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• by:
• Manuelli, Sara

I grew up in Via dei Cappellari, a dingy, narrow street of Camp di Fiori in Rome. Every morning, I woke up to the sound of the market carts rattling on the cobblestones, as they made their way to the market, laden with tightly packed vegetable and fruit wooden boxes. And regardless of how many times I’ve done it, I still gasp at the view as I approach from Via dei Cappellari the photogenic Campo de Fiori market square—both a tourist destination and the home to one of the oldest fruit, vegetable and flower markets in Rome.-–Sara Manuelli

Born and raised in Rome, Sara Manuelli reveals its gastronomic secrets: the tiny restaurants tucked away in side streets and frequented religiously by locals, the specialist shops selling gourmet ingredients and artisan produce. This is the ultimate guide to Rome, lusciously illustrated with photographs of Sara’s favorite Roman people and places.

Each chapter introduces an area of Rome, its restaurants, food, markets, and people. Once a Jewish ghetto, the Ghetto e Isola Tiberina, for example, is the home of specialist restaurants and ingredients that recall ancient Roman-Jewish culinary influences. Here you’ll find irresistible dishes such as fried squash flowers stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella served in tiny tratorrias such as Sora Margherita-—unsignposted, but always full.

Six local day trips from Rome are also featured, taking in areas such as Frascati, a hilltop town to the southeast of Rome, where the local white wine is produced. Groups of Romans will drive here just for the evening, dining at one of the many restaurants and enjoying the view and the local white wine.

Each area of Rome is accompanied by a selection of recipes from the local restaurants—simple dishes that make the most of ingredients like vine-ripened tomatoes, pulses, pancetta, lamb, artichokes, mozzarella, and fresh egg pasta. The final chapter discusses Rome’s light and refreshing wines and gives suggestions about which ones should be served with particular dishes.

Cucina Romana reveals the beating heart of this magical city. In a place where food is at the center of life and culture, there is only one way to really get a taste of Rome.