Luca Cesari – författare

A Waterstones 'Best Books of 2022: Food and Drink'A Times Food and Drink Book of the Year 2022 and a Spectator Cook Book of the Year 2022A Stylist Christmas Gift Pick 2022'If pasta is a religion, this book is its sermon' Russell Norman, founder of Polpo and Brutto'Rewarding ... you discover a lot about Italy here ... huge fun' Sunday TimesIn one shape or another, pasta has been an Italian staple since the days of ancient Rome. It has been the food of peasants, the pride of royalty and a culinary badge of honour for Italian emigrants all over the world. It's hard to imagine Italy without pasta, yet the history of the country's most famous food has changed with the fortunes of eaters and cooks alike.In A Brief History of Pasta, discover the humble origins of fettuccine Alfredo that lie in a back-street trattoria in Rome, how Genovese sauce became a Neapolitan staple and what conveyor belts have to do with serving spaghetti. Meet the people who have shaped pasta's history, from the traders who brought pesto to the world to the celebrity chef who sparked national outrage by adding an unpeeled garlic clove to his recipe for amatriciana sauce. Renowned culinary historian Luca Cesari delves into the fascinating variety of his country's best-loved food, serving up the secrets behind the creamiest carbonara, the richest ragù alla Bolognese and the tastiest tortellini.

Pizza is the Italian food that has conquered the world: from Brussels to LA, from Beijing to Buenos Aires, pizzas and pizzerias can be found everywhere today. But what are the origins of this food and how did it rise from its humble beginnings to become the world’s best-loved dish?The story begins in the narrow alleys of Naples where, in the late eighteenth century, the city’s impoverished inhabitants lived in a state of constant hunger. Pizza was born as a street food to assuage the hunger of Naples’ poor. Cheap and versatile, it remained anonymous for more than a century – the few outsiders who encountered this strange flatbread, “more burned than cooked,” either loved it or hated it. Gradually pizza spread to other parts of Italy and then, with the mass migration of Italians to the New World, it landed in the United States, where it enjoyed unprecedented success, invigorated by new ingredients, new recipes, and new tastes. Today, Americans are the biggest consumers of pizza in the world, at 13 kilos per head per year.The renowned culinary historian Luca Cesari retraces the story of pizza’s rise from the backstreets of Naples to a global industry now worth more than $200 billion a year. He describes how pizzas were made, the ingredients used, and the reactions of travelers, critics, and consumers. Richly illustrated with recipes from different times and places, The History of Pizza will transform your view of Italy’s most iconic food.