Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City: A Cookbook

Two Americans living in Rome write a love letter to their city, showcasing modern dishes influenced by tradition, as well as the rich culture of their surroundings.

Even 150 years after unification, Italy is still a divided nation where individual regions are defined by their local cuisine. Each is a mirror of its city’s culture, history, and geography. Cucina romana is the country’s greatest standout.

Tasting Rome provides a complete picture of a place that many love but few know completely. In sharing Rome’s celebrated dishes, street food innovations, and forgotten recipes, journalist Katie Parla and photographer Kristina Gill showcase its unique character and reveal its truly evolved food culture-a culmination of 2,000 years of history. The recipes here acknowledge the foundations of this cuisine and demonstrate how it has transitioned to the variations found today. They cover the more expected classics (Cacio e Pepe, Pollo alla Romana); the fascinating but largely undocumented Sephardic Jewish cuisine (Polpette Finte, Pizzarelle); the authentic and tasty offal (Guanciale, Insalata di Nervitti); and so much more. Studded with chef features and gorgeous photography highlighting both the food and its hidden city, this book transports readers and immediately inspires them to start cooking the really Roman way.