"This book makes me want to be sitting in my favourite Umbrian restaurants right now."
ALASTAIR LITTLE
Quotes from the book...
"A region expresses itself through its dialect and its food."
LUCIO SFORZA
"It's in the DNA of Italians to cook and eat well. We've grown up with certain culinary traditions"
RENZO FRANCESCHINI
240 pages
50 recipes
18 maps
225 colour photographs
25 eating establishments
17 towns
(see map)
5 producers of local specialties
Softback (220 x 200mm)
£19.99 RRP
It is the food and the people of Italy – and specifically of the beautiful central Italian region, Umbria – that have inspired this book. An Appetite for Umbria contains a series of portraits of some of the most interesting characters behind some of the best restaurants in Umbria.
But ‘best’ certainly doesn’t mean ‘similar’. In the book you will find upmarket restaurants, such as Il Postale in Citta di Castello, Villa Roncalli in Foligno and La Bastiglia in Spello, next to informal wine bars and casual eating places like L’Oste della Mal’Ora in Terni, L’Osteria del Matto in Spoleto and Il Bacco Felice in Foligno. You will find establishments that have been run by the same families for many decades, such as Il Granaro del Monte in Norcia, La Fortezza in Assisi and Ristorante Umbria in Todi, next to newcomers like Vinolento in Castiglione del Lago, Il Cantico in Ferentillo and L’Alchimista in Montefalco. You will also find the modern and stylish L’Asino d’Oro in Orvieto next to the more traditional Del Ponte in Scheggino.
This diversity of restaurants is mirrored by the diversity of the people behind them. Many of the chefs and restaurant owners profiled here have settled in Umbria from elsewhere in Italy: Angelo Zarbo at L’Osteria del Gambero in Perugia, for instance, is Sicilian, and Carmine Iaquinangelo of Osteria al Duomo in Todi is Neopolitan. Many others have had success in other careers: Gabriele DiGiandomenico of L’Antica Trattoria dell’Orso in Orvieto, worked in fashion in New York for 15 years, while Renzo Franceschini of Oste della Mal’Ora in Terni is a highly regarded wine dealer.
If you have visited Umbria, you will doubtless have been to Assisi, Orvieto, Spoleto and other high-profile hill towns, or if you are planning a visit, these are likely to feature on your itinerary. All are represented in An Appetite for Umbria. However, you may have missed such gems as Terni and Foligno. Perhaps our modest efforts to promote their lesser-known but genuine charms will influence your next trip.
Have you ever read about a restaurant, been excited about eating there, but on arriving in town, been unable to find it? An Appetite for Umbria not only provides you with clear, simple maps, but personalised directions, so that you can enjoy a wander around town, easily locate where you’ll eat and only worry about whether you’d rather start with a seasonal vegetable antipasto or take the chef’s advice – who you’ll feel you already know.
Many of the featured establishments are small, and their owners have every intention of keeping them that way, preferring 25 customers to feel delighted about the food and service they have received, rather than 50 merely think the experience was good. In none of them is there a frenzied race for culinary decorations, nor are quality or innovation sacrificed for easy returns: many of these chefs and proprietors are supporters of small, local food suppliers and producers rather than supermarket chains, and all believe that offering good food – and wine – is a duty as much as a delight.
An Appetite for Umbria gives a snapshot of the heroes of Italian food in this region, some of international renown, others unsung, accompanied by samples of the type of food you can expect to find at their restaurants, trattorie, osterie and enoteche. We hope that the book, and its recipes, will give you an appetite for Umbria and – who knows? – possibly even play a part in helping you plan your next (or first) trip to this wonderful region.
Umbrians adore their local specialities. They are not alone. An Appetite for Umbria takes a brief look at a selection of high-quality Umbrian foodstuffs, including wine, olive oil and farro. These essential components of the culinary heritage of Umbria are cherished by an ever-increasing worldwide audience.
An Appetite for Umbria includes 50 recipes from the featured restaurants. These range from the straightforward (Pearl Barley Salad, Spaghetti with Perch and Lemon, Pistachio and Rum Parfait) to the exotic (Salt Cod Fritters with Celery, Foie Gras, Pears and Borage, Beef Fillet stuffed with Truffles and Caciotta in a Sagrantino Sauce, Variations of Domori Chocolate). All are representative of the food served in their respective restaurants and are accompanied by a suggestion for at least one accompanying wine.
"The cooking that you find in Umbria is long-established but also creative and innovative, yet still maintains its soul. What's important is the standard of the basic ingredients. Tomatoes, aubergines and garlic are all life choices."
Download Sample Chapter (426k)