'Parasecoli'sknowledge of his subject is encyclopedic . . . the sheer volume ofinformation packed into Al Dente makes it a valuablecontribution to the field.' - TLS'In this fascinating guide, Fabio Parasecoli takes us through the historyof Italy's relationship with food, right back to the Romans, discussing theorigins of olive oil and the importance of sun-ripened tomatoes . . . thestories that are interwoven into the pages are essential reads for any buddingconnoisseur or general foodie.' - Italia Magazine'dense with passion and expertise, written exquisitely with the perspectiveof exhaustingly detailed research. But don't get me wrong, [it is] infinitelyenjoyable and perusable and will enable you to cook your heart out and feelenlightened all at once . . . destined for classic status . . . as Italiancuisine has proven to be one of the most relevant, if not prevalent, cuisinesin the world, Parasecoli, a native of Rome, explores the myths and realitiesof Italy's gastronomic narrative.' - Huffington Post'This ambitious volume places discussions of food and food-related customsin the context of Italian history from the Neolithic to the present.Parasecoli leads readers on an engaging journey through time and geography.The author peppers the account with anecdotes and historical tidbits rangingfrom whether or not there was food scarcity during the Middle Ages to howchanges in female empowerment have caused adjustments in portion sizes in thetwenty-first century. Recommended' - Choice'Reaktion Books continues to expand its presence in the world of foodstudies with a new series, Foods & Nations. Its first two titles relateto Germany and Italy, both are worth the purchase and your close attention.Nicely produced, with Reaktion's usual attention to the melding of words andimage, they will each provide a thought-provoking launchpad for the curious .. . Fabio Parasecoli has done a good job on Italy. Perhaps because of thecomplexity of Italian history, he has elected to weld the gustatory to thepolitical narrative. This makes it rather useful for the epicure who knowsnothing of Italian history, and it puts a nice slant for the politicalhistorian on his daily bread and butter. It might be said that this is a bookabout food issues rather than food, but it's none the worse for that, and isfull of most enjoyable illustrations and nicely untoward information. Goodstuff.' - Petits Propos Culinaires'Fabio Parasecoli's Al Dente: A History of Food in Italyis an early entry in a promising new series, which offers a sweeping readingof history through food. Parasecoli provides an intensely detailed historicalconstruction of food, culture, and identity in Italy from the development ofthe Roman diet through the globalized consumption of food and culture today.The book is part of an important direction in food studies, extending beyondthe field itself to address broad questions of commoditization and culture.Parasecoli engages with an extensive knowledge of European and world historyand the work is of interest to scholars and students in history and in thesociological study of cities, immigration, globalization, or culture. Inaddition to his main historical and social observations, Parasecoli includesdozens of recipes, pictures, and interesting asides on topics such as Wine inAncient Italy and Food Fights in the Global Market' - Food, Cultureand Society'This cool analysis of the geopolitical background to the delights ofItalian gastronomy is a welcome addition.' - Gillian Riley, author of The Oxford Companion to Italian Food
