Al Dente

Contrary to popular opinion, the answer to the question ‘Where does pizza come from?’ is not ‘The freezer.’ But it is true to say that many Italian foods are now part of our everyday diet. Pesto, Parmesan and ciabatta are on sale in every supermarket.

In Al Dente, William Black travels the length and breadth of Italy to get to the roots of Italian food. His quest for the most delicious and authentic cooking and the very finest ingredients take him to wonderfully familiar places and hidden delights: he drinks coffee in Turin, and views the mattanza, the annual tuna catch, off the coast of Sardinia. And as he eats his way to the country’s culinary heart, he unearths the fascinating story of his own family’s role in Italian history. A joy from cover to cover. It will probably make you want to book a holiday and it will certainly make you laugh.