FOOD OF THE ITALIAN SOUTH

Culinary journalist and author of Tasting Rome (Clarkson Potter, Spring 2016), Katie Parla enchants readers with her love letter to the Italian South by pulling back the curtain and showcasing the vibrant, food-centric culture alongside deliciously modernized versions of favorite and forgotten cooking traditions.

Cooking and eating are both deeply rooted in Italian society, but, like its society, the country's cuisine is wildly diverse. While all of Italy values fresh produce and bright flavors, the Italian South is best known for its rustic and romantic cuisine. After the critical success of her first book Tasting Rome, Katie Parla travels south to the warm regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, and Puglia to discover her heritage through food. With 85 original and reimagined recipes that encapsulate the regionally unique dishes and staples, Food touches on what readers might expect (mozzarella, tomatoes, coffee, fish, and of course, pasta), but Parla goes beyond the recipes with stories, cultural insights, and personal discoveries that only someone as intimately familiar with Italy as she is can offer.

Katie Parla has lived in Italy for almost 15 years. Without a doubt, she is an authority with a unique outsider-insider perspective. Parla's first cookbook, Tasting Rome, won the IACP International Cookbook Award in 2017 and was licensed in German (Sudwest) and Norwegian (Memo). She lives in Rome full-time.

KATIE PARLA holds a sommelier certificate and a master's degree in Italian gastronomic culture. She is the author of Tasting Rome, writes for the blog ParlaFood.com, which was named the Reader's Choice for Saveur's "Eat the World" award in 2016, and the website TheRomeDigest.com, and has created three mobile dining apps. Parla is Rome's leading culinary journalist, writing for the New York Times (US), the Sunday Times (UK), and Gourmet Traveller (AUS), among others. Her travel apps have been featured in the LA Times, Departures, the Daily Meal, and Eater.