotto, professor of modern history, Università di Scienze Gastronomiche, and author of \u003cem\u003eSoft Soil, Black Grapes\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67708734177516,"sku":"9781620979235","price":57.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781620979235-a-bite-sized-history-of-italy-1.jpg?v=1791833819","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/products\/a-bite-sized-history-of-italy-by-danielle-callegari-9781620979235","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}